Component catalog

High-end digital-to-analog converter with DSD capability. Premium DAC for desktop audio streaming.

The Aavik D-180 is a digital-to-analog converter made by Aavik, a brand under Audio Group Denmark. It uses a 102 × 384 × 400 mm adhesive-free, anti-resonant HDF enclosure, differential floating topology with a virtual ground for the I/V stage, four-layer PCBs, ultra-low-jitter clocks, 13 low-noise voltage regulators, and a 100–240 VAC switching power supply. Its galvanically isolated asynchronous USB input supports PCM up to 32-bit/192 kHz and DSD128, while its two coaxial BNC and two Toslink S/PDIF inputs support up to 24-bit/192 kHz; outputs are single-ended RCA at 4.5 Vrms and 100 Ω.

The Aavik D-280 is a digital-to-analog converter manufactured by Aavik, with two BNC S/PDIF inputs, two TOSLINK optical inputs, one galvanically isolated asynchronous USB input, and one RCA line output. Its digital inputs are re-sampled and re-clocked by an asynchronous sample-rate converter to 200 kHz/24-bit PCM, with current-output DAC chips, a differential floating current-to-voltage topology using virtual ground, and 13 separate low-noise high-PSSR voltage regulators. The unit uses a natural-based composite cabinet with minimized aluminum, and includes 72 active Tesla coils, 176 active square Tesla coils, 8 dither-circuitry units, four selectable audio settings, and dimensions of 400 × 384 × 102 mm at a weight of 5.6 kg.

The Aavik D-580 is a digital-to-analog converter made by Aavik. It has five digital inputs, galvanically isolated USB, asynchronous sample-rate conversion and reclocking to 200 kHz/24-bit PCM, current-output DAC chips, and a differential floating current-to-voltage topology with virtual ground. Its circuitry uses 13 separate high-PSSR voltage regulators, while its noise-reduction system includes 108 active Tesla coils, 248 active square Tesla coils, and analog dither circuitry; the enclosure includes a natural-based composite cabinet and a solid-copper inner chassis.

The Aavik S-280 is a network audio streamer made by Aavik, with Ethernet LAN, two USB 2.0 ports supporting up to 2 TB, and S/PDIF BNC, Toslink, and RCA line outputs. It supports 32–192 kHz, 24-bit audio and uses separate low-jitter clocks for 44.1 kHz- and 48 kHz-based material, with six regulated power supplies, 72 active Tesla coils, 164 active square Tesla coils, and six dither circuits. Its enclosure uses an Aavik-developed natural-based composite material to reduce mechanical resonance and minimize aluminum, and the design separates the individual functional units.

The Aavik SD-188 is a streamer/DAC from Aavik supporting DLNA 1.5 and UPnP AV 1.0. It uses a fully chipless Continuum DAC topology in which a custom-programmed FPGA converts digital audio to DSD512, followed by a non-switching digital filter and analog filter; its power supply uses resonant-mode conversion. Connectivity includes two BNC S/PDIF inputs, two optical inputs, an isolated asynchronous USB input, RCA line outputs, and a BNC S/PDIF output, with 36 active Tesla coils, 72 active square Tesla coils, and three dither circuits.

The Aavik SD-588 is a network streamer and DAC made by Aavik, supporting DLNA 1.5 and UPnP AV 1.0. Its chipless Continuum DAC uses a custom-programmed FPGA to convert digital audio to DSD512, followed by a non-switching digital filter and a simple analog filter; inputs include two BNC S/PDIF, two TOSLINK optical, and an isolated asynchronous USB interface, with RCA line and BNC S/PDIF outputs. The unit incorporates 108 active Tesla coils, 216 active square Tesla coils, nine dither-circuitry sections, and three Gold Anti-Aerial Resonance Coils using zirconium rods and silver/gold-layered copper coils, and measures 440 × 430 × 116 mm and weighs 21 kg.

