Alpha USB vs Meridian 566
The 566's height is 88 mm against the Alpha USB's 58 mm and its width 321 mm against 267 mm. Both share bit depth (24-bit) and max sample rate (192 kHz).
AI-generated product photo — not official manufacturer imagery.
DigitalDACs
Estimated price (community-sourced)
$2,495
Around — community and catalog average, updates slowly
About the Alpha USB
The Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB is an external asynchronous USB-to-digital interface, not a DAC or analog audio device. It accepts USB Audio 2.0 High Speed audio from a computer or music server, electrically and galvanically isolates the USB/input section from the digital-output section, reclocks the signal using separate precision oscillators for the 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sample-rate families, and provides a switch-selectable 75-ohm coaxial S/PDIF output or 110-ohm balanced AES/EBU output. The original Alpha USB is distinct from the later Alpha USB Series 2 and Alpha USB Reference Series models. Berkeley Audio Design currently lists those newer models rather than the original Alpha USB, so the original model should be regarded as no longer manufactured and replaced by newer variants.
Specifications
Digital Audio
DAC capabilities and digital audio processing
- Bit Depth
- 24-bit
- Max Sample Rate
- 192 kHz
- MQA Support
- No
Connectivity
Input and output connections
- Bluetooth
- No
- Wi-Fi
- No
- Ethernet
- No
- Digital Inputs
- High Speed USB 2.0/USB 3.0 Type B receptacle
- Digital Outputs
- coaxial SPDIF (75Ω BNC), balanced AES/EBU (110Ω XLR)
Physical Dimensions
Size, weight, and appearance
- Dimensions
- 267 × 58 × 137 mm (W × H × D)
Never published
- Analog Output — the maker never published this. Checked 29 sources on 6 Sept 2026
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions