Behringer U-Control UCA202

I always have a spare UCA202 with me.
I use this as main output when DJing with a MIDI-controller, or when playing background tunes from a computer without a good soundcard.

Pros:
Soundquality is great. I see no reason to buy another DAC. No noticeable coloration if your electrical environment is clean.
Headphone amp is surprisingly good, probably serviceable for < 100 ohm headphones. But get a "main" headphone amp if you're serious.
Cons:
- USB isolation is not very good, and ground hum from other devices connected to your computer often sneaks through. This is solved by properly grounding your equipment, or probably by applying a DI-box to the output.
- Plastic chassi - be careful.
- No gain adjustment on in or output. I find I get the best sound if I software limit the output to about 90%.

The UCA is a very compact little audio interface that's USB class compliant. It connects without any problems to anything (Win, Linux, ...) I tried. It provides no magic features, but allows you to record in CD quality and play it back. The sound is okay, no hum, no extraordinary hiss, but also no high-end-hifi "the sun goes up" sound. But what can you expect for that money?
The housing is made of solid plastics, the connectors are rugged... Everything is quite well made, solid and long lasting enough when you are on a budget.
The U-Control is surely no high-end device but provides a lot of value for the money. It's a great little helper with a very small footprint.

I've bought this product because I had a problem with my notebook. With the power supply plugged in you caould always hear a terrible high sound. After a short call with Thomann I decided to buy this ( incredible cheep ) product and that was the right decision. the sound is gone and the quality is much better than using the headphone exit of my Notebook. The Player can be volumed to 100% without creating crapy sounds, and the gain is much higher than bevor. I have used this product for 2 years now - it has often fallen of the table, i forgott it in the rain one night and it is still working like the first day! ( even if it does not look like that )