Quite unexpectedly, PreSonus Audiobox iOne fell into my hands. Because I am not a musician but an audiophile, the device did not initially arouse my interest, but I decided to use it as a DAC. The only requirement was to function properly with Linux.
The PreSonus AudioBox iOne is a mobile audio interface designed for recording voice and instruments on macOS, Windows, and iPadOS devices. Here are some key features:
- Inputs: It has one instrument input for guitar or bass and one microphone input with a Class A preamp and +48V phantom power.
- Sound Quality: High-quality 24-bit/96 kHz digital converters ensure clear and detailed recordings.
- Monitoring: An internal analog mixer allows for zero-latency monitoring of recorded tracks and overdubs.
- Software: Comes with a license for PreSonus Studio One Artist software, compatible with macOS, Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Linux and FreeBSD (partly, more information here).
- Portability: The metal chassis is durable, and the device weighs only 0.62 kg, making it ideal for on-the-go recording.
Well, in my opinion the device sounds quite good, especially at the headphone output (with NJM4556A as opamp). In addition, PreSonus iOne works very well with Linux (as DAC, without mixing software – CS4270 audio codec and LPC4320FBD144 – ARM Cortex-M4 based digital signal controller, tested on laptop with Debian 10 and Raspberry Pi 3B), which, however, theoretically should not be surprising, because it is compatible with the USB Audio Class 2.0 (here is useful list of some compliant audio interfaces) and ALSA standards.
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PreSonus Audiobox iOne with Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus comparison. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne iside. Solid and well thought-out housing interior design using decent quality components. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne iside. Solid and well thought-out housing interior design using decent quality components. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. Cirrus Logic CS4270 DAC codec. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. JRC NJM4556A headphone opamp. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. LPC4320FBD144 – ARM Cortex-M4 based digital signal controller. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. Preamp for microphone and instrument. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. Winbond 25X40CLNIG as IC. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne innside. LPC4320FBD144 – ARM Cortex-M4 based digital signal controller. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. Solid and well thought-out housing interior design using decent quality components. -
PreSonus Audiobox iOne inside. Solid and well thought-out housing interior design using decent quality components. -
PreSonus iOne with Debian 10 Linux.