Additional information
| Finish | |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 2 Years |
Merason DAC-1 Digital To Analogue Converter
Range £5,200
Description
STUNNING REVIEW!
“ The richness of the sound won’t be to every taste, but it’s never cloying or overplayed: instead, Merason’s DAC-1 backs up its smoothness with power and unforced detail to consistently appealing musical effect. True, the limited format handling may rule the DAC-1 out for some – it takes a stand against digital expansionism! – but its singularity of purpose pays off in a sound as appealing as it is easy to enjoy.”
READ MORE: Hi-Fi News Review (June 2021)
FANTASTIC REVIEW!
“ If you are looking to cut through the veneer and hear as much of what was put down in the studio as a converter anywhere near this price will allow should, brace yourself for a genuinely intense musical experience.”
READ MORE: The Ear Review (January 2021)
Merason’s vision when designing the DAC-1 was not to build a unit to enable the adoption of multiple, new formats using new to market technologies. Rather, the goal is to take proven concepts and components, that are assembled with care and attention.
Merason believe this is the best possible way to build a DAC; one that allows the music to shine brighter than overinflated spec sheets.
Standard Free UK Delivery Over £75 (3-5 working days)
At the heart of the DAC-1 are two Burr-Brown PCM1794-A converter chips. Configured as a dual mono devices, the DAC-1 uses one chip for each channel. The PCM1794-A has a current output, and the current signal must be converted to a voltage signal. Not content in using operational amplifiers (OP Amps), Merason opt for a complex, discrete structure. The voltage signal obtained in this way is buffered in the output stage using Class A technology.
The DAC-1 utilises a fully symmetrical output signal path. The analog signal processing is consistently symmetrical from the D/A converter module to the output stage. Lowpass filters with high-quality, silver mica capacitors are located between the converter module and the output. Output DC-protection is done via foil capacitors.
Great attention has also been paid to the layout of the motherboard so that an extraordinarily high signal-to-noise ratio could be achieved.
Power is key to any component and the DAC-1 uses separate, multiple power supply rails. The digital circuit is serviced by an independent transformer to that employed for the analog circuit. In using two transformers there is an insurance that the delicate signals in the respective sections are preserved, and never interfere with the other.
The USB input is capably handled with a high quality board from Amanero: the Combo 384, a board known for it’s musicality.
Of course, the whole is greater than the sum of parts, so when each element is taken and applied to the whole unit, the result is, well, stunning.
Key Specification
- Sampling Rates: PCM: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192
- Bit Depth: 24 bit PCM
- Digital Inputs: 1 x USB 2, 1 x S/PDIF (RCA) / 1 x Toslink (optical) / 1 x AES/EBU (XLR)
- Analog Outputs: 1 x pair unbalanced (RCA) / 1 x pair balanced (XLR)
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 45 x 10 x 29 cm
- Weight: 8 kg
Tak –
Thank you Ben, Thank you Mark.
Keep searching for a affordable DAC for almost 6 months. Having seen reviews of this DAC, Merason DAC-1, I believe it is what I want. Unfortuantely, there is no distributor of Merason Audio in HK currently, I ordered it from Norvett. Althought this DAC only handles up to 24bit 192kHz, I can DOP or downsampling of higher resolutions files to 192kHz instead. MQA files is handled from my Lumin U1 mini in advance. Of course, most of my collections is at 44.1kHz quality, red book CDs.
I usually listen to files from my Melco N1ZH library. This DAC is definitely a good DAC, no harsh at all. Very musical and natural sound, comfortable to listen to, sometimes like playing vinyls. It shows much confidence to handle different kinds of music. Background is clean and dark, bass extends really really better than my current DAC with same price level. It is no doubt that this is a high CP value DAC. Made in Switzerland. Thank you Merason Audio.