Essence HDACC II-4K Review: A Real-World Digital Audio Game-Changer

Manufacturer & Model

Essence HDACC II-4K

MSRP

$649

Link

https://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/product/hdacc-ii-4k-hdmi-dac-preamp-headphone-amp-for-4k-sources-and-tvs/

Highlights

HDMI switching allows you to connect multiple modern sources to vintage gear

Summary

Looking to breathe new life into your vintage audio system? The Essence HDACC-II 4K Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) makes it easy to connect modern devices like Apple TV, Blu-ray players, or 4K streamers to your classic stereo amplifier, AV receiver, or hi-fi system. This high-performance DAC bridges the digital and analog worlds, delivering audiophile-grade sound with zero compromise.

In the ever-growing landscape of digital-to-analog converters (DACs), it takes something truly unique to stand out. That’s exactly what the Essence HDACC II-4K manages to do—not by chasing audiophile bragging rights or spec sheet supremacy, but by solving a real, everyday problem in a smart and elegant way. This is a DAC designed not just to impress, but to fit—into your home, your system, and your lifestyle.

A Long-Standing Problem Solved​

Several years ago, I received a Jolida tube integrated amplifier as a gift—a beautiful piece of kit that sounds sublime when paired with my phono stage and turntable setup. The downside? It lacked a straightforward way to connect a television to my stereo speakers. As someone who doesn’t watch a ton of TV upstairs but still values audio quality when I do, this presented an annoying limitation.

An attempt to work around the issue using a Bluesound Node and optical output from the TV ended up being more trouble than it was worth. The constant need to manually switch sample rates between music and video sources became tedious, so I gave up. A Sonos soundbar filled the gap, albeit uninspiringly.

Enter the Essence HDACC II-4K​

When Essence reached out about reviewing the HDACC II-4K, I was initially skeptical. DACs, by nature, are tricky to evaluate because many already offer excellent audio quality. What truly matters—especially in real-world use—is how they integrate into your system. The HDACC II-4K, however, offers a killer feature set that immediately caught my attention: four HDMI 2.0b inputs and one HDMI output.

This means you can route multiple modern digital video sources directly into this DAC and feed audio out to your existing analog gear—yes, even that tube amp you refuse to part with.

Setup and First Impressions​

Setup was mostly straightforward. The unit is compact but solidly built, with a reassuring heft and a clean design. When I first played music from Apple Music via Apple TV, the sound was distorted—but that was user error. I had missed a setup step: enabling variable output volume, maximizing it, and locking it in. Once corrected, the distortion disappeared, and the audio came to life.

Using Beth Waters' “White Dogs in the Moonlight” as a test track revealed excellent clarity, dynamic range, and low-end response. This DAC doesn’t just pass audio—it presents it. And importantly, it does so without requiring constant tweaking or supervision.

Features That Matter​

Here’s a rundown of what the HDACC II-4K offers:

• Four HDMI 2.0b inputs and one HDMI output with 4K video pass-through
• USB 2.0 audio input, optical and coaxial I/O
• Analog input with onboard ADC to digitize vinyl or other sources (up to 384kHz)
• Built-in headphone amplifier
• RCA and balanced XLR outputs
• Support for native SACD, DSD 256, and sample rate conversion up to 384kHz
• Remote control included

In short: whether you’re spinning vinyl, streaming from Apple Music, or watching TV, this DAC can handle it.

Real-World Performance​

What really sets the HDACC II-4K apart is how effortlessly it bridges modern digital sources with classic analog gear. HDMI audio from Apple TV, YouTube, Blu-ray rips via Plex, and even live TV through the HDHomeRun all passed through with zero sync issues. Lip sync was flawless, and the experience was seamless—finally solving a problem that had persisted for years.

One small gripe: the front display can't be turned off. While not a dealbreaker, it does mean you'll need to place the unit somewhere that avoids distracting light during movie nights.

Bonus for Vinyl Lovers​

Though I didn’t test this feature personally, the HDACC-II 4K does have the ability to digitize vinyl through the analog input could be a huge plus for collectors. The mini-plug ADC input allows for high-resolution transfers of your rare records—handy if you want to preserve them digitally without complex gear.

Final Thoughts​

The Essence HDACC II-4K is more than just a DAC—it’s a Swiss Army knife for the modern listener who wants to integrate legacy analog equipment with today's digital media sources. For Apple TV users in particular, this is arguably the most elegant, functional solution currently available.

It's rock solid, intuitive, and thoughtfully designed for people who just want to listen—not endlessly fiddle with settings. Whether you're looking to enhance your home theater, digitize your vinyl, or breathe new life into your vintage gear, the HDACC II-4K is a smart and worthy investment.

Watch the Video Review Here!​

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Excellent review Travis... sounds like you found the right unit gir your system... a keeper.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Excellent review Travis... sounds like you found the right unit gir your system... a keeper.

Can't believe it took me this long. It's exactly what I was looking for years ago and had really given up looking.

 

[gadzooks]

Feel free to move this to another thread if this is not the right place for me to hop in.

Just got mine and am thrilled with it.

Much like the reviewer, I gave up looking and by chance saw the AV NIRVANA discussion topic in my email about ChatGPT recommending it.

The versatility it offers is so needed for folks like myself who want all the inputs normally only available on an AV Processor, but only have two channels worth of speakers to manage. The selection of HDMI splitters on the market can get some of the job done, but come with added features like notifying you the AC unit just turned or that even with nothing playing they provide whirring white noise through your tweeter section to keep you aware of its presence . (I know, I have gone through 4 of them). This little gadget not only gets the job done quietly, it makes for a decent pre-amp solution complete with DAC and ADC (which I have not found a use for yet, but knowing me, it is only a matter of time).

I have 5 video sources, PS5, Nvidia Shield, a windows based Roon endpoint and a 4k bluray player going into HDACC II, my xbox is feeding into the projector directly. I am using the fiber optic out from the projector back to the HDACC II. Then that all feeds into a Danville dspNexus via the coax out which has room correction abilities. Once I get some more xlr cables, I will pipe it into the dspNexus and see how that does. Thanks to all the outputs, I can even route the music through my raspberry PI with hifiberry hat and play CDs or concerts through Roon taking advantage of my convolution filters (courtesy of OCA's excellent videos). This nifty little unit really makes things quite flexible.

The thing I did not expect, but probably should have (I was warned in a very friendly email exchange with Mr Rapoport) was the improvement in sound quality from my HDMI sources. The Danville dspNexus already has a solid DAC section, (I guess that means I am double DACing? Is that even a thing?) But the step up from the standard HDMI switch to the HDACC II using the same coax out, was instantly noticeable. Started by streaming David Byrne's American Utopia and could hear more details such as the sound of the theater they were performing in adding in more reality and sense of being there. Never had it that good without a direct connection from bluray, nor did I think I would achieve that level without an AV processor. Then of course I ventured into some Pink Floyd / Roger Waters videos, and then Adia Victoria live at the Caverns which were all just down right awesome.

Really happy I found this solution and appreciate Mr Ballstadt's review for sealing the deal, cause I sure as heck was not going to trust AI alone on this.