Audio Research DAC9 Tube DAC

Audio Research DAC9 Tube DAC

Name: Audio Research DAC9 Tube DAC
Brand: Audio Research
SKU: ARCDA9SIL
Price: 24000.00 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

$24,000.00

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The DAC9 tube digital-to-analog converter decodes most current formats with state-of-the-art vacuum tube technology. Five digital connections - USB, RCA, BNC, AES/EBU, and Toslink - provide connectivity to all of your digital sources. Quad DAC architecture provides a balanced digital signal, wide dynamic range, and decoding resolutions from red book CD up to 384 kHz and native DSD sampling rates. A pair of 6H30 vacuum tubes are the heart of the analog circuit. Both balanced and single-ended connectors are provided for output connectivity. Native-rate upsampling and selectable digital filters allow customization of the digital signal.

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Specifications

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: +/-0.15dB 20Hz – 20kHz; +/-3.0dB 6Hz – 192kHz.
THD+NOISE: Less than .002% at 2V RMS 1kHz Balanced output.
SIGNAL TO NOISE: >114dB.
IMD + NOISE: .001% (SMPTE ratio)
CHANNEL SEPARATION: 107dB.
INTRINSIC JITTER: <10pS.
DAC RESOLUTION: 24 bits.
PUSH BUTTONS: Power, Menu, Option, Enter, Input, Mute.
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 500 Ohms balanced, 250 Ohms SE.
DIGITAL FILTER: Selectable Fast or Slow algorithms.
UPSAMPLING: All Inputs upsample to 384kHz.
INPUTS: USB2.0HS 44.1 to 384kHz, DSD, 2xDSD; RCA, BNC, XLR 44.1 to 192kHz; TOS 44.1 to 96kHz.
RATED OUTPUTS: 3.8V RMS Max Balanced; 1.9V max SE (@ 0dB input).
POWER SUPPLIES: Electronically-regulated low and high voltage supplies. Line regulation better than .01%.
NOISE: -103dB
TUBE COMPLEMENT: (2) 6H30 dual triodes.
POWER REQUIREMENTS: 200 - 250VAC 50/60Hz 60 watts maximum.
STAND BY: Less than 2 watt.

This is the best digital product that Audio Research has ever made.

State-of-the-art vacuum tube technology

The DAC9 tube digital-to-analog converter decodes most current formats with state-of-the-art vacuum tube technology. Five digital connections - USB, RCA, BNC, AES/EBU, and Toslink - provide connectivity to all of your digital sources. Quad DAC architecture provides a balanced digital signal, wide dynamic range, and decoding resolutions from red book CD up to 384 kHz and native DSD sampling rates. A pair of 6H30 vacuum tubes are the heart of the analog circuit. Both balanced and single-ended connectors are provided for output connectivity. Native-rate upsampling and selectable digital filters allow customization of the digital signal.

The Foundation series

Audio Research is pleased to introduce the Foundation Series. From the same engineering and design team responsible for the award-winning Reference Series, the Foundation family of vacuum tube components has been created to provide incredible musical experiences. Spatial definition, dynamics and detail abound while providing the most natural musical experience.

Who is this for?

The DAC9 is for the dedicated listener who has moved beyond entry-level digital and recognizes that source quality defines everything downstream. You've likely assembled a system around high-quality tube or solid-state amplification paired with revealing loudspeakers—perhaps floorstanders or monitors capable of genuine transparency—and you're now addressing the final piece: converting your digital library into an analog signal worthy of what follows. This isn't about making bad recordings sound good; it's about hearing everything that's actually there in well-produced material.

This DAC belongs in medium to large listening rooms where you've taken the time to position speakers properly and where your system has the space to breathe. You're streaming high-resolution files from Qobuz or Tidal, spinning SACDs, or pulling from a carefully curated digital library, and you want a reference-grade converter that brings dimension, air, and the harmonic richness that only Audio Research's tube output stage can provide. Your amplifier—whether it's pushing 50 watts or 200—deserves a source component of equal caliber.

If you're someone who listens critically for hours rather than casually for minutes, and you've reached the point where upgrades are measured in refinement rather than revelation, the DAC9 will make sense to you immediately. This is for the listener who understands that digital done right doesn't sound "digital," and who values the preservation of musical truth over coloration or enhancement. You're investing in years of listening satisfaction, not chasing the next upgrade.

Here’s the bottom line, and I’m giving the punch line away early in the review. After living with the Foundation series for a few months now, they all deliver top of class performance, and each offers exceptional value, judged alone.

This is the best Audio Research digital product that the company has ever made. The combination of a detailed, dynamic, articulate, and accurate musical reproduction coupled with the sense of timbral, tonal, and temporal balance of the product itself makes it a firm Foundation for your music. Highly recommended!