BorderPatrol
DAC SE
Introduced 2010$1,650 MSRP
Hand-designed and built by founder Gary Dews in Waldorf, Maryland, the DAC SE is a resolutely old-school 16-bit, non-oversampling R2R DAC built around the vintage Philips TDA1543 chip, a tube rectifier, and a pure-copper chassis, sold direct-order with no wide retail distribution. It has been reviewed by Stereophile and multiple independent outlets and has a long-standing following among NOS-DAC enthusiasts.
MSRP
$1,650
Used market · Mint
$1,100
-33% vs MSRP
as of Sep 1, 2026MSRP to used market
From $1,650 at launch to $1,100 today.
Specifications
- Inputs
- Asynchronous USB (C-Media CM6631A) and/or coaxial S/PDIF (Texas Instruments DIR9001), switchable/independent voltage regulation
- Chassis
- Pure copper chassis with aluminum faceplate
- DAC chip
- Philips TDA1543, 8-pin two-channel 16-bit converter
- Topology
- 16-bit R2R non-oversampling (NOS) DAC, no digital filtering, no upsampling
- Dimensions
- 8.9" W × 3.1" H × 6.8" D
- Signal path
- Output taken directly from the TDA1543 via Uptone Audio film-and-foil capacitors, unbuffered
- Manufacturer
- Designed and hand-built by Gary Dews, BorderPatrol Audio Electronics, Waldorf, Maryland
- Output level
- Approximately 2.0V RMS, high output impedance intended for preamps with ≥20kΩ input impedance
- Maximum resolution
- Up to 24-bit/96kHz, including Tidal Masters
- Power supply rectifier
- EZ80/6V4 tube rectifier paralleled with low-noise diodes; linear supply with dual transformers and choke-input filter; SE version adds ELNA Cerafine caps and twin-transformer arrangement
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