Der Aavik SD-880 von Aavik, einer Marke der Audio Group Denmark, ist ein kombinierter Streaming-Player und DAC ohne Vor- oder Vollverstärker. Er verfügt über S/PDIF-Eingänge (2 × BNC, 2 × Toslink), asynchrones USB, USB-Media-Anschlüsse und LAN; das gewandelte Analogsignal wird ausschließlich über Cinch ausgegeben, während WLAN und Bluetooth nicht integriert sind. Das 510 × 580 × 155 mm große und 33 kg schwere Gehäuse besteht aus Aluminium, Titan und Kupfer und enthält unter anderem 314 handgewickelte aktive Tesla-Spulen, 663 aktive „Square Tesla Coils“, 35 Dither-Schaltkreise sowie zwei aktive „zirconium anti aerial resonance Tesla coils“; der „Aavik Non-Switching Continuum Processing DAC“ taktet das Digitalsignal auf 22 MHz hoch und wandelt es ohne Schaltarrays in ein analoges Signal um.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS® DRIVE I is a CD transport made by ACCUSTIC ARTS® and handmade in Germany. It uses a vibration-decoupled, tray-loading CD drive mechanism designed for audio applications, a damped aluminium-ABS drawer with two metal bearings, two separate power supplies for laser control, digital signal processing and display control, and two 25 VA toroidal-core transformers. The unit has a resonance-minimising metal housing, a finely brushed aluminium front panel, a massive chromed-brass tray cover, coaxial S/P-DIF and TOSLINK outputs, supports CD, CD-R and CD-RW formats, and measures 130 × 482 × 380 mm, weighing approximately 12 kg.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS® DRIVE II is a top-loader CD transport manufactured by ACCUSTIC ARTS®, designed to play CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. It uses a CD-Pro8 mechanism with a three-beam laser, die-cast metal chassis, mechanically decoupled subchassis construction, massive aluminium housing, separate power supplies, and two magnetically shielded toroidal transformers. Digital outputs include coaxial S/P-DIF and TOSLINK; dimensions are 165 × 482 × 375 mm and weight is 21.5 kg.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS® DRIVE IV is a top-loader CD transport made by ACCUSTIC ARTS®, designed to play CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. It uses a CD-Pro8 mechanism with a three-beam laser, die-cast metal chassis, mechanically decoupled subchassis construction, a massive aluminium housing, an acoustically damped slide cover, and a magnetic puck; its power supply includes two magnetically shielded toroidal transformers and separate supplies for the drive components and digital output stage. Digital outputs comprise coaxial S/P-DIF and TOSLINK S/P-DIF; the unit measures 165 × 482 × 375 mm, weighs approximately 22.5 kg, and is specified for WAV CD data.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS® PLAYER I is a CD player and external D/A converter made by ACCUSTIC ARTS®, supporting CD, CD-R, and CD-RW playback. It uses a high-end traction-feed, vibration-decoupled tray-loading drive with an aluminium-ABS drawer guided by two metal bearings, and provides 32-bit/384 kHz upsampling, two coaxial S/P-DIF inputs, one optical S/P-DIF input, and asynchronous USB 2.0 supporting DSD256 and hi-res formats including ALAC, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV. The unit has separate power supplies for laser control, digital signal processing, display control, and the D/A converter section, two 25 VA toroidal transformers, balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analog outputs, a resonance-minimising metal housing, a brushed-aluminium front panel, and a massive chromed-brass tray cover.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS PLAYER IV is a top-loading CD player and D/A converter made by ACCUSTIC ARTS. It uses a CD Pro-8 transport housed in a resonance-optimized solid aluminum subchassis, with 32-bit/384 kHz upsampling, two coaxial S/PDIF inputs, one optical S/PDIF input, and asynchronous USB 2.0 supporting 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD 512. Outputs include one balanced XLR pair and one unbalanced RCA output; the unit measures 165 × 482 × 375 mm and weighs approximately 23 kg.

The ACCUSTIC ARTS® TUBE DAC II–MK 3 is a tube-hybrid digital-to-analog converter with an integrated volume-controlled preamplifier, made by ACCUSTIC ARTS® and handmade in Germany. It supports audio up to 24-bit/192 kHz and DSD64, with AES/EBU, two S/PDIF coaxial, TOSLINK optical, and asynchronous USB 2.0 inputs, plus native or 24/192 upsampling modes. Its analog output stage uses Class A topology and a 12AX7 dual-triode military tube, with balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, two toroidal transformers rated at 150 VA and 75 VA, and a housing made primarily from 10 mm aluminum plates.

