Audio Note

Digital Products | Digital to Analogue Converters

The DAC1.1x/II and DAC1.1x/II Signature, which have been wildly popular since their introduction in October 2004, are both made at our factory in the UK.

They both feature the original 1xoversampled circuit that we originated in 1997, with 6 shunt power supplies providing a good and stable supply to the digital circuit where the custom AD1865 d-a converter chip does the job of the digital - analogue conversion, the input chip is a Crystal CS8414CS coupled via an in-house made digital transformer.

Inputs are switchable via RCA and XLR connectors. As is the case with all our DACs the DAC1.1x/II is compatible with 24bit/96kHz sources, but does not offer a USB input.

The DAC1.1x/II are without an analogue filter, as is now the case with all our DACs. They use 2 x ECC88/6DJ8 double triode with each section amplifying one channel as a simple anode follower, so output impedance will be a low'ish 800 Ohms, thus needing about 10Kohm input impedance in the pre-amplifier.

The differences between the standard and Signature versions are as follows: the Signature version contains a copper-wrired digital interface transformer and uses Black Gates, Tantalum resistors, Audio Note AN-C copper wiring and Audio Note copper foil paper-in-oil signal caps.

DAC Upgrades Available

Analogue Filter Removal and I/V Interface Reset - Since May 2003 none of the DAC models starting with the DAC2.1x have had analogue filter. All previously made 1xoversampled DACs can upgraded to have no analogue filter as well.

As always we offer our existing customers an upgrade to the latest version of our products wherever possible and there is no exception here, so all 1xoversampled DACs starting from the DAC2.1x can now have a "filterectomy", the costs are:

DAC2.1x, DAC2.1x Signature, DAC2.1x Balanced, DAC3.1x, DAC3.1x Signature, DAC3.1x Balanced, DAC4.1x, DAC4.1x Signature, DAC5 and DAC5 Signature all cost £ 300.00 inclusive of Vat in the Euro zone and US$ 500.00 everywhere else. This price does NOT include local non-Euro zone taxes or duties, postage or packing.

Most Audio Note™ distributors have service centres who can perform this upgrade. Please enquire with your distributor via the distributor section on this web site.

We have improved the DAC5 and the DAC5 Signature to use two 6463 NOS Telefunken double triodes from the 5687s used previously, again we offer this upgrade at a modest cost of £ 200.00 in the Euro zone and US$ 500.00 in the rest of the world.