Preamp

To meet the requirement of customers who want to eliminate extra components in their system, a preamp capable of driving the power amplifier is an essential part of the design.
The DAC-9X high-end preamp features include:

• Analog volume control design using a low noise and low distortion resistance ladder circuit similar to switch-resistor network.
• Digital controlled dual-mono analog shunt to ground volume control achieves zero added noise or distortion.
• Individually adjustable volume on each input for precise source level matching.

The Heart

As the heart of an audio system, the DAC-9X supports an extensive number of inputs and formats. Dual ESS Technology 32-bit audio DAC ESS9028Q2M independently decode left and right channels improve channel separation and reducing overall noise. The Vishay professional film MELF resistors provide excellent sound quality.

Power Circuit

The AC hum is kept to a minimum by using a low noise power supply with antivibration treatment. The rest of the onboard power circuit is designed to minimize noise as well.

Native MQA Decoding

The DAC-9X includes MQA technology, which enables you to playback MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording. The front panel LED indicates if the MQA stream is detected. ‘Green’ or ‘Blue’ and ‘Magenta’ indicate that the product is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file and denotes provenance to ensure that the sound is identical to the source material. “Green” indicates it is playing an MQA Authentic file, and “Blue” means it is playing an MQA Studio file. “Magenta” means it is playing an MQA ORFS (Original Sample Rate) file which has either been approved in the studio by the artist/producer or has been verified by the copyright owner. For more about MQA, please visit: http://www.mqa.co.uk/

Other notable features:

• NuPrime SRC IC chip (co-developed with IC vendor) provides DSP processing where Input signals are up-sampled to megahertz before down converted to the targeted sampling rate with ultra-low jitter and distortion.
• Extension port for Bluetooth receiver and WiFi audio streamer (optional).
• Full microprocessor control with memory retention.
• Supports DSD native playback by ASIO2.1 and DoP method.
• Ultra- low-noise JFETs in the input stage for the lowest possible noise floor.
• Individually adjustable volume on each input for precise level matching of sources.
• Asynchronous transfer mode.
• Very low power consumption on Standby Mode.