The Advance Paris X-CD9 is an integrated CD player using a Wolfson WM8762 DAC and two Raytheon 5744 subminiature signal valves, one per channel, in the analogue output section as buffers rather than amplifiers. It features front-panel CD transport controls, a central display, a valve window, coaxial connectivity, and balanced as well as single-ended outputs. Priced at £890, it is a full-width, low-profile component in the traditional integrated CD-player category.

The Ansuz Titanium Rack is an audio equipment rack made by Ansuz, with machined titanium uprights, height-adjustable locking feet, and a black-ash-finished shelf made from layered wood-based composite materials. Its structural x-section uses four identical solid-aluminium parts secured by a locking mechanism, with standard brass pins connecting the modules and optional Ceramic Balls or Ansuz Darkz with two sets of Ceramic Balls. The rack integrates Ansuz Darkz resonance-control components, available in C2T, D2T, S2T, T2, and T2S configurations using aluminium, stainless steel, or titanium discs and titanium balls.

The Antelope Audio 10MX is the premier member of the company's Isochrone clocking line, combining a Swiss-made rubidium atomic oscillator with Antelope's 4th-generation 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) DSP to deliver an ultra-stable 10 MHz reference and master clocking up to 768 kHz. Note: the task referenced this product as the "10M," but Antelope's current flagship rubidium clock is the 10MX, the successor model documented on Antelope's site and in its official owner's manual.

The Isochrone OCX HD is Antelope Audio's flagship standalone master clock generator, built around a 4th-generation 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking (AFC) engine and an oven-controlled crystal oscillator, with an optional input for syncing to Antelope's 10MX rubidium atomic clock for even greater long-term stability. Designed for mastering, recording, and post-production environments, it distributes ultra-low-jitter word clock, AES/EBU, and S/PDIF timing references to an entire digital audio chain at sample rates up to 768 kHz.

The Antipodes K50 is the New Zealand brand's flagship one-box music server, streamer, and reclocker, built around three physically and electrically isolated computing modules — one for server duties, one for player/playback, and one dedicated reclocker — housed in a heavily partitioned chassis to prevent internal noise cross-contamination (hifi-advice.com). It runs a dedicated Fedora Linux OS on an Intel i7 processor with 16GB RAM and supports virtually every playback pathway including Roon, Squeeze, HQPlayer, and MinimServer (Stereophile).

The La Diva M2 is a dedicated Red Book CD transport from Aqua Acoustic Quality, a Milan-based Italian digital-audio specialist that designs and hand-assembles its transports and R2R DACs in-house. Each unit is designed and handmade in Italy and distributed through a limited dealer network rather than mass retail. The chassis measures 450 x 370 x 100 mm.

The La Voce S3 Discrete is an Italian-made, filterless R2R ladder DAC using a proprietary FPGA-based, sign-magnitude ladder converter with no digital filtering or oversampling stage (Aqua official). Its modular AQ-i input platform lets owners select and upgrade digital input boards (AES/EBU, coax, TOSLINK, or fiber) independently of the core DAC and USB modules (Aqua datasheet).

The LinQ is Aqua's modular network transport/interface, built around a fully isolated, upgradeable multi-board platform with up to four plug-in renderer modules (Roon-ready HQPlayer Core+NAA, UPnP/DLNA, Squeezelite, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect) and a proprietary internally-developed, galvanically isolated LAN switch stage. It deliberately omits a USB output, instead delivering its cleanest signal over Aqua's proprietary AQlink I2S connection alongside conventional S/PDIF, AES/EBU, and dual-AES outputs.

Flagship dedicated CD transport with a read-ahead buffered mechanism for error-free reading, plus USB playback of files from HDD/flash storage; no built-in DAC.

The Auralic Altair G2.2 is an all-in-one streaming DAC and preamplifier built around Auralic's proprietary "Fusion DAC" architecture, which blends a discrete ladder-DAC topology with a modified ESS Delta-Sigma chip, and adds a built-in moving-magnet phono stage and headphone amplifier to its streaming and preamp functions (Stereonet; Hifi Pig). Stereonet gave it a "wholehearted recommendation for those wishing to upgrade to a serious, premium-priced digital audio source component" (Stereonet).