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Berkeley Audio Design

Alpha DAC Reference 3

Introduced 2019$22,000 MSRP

Third-generation flagship from the ex-Pacific Microsonics team, reviewed by The Absolute Sound at $22,000. Deliberately omits USB input (Berkeley recommends the outboard Alpha USB) and focuses on ultra-low-noise PCM conversion with HDCD heritage.

MSRP

$22,000

Used market · Excellent

$11,500est.

-48% vs MSRP
as of Aug 15, 2026
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MSRP to used market

From $22,000 at launch to $11,500 today (estimated).

Specifications

Type
DAC
Inputs
AES/EBU, 2x S/PDIF (BNC), optical
Max DSD
DSD64 (DoP)
Max PCM
192 kHz / 24-bit
Outputs
Balanced XLR, RCA
Chip or architecture
Proprietary discrete-regulated conversion, digital volume in 0.1 dB steps

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