DAC 3.1x/II

About the DAC 3.1x/II

The Audio Note DAC 3.1x/II Balanced is engineered for sonic purity rather than technical specifications, fulfilling Audio Note (UK) Level 3 criteria including valve rectification and high-quality materials. It uses an 18-bit Analogue Devices AD1865N stereo converter chip with 44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz input capability and excludes oversampling, jitter reduction, noise shaping, and re-clocking to preserve the original time/frequency/amplitude relationships of the music signal. The analogue output stage employs a pair of ECC82 / 5814a double triode valves coupled to a custom-wound output transformer with a 33:1 step-down ratio, providing wide frequency response and excellent dynamic transfer. The DAC supports both single-ended (RCA) and balanced (XLR) outputs with 600 Ohms output impedance and 3.2V RMS reference output. The power supply uses dual-channel valve rectification with double-choke filtering for low noise and excellent isolation between digital and analogue sections. Internal components include Audio Note copper foil capacitors, high-quality resistors, and custom filter-interface coils and transformers manufactured in-house. The unit weighs 15 kg and measures 145mm (H) x 450mm (W) x 425mm (D). Specifications are subject to change due to ongoing R&D by Audio Note (UK).