Audiolab unleashes two new standalone DACs, the D7 and D9, directly descended from the seminal M-DAC to enhance all manner of digital audio
While Audiolab has continued to refine the DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) technology in its range of amps and streamers, eight years have passed since the company last launched a standalone DAC component. But, with the arrival of the D7 and D9, the next generation of Audiolab DACs is finally here.
Priced at £449 and £1099 respectively, the new DACs are direct descendants of the legendary M-DAC – a seminal device that swept aside all before it, remaining dominant in the DAC world for over half a decade. They build upon the same blueprint, honed over several generations of technical development.
Housed in a sturdy aluminium case measuring 180x56x208mm (WxHxD), the D7 is a compact DAC for home use delivering a performance that belies its accessible price point. The D9 is a larger device (albeit still smaller than a ‘full width’ hi-fi component) with dimensions of 315x88x277mm and benefitting from the same technical, build and design qualities as Audiolab’s top-tier 9000 Series amplification and streaming components.
Combining DAC, preamp and headphone amp functionality, both DACs are as accomplished at the heart of a high-performance hi-fi system as they are on a desk for headphone listening.
A key part of the M-DAC’s success was the use of ESS Technology’s then new and groundbreaking 32-bit Sabre DAC technology. The ES9018 Reference DAC chip was introduced in 2009, and the M-DAC was one of the very first DAC components to use it.
When the M-DAC arrived in 2011, it proved to be a revelation – not just owing to this innovative chipset but also because of the circuitry Audiolab designed around it. This ensured it made the most of the ES9018 Reference’s attributes whilst eliminating the deleterious effects of sub-optimal implementation.
The range of Sabre DAC chipsets has since expanded and is now widely used by audio manufacturers, but these chips remain challenging to implement to achieve optimal performance. While they are capable of excellent resolution, products that use them can sound sterile if appropriate care is not taken with the accompanying circuitry. Audiolab has more experience in working with these chips than any other manufacturer, from the original M-DAC onwards, giving the company a significant advantage.
The Audiolab D7 and D9 are available from mid-May in a choice of silver or black, at RRPs of £449 and £1099 respectively.
