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DACs — Accuphase DC-1000
Description, images, technical data and specifications
Accuphase DC-1000
Image source — © Accuphase
The DC-1000 is a converter made by Accuphase, the Japanese company that released it to mark 50 years of manufacturing. It pairs with the DP-1000 SACD transport and succeeds the DC-950. Accuphase calls it a Precision MDSD Digital Processor.
Key specs that matter
Each channel uses one ESS ES9038PRO chip with eight converters driven in parallel, in Accuphase's 8MDS++ mode for PCM and 8MDSD mode for DSD. Inputs are HS-LINK versions 1 and 2, USB, two optical, three coaxial and one balanced, eight in total. USB accepts PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit and DSD at 11.2896 MHz. Outputs are balanced and line analogue, plus optical and coaxial digital. Signal-to-noise is 123 dB. The European price was about EUR 28,000.
Engineering and use context
MDS++, Multiple Delta Sigma, supplies the same digital signal to several converters and combines their outputs. The signal adds up while conversion errors and noise, being uncorrelated, partly cancel, so performance improves by the square root of the number of converters, a factor of about 2.8 with eight. Because the output current of eight parallel converters is large, the DC-1000 uses four I/V converters on each of the plus and minus outputs instead of one, and applies Accuphase's ANCC noise and distortion reduction. MDSD, Multiple Double Speed DSD, converts DSD directly to analogue. The signal is upsampled from 2.8224 MHz to 5.6448 MHz, delayed in sequence in ultra-fast FPGAs and fed to the parallel converters, forming a moving-average filter that removes DSD's high-frequency noise. The Dual Direct Balanced Filter uses completely separate analogue filtering for the line and balanced outputs. Digital and analogue sections have separate toroidal transformers and power supplies. The filter stage is built on low-loss glass-cloth fluorocarbon boards with low dielectric constant and loss. An output level control, a phase selector for the balanced output and a digital interface for the Accuphase Voicing Equalizer are included. The case is natural-grain wood with a mirror finish, on an 8 mm machined aluminium base with high-carbon cast iron feet. The package includes Accuphase's ASL-10B audio cable.
Pairing
The DC-1000 is designed for the DP-1000 SACD transport, connected through HS-LINK. Its balanced outputs suit Accuphase preamplifiers such as the C-3900.
Alternatives
Accuphase's DC-950 is the earlier converter of the brand that the DC-1000 replaced.
Key specs that matter
Each channel uses one ESS ES9038PRO chip with eight converters driven in parallel, in Accuphase's 8MDS++ mode for PCM and 8MDSD mode for DSD. Inputs are HS-LINK versions 1 and 2, USB, two optical, three coaxial and one balanced, eight in total. USB accepts PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit and DSD at 11.2896 MHz. Outputs are balanced and line analogue, plus optical and coaxial digital. Signal-to-noise is 123 dB. The European price was about EUR 28,000.
Engineering and use context
MDS++, Multiple Delta Sigma, supplies the same digital signal to several converters and combines their outputs. The signal adds up while conversion errors and noise, being uncorrelated, partly cancel, so performance improves by the square root of the number of converters, a factor of about 2.8 with eight. Because the output current of eight parallel converters is large, the DC-1000 uses four I/V converters on each of the plus and minus outputs instead of one, and applies Accuphase's ANCC noise and distortion reduction. MDSD, Multiple Double Speed DSD, converts DSD directly to analogue. The signal is upsampled from 2.8224 MHz to 5.6448 MHz, delayed in sequence in ultra-fast FPGAs and fed to the parallel converters, forming a moving-average filter that removes DSD's high-frequency noise. The Dual Direct Balanced Filter uses completely separate analogue filtering for the line and balanced outputs. Digital and analogue sections have separate toroidal transformers and power supplies. The filter stage is built on low-loss glass-cloth fluorocarbon boards with low dielectric constant and loss. An output level control, a phase selector for the balanced output and a digital interface for the Accuphase Voicing Equalizer are included. The case is natural-grain wood with a mirror finish, on an 8 mm machined aluminium base with high-carbon cast iron feet. The package includes Accuphase's ASL-10B audio cable.
Pairing
The DC-1000 is designed for the DP-1000 SACD transport, connected through HS-LINK. Its balanced outputs suit Accuphase preamplifiers such as the C-3900.
Alternatives
Accuphase's DC-950 is the earlier converter of the brand that the DC-1000 replaced.
Specifications
Model name
DC-1000
Conversion type
N/A
Engine
ES9038 PRO
DSD compatability
N/A
Parameters
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (Hz)
N/A
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (Hz)
N/A
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
N/A
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
N/A
Input Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Input Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (balanced) (Ω)
N/A
Output Impedance (single-ended) (Ω)
N/A
Analog outputs
N/A
Signal to Noise Ratio (dB)
N/A
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (% at 22 kHz)
N/A
Dimensions (mm)
N/A
Weight (kg)
N/A
Official link