Features:
The Silverstone Ensemble EB01 is a digital to analog converter. That means it takes the digital sound signals from your computer and translates them into analog signals that you can use with any audio amp, speakers, headphones, etc. that are not digital surround. The EB01 accepts 16-bit stereo and mono USB audio data streams. It has a sampling rate of 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz.

  
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Sporting a very small footprint, it is very easy to place the EB01 anywhere around an HTPC or a regular PC. It has stereo component level foot stands so if your using it with other stereo equipment it will blend in perfectly. The exterior finish is a precision machined brushed aluminium, so when placed near any expensive audio equipment it has a real high-end look to it and definitely won't stand out.

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The front right has a small area where Power and Play labels can be seen. When the PC is powered on the blue power LED will light up on the EB01. Whenever any audio output is detected from the computer, the play LED will illuminate.

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Installation:
In terms of installation, the Silverstone EB01 is about as easy as it gets. The first thing you'll want to do is plug your speakers or amp into it. For those using an amp that has RCA inputs, simply plug the L and R channels into the appropriate plugs on the back of the EB01. If you're using a set of stereo speakers that has an 1/8" plug, Silverstone includes an adapter so you can still use your speakers with the EB01. The last step of physical installation is to plug the USB cable into both the PC and the back of the unit.

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Once you power on your system and boot into Windows XP it automatically detects and installs the EB01 as a set of USB speakers. That's almost as easy as 1, 2, 3 and makes any problems with drivers nonexistent!

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Testing:
To test the Silverstone Ensemble EB01 I used it as my computer's primary sound device for the period of several days. The computer was used almost non-stop for everything during the course of these days. I played a lot of different kinds of music, watched some movies and videos as well as played a handful of games.

Testing System:
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Socket 939)
Motherboard: Biostar NF4UL-A9
Memory: 512mb Dual-Channel OCZ Premiere Series
HDD: Western Digital 160gb SATA II (WD1600JS)
Video: XFX GeForce 6600GT PCI Express
Power Supply: Silverstone ST60F 600W
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2

Sound chips tested against:
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI 128
- Onboard Realtek ALC850 AC97 Rev 2.3

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In comparison to the audio chips tested against, the Silverstone EB01 had a very clear, clean and rich sound to it. Though the human ear is only so good of a measuring tool, I can say that the high sound quality of the EB01 was slightly evident over the two chips it was compared to. For those wanting to build a good media PC or HTPC to interface with a nice expensive set of Stereo speakers then the EB01 is a great D/A converter to interface the PC to the speakers.

However, surround sound is becoming more and more popular every day. Very few die-hard media fans still have the aging stereo sound to their systems. Many are using anywhere from 5.1 to 7.1 surround sound systems to emerge themselves in the media. The EB01 however, only supports a stereo signal with simply a Left and a Right output. After talking with Silverstone, I have heard that they do have future plans to possibly make a surround sound version of this product to accommodate users on that end of the market.

Conclusion:
Overall I was very impressed with the Silverstone EB01 Digital to Analog converter. For those using stereo sound that want a high-quality rich and clean audio signal, this is definitely a worthy investment.

Pros:
Great design
Excellent sounding
Plug and play, no required drivers!
High-quality gold plated cables included
RCA output allows easy connection to any stereo or home theatre system
When compared to high-end DACs the price is lower than most!

Cons:
Only stereo (no surround support)
Average home users may find it slightly pricey for their needs

Rating: 8.5/10

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