CES 2013: Auralic

Auralic was showing off the new Vega DAC ($3,500). Features include:

Megahertz upsampling algorithm up-samples all PCM music to 1.5MHz in 32bit; Femto Master Clock provides an ultimate clock precision with jitter only 82 femtoseconds (0.082 picosecond)…. VEGA supports all high resolution music formats including DXD (352.8KS/s, 384KS/s in 32bit) as well as DSD stream at 2.8224MHz and 5.6448MHz. Five digital inputs include AES/EBU, coaxial (set of two), toslink and USB. The balanced and single-ended analog outputs can connect to power amplifier directly, adjusting volume in digital precision without dynamic loss.

Other interesting bits place the THD+N at an eye-poppingly low <0.0003%, with a dynamic range at 130dB. And about that “DAC-direct” thing — the output impedance, via the balanced outs, is 4.7ohms. That’s four-point-seven (it pops up to a 50 for the single-ended outputs) — and yes, that’s very good. Volume control is entirely digital.

This DAC was pretty much the poster child for “what’s new” in digital audio these days — absolutely incredible specs, paired with DSD support. And such a pretty little package! I’m not sure what to make of these “low” prices, but it’s a pleasantly far cry from the $20,000 average Art Dudley decried. Things are changing so fast in this space, I can only wonder where we’ll be in a year’s time, much less five. Egads.

Also on display were the Auralic Merak amplifiers and the Taurus preamp driving a pair of Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Grand loudspeakers. An Oppo BDP-105 was used as a transport.




3 Comments

  1. Where do people get this idea (planted probably by Wadia long ago) that the “digital domain volume” is benign and analog is not, while it is the contrary IMHO.

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