Digital to Analogue Converters
Project DAC Box FL
The DAC Box FL from Project is a small twin input (Toslink optical and coaxial) external DAC. This diminutive box features our favoured filterless output, imbuing this DAC with a very direct, fast and foot tapping sound. Despite its low cost this is often a very cost effective upgrade for many older and budget CD players. It comes with a separate plug top power supply.
Project DAC Box FL: £205.00
Above: Nude Dac box FL, this picture shows the simplicity of a well engineered DAC of this type, with a very neat design and short signal paths.
The Rega DAC features a 24-
As you’d expect of Rega it has a sophisticated power supply with separate feeds for the various stages to ensure noise is minimised. There are five user selectable digital filters and two coaxial inputs, two toslink optical inputs and 32/44.1/48K 16bit USB input for use with computers (using a PLL based clock for low jitter signal recovery) which is isolated to prevent coupling of noise from the switch mode power supplies used in computers. It’s all housed in a new half width Aluminium case and is available in silver and black. More pictures are featured here
Rega DAC: £498 in Black or Silver finish
The DAC 0.1x is the new entry level DAC from Audio Note, as you’d expect from audio Note there’s no digital filtering and no oversampling. The output stage uses a sub miniature 6111WA triode valve, with high quality parts including beyschlag resistors and tin foil paper in oil capacitors. It even has a USB input (as well as the standard coaxial phono input) for use with computers. It is available with either a silver aluminium or a black acrylic fascia and is just 30cm wide.
As you’d expect from Audio Note this is a hugely entertaining convertor, brimming
with energy and involvement yet not lacking resolution, making it a tremendous addition
to many systems -
Audio Note DAC 0.1x Digital to Analogue Convertor: £1,125
Audio Note DAC 2.1x
The DAC 2.1x is a simplified version of the Signature detailed below, it is cheaper thanks to a more basic component specification and a solid state power supply instead of a choke smoothed valve one. Available with silver or black acrylic fascia.
Audio Note Dac 2.1x Digital to Analogue Convertor: £2,555
Audio Note Dac 2.1x Signature
The Dac 2.1x Signature is a much more sizeable unit than most, although a quick glance at the picture below shows that unlike most Dacs, this is no empty box. The Signature version uses valve rectification and choke smoothing (mid left of the picture below), Audio Notes own transformers/inductors as well as their legendary paper in oil capacitors (large canisters at the right of the picture). As usual with high grade AN products there is also a smattering of Black Gate capacitors, considered by many to be the finest large value capacitors available. The output valves are 6922’s which are both easily available and affordable and it has both coaxial and AES/EBU inputs.
It is available with either a silver or black acrylic fascia as shown above.
Audio Note DAC2.1 Signature Digital to Analogue Convertor: £3,420
.
Dac 2.1x V2 Balanced
The DAC2.1x Balanced comes in a full sized case and is quite a step beyond the Signature version shown above. The cost is also a fair hike but the changes are very significant.
The Paper in oil output capacitors have gone, replaced by much more costly output transformers. As the product name suggests, this then provides balanced XLR outputs as well as conventional single ended phono sockets. The removal of the output capacitors provides a more expressive dynamic presentation over the lower models which goes to show the inherent colourations of even the best capacitors in this application. There is remarkable increase in solidity to the sound, with another layer of hash removed to give a real feeling of being one more step closer to the musicians.
It is available with either a silver aluminium fascia (above) or black acrylic fascia (below).
Audio Note DAC 2.1 Balanced Digital to Analogue Convertor: £4,645
Audio Note Dac 3.1xV2 Balanced: £6,195
The 3.1x Balanced is like the 2.1x Balanced above, but features C-
Audio Note Dac 4.1x Balanced: £10,640
The DAC 4.1 takes resolution to an even further level thanks to its use of a silver wired I/V transformer, ‘C’ core output transformers, separate mains transformers for digital and analogue stages with AN tantalum resistors and Black Gate capacitors used throughout. Simply awesome.
Audio Note DAC 4.1x Balanced Signature: £19,350
As above but with even higher grade components including superior I/V interfaces, E182CC output stage and even higher grade output transformers.
Audio Note DAC 5 Special: from £33,120
The DAC 5 Special is close to the ultimate evolution of the AN digital philosophy. It has dual mono power supplies and 6463 triode output stage, with copper wired ‘C’ cored output transformers.
Audio Note DAC 5 Signature: £61,400
This builds upon the DAC 5 Special detailed above and is silver wired throughout, including the output transformers.
Audio Note DAC5 Fifth Element and Fifth Force: £96,000
DACs don’t get much more special than the DAC5 Fifth, this convertor is the current ultimate that Audio Note produce. It’s housed in two full size chassis, one for the power supply and one for the dac and wired throughout with silver wire.
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