Vermeer Audio created their first entirely ‘made in France’  Model TWO flagship, which offers in a single package a DAC, a network player, and a digital and analogue preamplifier. However, their clients and distributors that wanted Vermeer’s know-how to be duplicated in a more accessible unit offering more basic functions compared to the flagship model.

The Model THREE D is based on the Model TWO and is a high-end unit that is nevertheless positioned in a more affordable price.

Vermeer Model THREE D (top) with the flagship Model TWO

Vermeer Audio Model THREE D

The Model THREE is an integrated DAC/Network Player/Digital Preamplifier that can act as a direct source for any type of amplifier.

LEEDH Processing™: For Digital Volume Control

Vermeer told us: “Digital audio still suffers from numerous drawbacks, one of the main ones being the volume control, which degrades the sound signal by modifying its shape. This modification, which corresponds to a loss of sound information, is often perceived as a drop in hearing acuity that often leads the listener to “turn up” the volume to be able to “hear better”.

The musical reproduction chain comprises essential volume adjustments, from the recording studio to the final volume setting on your hifi system. These volume adjustments are destructive and render the sound flat, which is often blamed on “digital sound” that has lost all the “warmth”, finesse and musical charm of analogue sound. This problem of lost information, caused by digital volume control, is therefore related to the modification of the signal amplitude.

This is a well-known issue and has been recognized from the very beginning of digital audio, and has always be considered as a specific and intrinsic characteristic of this type of technology. Faced with this problem, several years ago the LEEDH Processing team started analysing the underlying problems associated with digital audio that limit potential progress”.

The LEEDH Processing team decided to develop solutions to the current digital problems, based on the “culture of the fidelity” as opposed to the “culture of accuracy”, which has shown its limits, and they have invented a volume control process that allows the modification of the amplitude of the digital signal with perfect fidelity, i.e., without modification of its shape and therefore free of any loss of information.

As a result, a first LEEDH Processing patent application to protect the first totally transparent digital volume control was accepted without difficulty. The Vermeer Audio Model THREE DAC is equipped with this efficient volume control solution.

More Than Just A DAC

The Vermeer THREE DAC is a complete digital signal processing platform designed to be integrated into a very high-end system. It has both RCA or XLR outputs and various digital inputs via USB, RCA Spdif, optical Toslink and XLR/AES-EBU connectors, plus an I2S format input via a specific HDMI connector.

The THREE D is also a fully-fledged network player as it is equipped with an RJ45 input allowing access to files located on an NAS or PC connected via the user’s home network. Depending on the applications used, this function allows access to the TIDAL, QOBUZ or even HRA (HighResAudio) high-definition streaming platforms. This function can, of course, be used via a tablet, smartphone or PC (UPnP/DLNA Protocol). There is also a headphone connection.

Inside the Vermeer Model THREE D

Advanced Technology

The Model THREE comprises a dedicated conversion circuit and DSP specific to Vermeer Audio and operating at 32 bits/384 kHz. The Model THREE can therefore read the majority of available digital standards via its network input.

Like the Model TWO, the THREE D’s final output stage is equipped with tubes, which are exactly the same as those on the flagship model and the power-supply module used is directly sourced from that of the Model TWO.

The THREE DAC has an entirely aluminium chassis and its front panel is cut from a single solid piece. The printed circuits boards used are of premium quality with 24K gold-plated contacts and 70 ppm copper circuits.

Main Specifications

Digital inputs:

– 1 Spdif/RCA

– 1 Spdif/Toslink

– 1 AES/EBU

– 1 USB

– 1 I2S via HDMI

Network player module:

– Network input via UPnP-compatible RJ45 connector

Headphones output:

– Dedicated amplifier for headphones output, minimum impedance 8 Ohms,

recommended 16 Ohms.

Analogue outputs:

– RCA stereo output, max. 2 Vrms

– XLR stereo output, max. 4 Vrms

Price

The public price of the Vermeer THREE D is 12.990 € + taxes for the full version including the network player/streamer

Get all the latest Hifi News with Hifi Pig here!