Design w Sound

Weiss DAC202

August 31st, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments

Weiss Logo

The DAC202 is the latest Weiss 24bit/192kHz firewire digital to analogue converter. It has a completely newly designed D/A converter and new analog output stages compared to the Minerva. The D/A converter uses two converters per channel to gain in signal to noise ratio. Firewire connection provides internal master clock mode while playback audio files from computer. The ideal dejittering circuit regardless of AES, SPDIF, Toslink or Firewire input.

Digital Inputs:

AES/EBU or S/PDIF on 1 XLR, 1 RCA, 1 Toslink, Firewire

Digital Outputs:

AES/EBU on 1 XLR, 1 RCA, Firewire

Analog Output:

2 stereo analog outputs, one on XLR one on RCA,
Headphone output on 1/4” Jack

Level control main output:

4 coarse settings via relays (analog domain), fine setting via rotary encoder (digital domain).
Level control can be defeated for the main output.

Level control headphone output:

4 coarse settings via relays (analog domain, independent from the settings in the main output), fine setting via rotary encoder (digital domain).

Sampling rates: 44.1 up to 192 khz / 24 Bits

Wordsync input / output on BNC

Frontpanel controls:

LCD display for display of sampling rate, input source, audio level, abso-
lute phase, upsampling filter type, various menu items
Rotary encoder with push switch
IR receiver
Standby LED
Headphone Jack socket

Special features hidden in sub-menues:

Transparency check (allows to check the bit transparency of a playback chain)
Setting of the coarse output levels (analog domain)
Dual / single wire selection for 176.4 / 192 kHz sampling rate
Display brightness
IR Remote control switches:
Power on / off
Volume up / down
Input sources (4 switches for Firewire, XLR, RCA, Toslink)
DAC upsampling filter type
Mute
Absolute phase

Main Analog Outputs:

(2) XLR connectors (hot on pin 2), DC coupled, short circuit proof output circuitry, output impedance 44 Ohm.

(2) RCA connectors, DC coupled, short circuit proof output circuitry, Output impedance: 22 Ohm

Output level: Selectable via the LCD menu, 4 settings:

XLR output:

+20.44 dBu (8.15Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
+14.57 dBu (4.15Vems) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
+7.74 dBu (2.12Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
+2.72 dBu (1.06Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input

RCA output:

+14.44 dBu (4.075Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
+8.57 dBu (2.075Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
+1.74 dBu (1.06Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input
-3.28 dBu (0.53Vrms) with a 0dBFS sinewave input

These levels are achieved with a 0.0dB setting for the level control on the LCD screen.

Suggested subsequent amplifier input impedances:

8.15V setting: 500 Ohm or higher
4.15V setting: 300 Ohm or higher
2.12V setting: 150 Ohm or higher
1.06V setting: 70 Ohm or higher
0.53V setting: 40 Ohm or higher

(192kHz sampling frequency, 22kHz measurement bandwidth, unweighted)

Main Output Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise (THD+N)
< -116 dBr (0.00016 %) @ -3 dBFS input level
< -125 dBr (0.000056 %) @ -40 dBFS input level
< -125 dBr (0.000056 %) @ -70 dBFS input level

I am sure there are many topics that will generate by the operation of DAC202. It is just so many audio features packed together and information provided just by the manual itself.

Hi-End headphone listening becomes one new audio trend. We in mastering have several headphones on monitoring, Grado GS1, Sennheiser HD650 and AudioTechnica Raffinato. They have extremely different input impedances that we never can get satisfaction sound from one single amplifier. Now I am looking forward the DAC202 to take up this task perfectly. The extremely low THD+N (unweighted) will easily put DAC202 as an ideal package for DAC + Headphone amp, of course you will not use such an high level and expansive DAC just for headphone only.

Headphone Output:
(1) stereo 1⁄4 inch Jack connector. DC coupled, short circuit proof output circuitry.