TECHWEEK
There is a real storm in the segment of digital-to-analog converters – new technology appears faster than we can come to our senses, technical progress does not stand still. We have selected for you eight of the most modern and decent-sounding DACs that you can buy in the 2022-2023 season.
The rating, as usual, is sorted “for every taste and budget” – in ascending order of the price of devices.
8. Teac UD-301-X
Two BurrBrown PCM1795 chips, each of which is responsible for its own channel – this is rare in this price group (as well as the use of New Japan Radio MUSES8920 operational amplifiers). Well, the Teac UD-301-X was a success – the model offers excellent resolution for its category and a lot of features, including a headphone output in CCLC mode (no capacitor connection). Power is organized, again, exceptionally cool – a large power transformer with a toroidal core is installed under the hood.
Pros – good detail
Cons – HF is sometimes a little aggressive
Verdict : “Price / quality” go wild
7. Matrix Audio X-SABER 3
Now you can hardly surprise anyone with Roon Ready certification, Tidal Connect and Spotify clients sewn in, UpnP streaming, but the Crystek CCHD-950 femtosecond watch, IIS-LVDS interface, completely isolated power supplies enclosed in aluminum sections already look unusual for the indicated price group . Add in stunning performance, say a signal-to-noise ratio as high as 134 dB, and a very impressive sound – and we have a clear candidate for listening.
Pros – continuous and panoramic feed
Cons – imperfect texture on the bass
Verdict : Good device
6. McIntosh MDA200
The device weighs almost thirteen kilograms – McIntosh would not be itself if it had not equipped the MDA200 model with luxurious power and did not place all the splendor in an anti-resonant case. But something else is more important – the McIntosh MDA200 has become one of the few DACs on the market that allows the decoding chip to be upgraded. Now you don’t have to sell the “old” DAC over time – in the case of the MDA200, you can simply remove the module with the chip (the McIntosh DA2 assembly is currently working there) and install the updated solution. The circuitry used is modern – an 8-channel 32-bit chip, two coaxial ports, two optical ports, one USB-B port, one MCT (for connecting the transport of McIntosh SACD / CD discs of the MCT series), as well as an HDMI port with eARC audio return channel for TV connections. There is also Roon Tested certification from Roon Labs,
Pros – signature sound, upgrade options
Cons – nothing major
Verdict : McIntosh MDA200 confirms the firm’s status
5. iFi Audio PRO iDSD 4.4
Listing all the circuitry features and functions of iFi Audio PRO iDSD 4.4 can take twenty pages – we have a real storehouse of innovation. And it is especially pleasant that behind all this engineering magnificence the authors did not throw out the child with water – in terms of sound, the device turned out to be exceptionally collected, dynamic and super-fast. On the other hand, everything here is a memo for other developers – as many as four Burr-Brown DSD / DXD chips (work is organized in the output voltage mode) for each channel with passive CLC filtering immediately after conversion, FPGA Crysopeia, support for DSD up to DSD1024, USB XMOS XU216 X-Core 200 with 16-core processor, plus proprietary Global Master Timing for outstanding accuracy.
Pros – ultra-modern design, fast sound
Cons – for its price – nothing
Verdict : DAC of tomorrow
4. Aqua Acoustic Formula DACxHD
The next version of the iconic Aqua Acoustic Formula digital-to-analogue converter has a DACxHD prefix and, as usual, uses the proprietary Optologic DAC operation scheme. Four R2R matrices function here, galvanically isolated from FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) – moreover, the entire path has no digital filtering! Precision element base – BJT, Mosfet, JFET transistors, ultrafast diodes, tantalum and solid polymer OS-CON capacitances. The Aqua Acoustic Formula DACxHD handles signals up to PCM 24/768 and DSD256, weighs 9kg, and has a wildly plastic sound that’s more like a window open to the street.
Pros – plastic sound without a touch of “numbers”
Cons – high price
Verdict : New generation Aqua Acoustic Formula grabs a star from the sky
3. dCS Rossini Apex
Weighing almost sixteen kilograms, the dCS Rossini Apex mastodon is equipped with an updated proprietary dCS Ring converter with upsampling of all signals to DSD format. The changes also affected the analog part of the system, all power supplies and even the network streamer. The price seems prohibitive, but it is worth listening to the model once, and there are no questions about the adequacy of the price list – the very brilliance blooms in front of us, which many High End fans are vainly chasing.
Pros – brilliance and luxury
Cons – searched, did not find!
Verdict : dCS Rossini Apex is worth the money
2. Abendrot Audio The COLT
Abendrot Audio The COLT will surprise you with its price, but not its performance – the DAC can only work with signals up to PCM 24/192. The development of devices has been going on for almost ten years – over the years, the company has created its own True Audio Master Clock and patented an innovative signal conversion technology. Abendrot Audio The COLT achieves a signal-to-noise ratio of 115dB and delivers an absolutely unique presentation – slightly dark, but delightfully effective.
Pros – original sound to fall in love with
Cons – not always good at aggressive genres
Verdict : Abendrot Audio The COLT is a very bold development
1. WADAX Atlantis REFERENCE DAC
Before us is not only one of the most expensive DACs in the world, but also one of the best – its sound, finally, is almost indistinguishable from a real analogue. Inside the model, 23 printed circuit boards created from scratch and ten independent power supplies are installed. The circuit works, of course, in the “double mono” mode – and this mastodon is able to literally demolish even a trained audiomyophile from his chair.
Pros – DAC from dreams
Cons – exorbitant price
Verdict : The most expensive and (probably) the best
