THE NEW LUXMAN SACD/CD/DAC PLAYER SUPPORTS THE MOST ADVANCED FILE FORMATS
MY REEL CLUB PRESENTS A UNIQUE MUSIC RECORDING PROCESS
NAD Electronics of Canada has announced the immediate availability of the latest module in the NAD Modular Design Construction (MDC) portfolio, the MDC USB DSD
With the CD Transport Le Player 3 already on the market since May 2020, Le Player 3+ completes the Classica range from FrenchHigh End brand Métronome, with a Super DAC and CD Player hybrid. Same classic French design and improved electronics to deal with DSD up to 512 in native form.
PS Audio has announced the launch of Octave Records, a new audiophile record label that supports the livelihood of musicians in a unique way.
Auralic and Innuos Surrey based dealer, Ultimate Stream, have teamed up with their friends at Native DSD to offer 10 free Native DSD downloads, worth up to £300, with each Auralic G1 and G2 Series product or the Innuos ZEN Mk3, ZENith Mk3 and Statement music servers purchased during October and November 2018 (conditions apply). More »
Who’s the Qutest DAC of them all? Chord Electronics has launched what they claim to be “the most advanced compact DAC on the planet”, Qutest. More »
Native DSD and Emerging UK are giving visitors to some of the upcoming UK Hifi and Audio shows the chance to win a free Native DSD album download of their choice. More »
McIntosh has launched their new MCT80 SACD/CD Transport. They want you to “Enjoy your CDs all over again!” More »
Amare Musica of Poland have released their new Tube Network Player which is a combination of Tube Dac DSD and a network server/player. More »
Wyred 4 Sound, of California, have announced a new DAC lineup using all-new ESS Sabre PRO DAC chips. The new DAC-1v2 uses the new 9026PRO chip while the mid-tier DAC-2v2 adds volume control and the new 9028PRO chip. More »
The original nano iDSD was aimed squarely at the US $200 price class. The new nano iDSD LE (Light Edition) in dark titanium is a $129 reboot. It features the same ‘True Native’ Burr-Brown PCM/DSD chipset., headphone power output of 130mW with 10-hour battery life and RCA outputs on analogue volume control. More »
Naim today released firmware updates to both the Naim DAC (colloquially known as the nDAC) and the DAC-V1. Both DACs have a strong following and demand for DSD playback has been strong from some international markets.
The firmware updates add single and double rate DSD to both DACs. This has required some significant additional programming and optimisation of the core DSP code which has also benefitted sound quality says the company’s latest press release. Beta testers were most adamant that sound quality had improved they continue.
The Naim DAC accepts DSD input over S/PDIF or on a USB stick (dsf or dff files) plugged into its front or rear USB inputs. DAC-V1’s USB input is asynchronous allowing the connection of a PC, or Mac directly or using S/PDIF. Mac users need no extra drivers, Windows, including Win 10, users will need the new version 2.00.0 driver downloadable from the Naim website.
Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) has also been added to the DAC-V1. This allows the user to configure a digital input to adjust on-the-fly to input clock signals that are out of range. This improves overall robustness with S/PDIF sources that do not have an accurate clock.
The di322 digital audio decoder from Wadia adds expanded support for high fidelity DSD files to the Wadia line. Via the USB input, the di322 supports DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256 music files. PCM files with sampling rates up to 32-bit/384kHz (including DXD 352.8kHz and DXD 384kHz formats) can also be played through the USB input. With the addition of DSD support, digital music lovers can experience and enjoy some of the latest high resolution music. Its 2 optical and 2 coaxial inputs accept music with resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz, while the DIN input will allow future Wadia models to connect to the di322 at high performance levels. A pair of variable balanced and unbalanced audio outputs connects the di322 to your amplifier. A high power headphone jack addition is useful for those times when you want a more intimate listening experience. A modern design with a glass top panel and aluminium construction adds to its aesthetic beauty. The di322 can be combined with other Wadia units such as the m330 media server and a315 or a340 amplifiers for a complete system solution.
Technical Specification
Frequency Response
+/-0.5dB from 4Hz to 20,000Hz, +0.5/-3dB from 4Hz to 68,000Hz (Source dependent)
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.002%
Variable Output Level
0 – 4.0Vrms Unbalanced, 0- 8.0Vrms Balanced
Signal To Noise Ratio (A-Weighted)
110dB
Dynamic Range
100dB
Output Impedance
600 ohms (Unbalanced and Balanced)
Headphone Load Impedance
20 to 600 ohms
Digital Input Signal Format
Coaxial and Optical Inputs – SPDIF (PCM)USB Input – PCM, DSD
Digital Input Sample Rate
Coaxial and Optical: 32kHz, 44.1kHz to 192kHz, 24-Bit
USB: 32kHz, 44.1kHz to 384kHz, 32-Bit (PCM), DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DXD352.8kHz, DXD384kHz
Digital Inputs
Coaxial 1 and 2: 0.5V p-p/75 ohms, Optical 1 and 2: -15dbm to -21dbm (TOS Link), USB: USB Type B Connector
Power Requirements
100-240 Volts, 50/60Hz at 30 Watts, Standby: Less than 0.5 watt
Overall Dimensions
Width is 17-7/8 inches (45.4cm), Height is 3-3/8 inches (8.6cm) including feet, Depth is 20 inches (50.8cm) including cables
Weight
25 pounds (11.4 kg)
Available to order from Wadia dealers now with a suggested retail price for the di322 of $3,500 USD (VAT, shipping and any customs duties related to current standards of individual countries are excluded).
Schiit Audio, whose Modi DAC and Magni headphone amplifier we recently reviewed, and announce the availability of its 
new Loki DSD companion DAC, which allows anyone to add DSD playback to any DAC for $149
“Customers have been asking for DSD in our DACs,” said Mike Moffat, Co-Founder of Schiit Audio. “But in our opinion, DSD and PCM playback should not be shared on the same analogue stage. The filtering requirements of DSD are drastically different. Because of this, we chose to offer DSD as a separate, dedicated DSD-only box with pass-through switching, so it can simply be added to any DAC.”
Mike emphasized “any DAC.” Loki is not limited to working with Schiit’s Modi, Bifrost, and Gungnir DACs–it works as a companion to any DAC that has RCA output.
Loki decodes DSD 1X using the DoP spec and proprietary Schiit firmware on a Microchip PIC controller to provide bit-perfect DSD native playback with a variety of music players on both the PC and Mac platforms. It connects to any PC or Mac via USB, and is powered by the USB bus.
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