Here’s a look inside Human Audio’s Muto battery-powered DAC ($1299), handmade in Hungary. The Muto is compatible with resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz, has selectable S/PDIF inputs (RCA and BNC), has a fully discrete analog output stage with bipolar and JFET transistors, and employs two Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries capable of at least 12 hours of “green” operation. When the Muto is switched off, the batteries automatically recharge.

The idea behind the design is to create an extremely clean and stable power supply to provide a similarly clean and stable sound, one which maintains music’s fundamental tones. According to True Audiophile’s Gary Alpern, the engineers at Human Audio hold regular listening sessions with musicians to maintain a strong reference for their products’ sonic attributes. I was also told that the company’s engineers, in essence, “tricked” the DAC chip into thinking it’s a non-oversampling design. I think the word “analog-like” was used somewhere in there, too.

This sounds like a product for AudioStream’s Michael Lavorgna.