SilverStone Ensemble EB01 & EB02 Audio System Review

Modding Options

There are a few modification options available for the Ensemble audio units. The EB01 DAC has some room for some circuitry improvements and the addition of better quality capacitors would be beneficial in most position to clean up the signal further and provide better filtering on the power. A SPST power switch would also be a good modification option for this unit as when your system is powered off the DAC remains powered. Replacing the output OPA304 opamps could also increase the output sound quality.

The EB02 Amplifier can produce better sonic results by replacing the stock coupling capacitors with higher quality audio caps such as Black-Gates, Auri-Caps or Solens. The power supply circuitry filtering could also use higher quality caps, possibly of a larger value could be added or existing units replaced. The addition of a small SPST power switch to the EB02 amplifier would be a good idea as the amplifier stays powered constantly. The indicator LED’s are connected to pin headers so for vanity's sake you could change them to bright RED or yellow to add some custom flare.

Note: We offer these suggestions for those interested, altering your Ensemble audio system is not recommended. Any modifications should not be attempted by novices as you could destroy the unit and you will certainly void your warranty.


Conclusion

Overall we were very impressed with the sound quality produced by the SilverStone Ensemble audio system. This meshes well with the design intent of this product since it was designed to be a total solution for high quality stereo desktop audio for PC or Laptop use. The Ensemble system produced quality audio with good articulate bass, full midrange, shimmering high tones and huge soundstage all without a hint of distortion or noise. Although the individual units are meant to be complimentary to each other they each have features and functions that allow them to be used separately for certain audio tasks. For example, the EB01 DAC can be used to drive your favorite high quality headphones or active (amplified) PC speaker system while he EB02 amplifier can be used to amplify any sound source such as your PC or laptop sound card, MP3 player, CD player or any device with a line-level audio output. This equals incredible flexibility as long as you are perfectly fine with basic stereo sound without any other components such as subs or additional speakers.

On the flip side of the coin, there are a few details we found that weren't quite so hot with this system and needed to be mentioned to give an accurate picture of what this audio system offers to the user. Neither the EB01 DAC nor the EB02 Amplifier has a main power switch. The DAC takes power from the USB port and when connected to the audio review system the DAC remained powered after the system had been shutdown. The EB02 amplifier is also staying powered 100% of the time as it draws it power from an external adapter. We are not sure if this power switch omission was intentional or just an unfortunate oversight but hopefully SilverStone has seen the error of their ways and will revise the designs in future releases or devices.

One main feature we find missing on this is the options for S/PDIF input as the EB01 itself or Ensemble audio system could be utilized in a many more situations since many onboard sound solutions, soundcards and stand alone A/V players utilize S/PIDF audio output. While this may have driven up the cost we feel like it is a missed opportunity to make this product appeal to a broader user base.

The Ensemble audio system is designed for one task which is to output stereo sound. To be honest, it is quite good at this task but it offers little else to the user in the way of features or options. The system or rather the DAC device (EB01) is not meant for gaming and has no support for any modern gaming standards such as EAX or OpenAL. There is no type of virtual surround technologies to improve sound imaging over headphones or two channel speakers that some look for on sound cards and there isn’t even rudimentary timbre controls (Bass, Treble) so nothing has been added to color the output in any way. Many customers want their audio exactly this way which is providing only what they send out to the system while other users will shy away from this type of audio setup since they want additional audio effects and options.

This audio system is meant for a specific type of user and if you’re in the market for a good all-around solution for audio, video and gaming then you may be disappointed with this the Ensemble products. If you are looking for a high quality playback system for 2 channel audio then your should be quite pleased with what Silverstone has to offer.

With concerns to price and performance the currently quoted price for both units is right on target, it is seriously doubtful you would find a better quality USB DAC with such solid build quality for a lower price. The EB02 amplifier is a T-Amp based unit and quality T-Amps with this level of build quality would be close to or above the MSRP. After this review it is quite evident that both units provide pristine stereo audio quality for your hard earned dollars and they give serious audio performance for the prices quoted.

If you have been shopping for a desktop audio solution that provides high quality 2 channel audio with a sleek modern design and solid build, look no further as SilverStone has exactly what you need. If the Ensemble audio system is any hint of the quality of future SilverStone audio products then we are very interested to see what will be next from this company.


PROS

• Total stereo desktop solution
• High quality sound
• Solid build quality
  

CONS

• No power switch on EB01 DAC
• No power switch on EB02 Amp
• No S/PDIF input on the EB01
• Targeted to a very specific consumer