DACs — Aavik SD-588

The SD-588 is the streaming DAC at the top of the SD-x88 series from Aavik, the Danish brand within Audio Group Denmark, above the SD-188 and SD-288. It came out of a collaboration between Gryphon Audio founder Flemming Erik Rasmussen, who has more than 35 years in amplifier design, and Aavik's Michael Borresen. The unit is priced at GBP 25,000 in the UK, USD 30,000 in the US and about EUR 29,060 in Europe.

Key specs that matter

Digital inputs comprise two BNC S/P-DIF sockets that accept 11 to 768 kHz at 32 bit, two TOSLINK optical inputs running from 11 to 192 kHz at 32 bit, and one galvanically isolated USB Audio Class 2 port handling PCM from 44 to 384 kHz and native DSD64 to DSD256. Network playback uses DLNA 1.5 and UPnP AV 1.0. The analogue signal leaves through one RCA pair only, while a BNC S/P-DIF socket relays digital audio to other gear at up to 768 kHz. Power draw stays under 40 W in use and under 1 W on standby from a 100 to 240 V supply. The case is 440 x 430 x 116 mm and weighs 21 kg.

Engineering and use context

At its core is the Continuum DAC, a chipless design in which a custom FPGA turns every incoming format into DSD512 before a dedicated digital filter and a simple analogue filter stage produce the output signal. Aavik puts heavy effort into noise suppression. The boards carry 108 active Tesla coils and 216 active square Tesla coils embedded in the circuit layers, and Aavik claims the active type is three to four times as effective as passive coils at lowering impedance. Nine dither circuits apply the third generation of the brand's analogue dither technology, in which the active coils send pulsating signals at precisely set frequencies in anti-phase to push down the noise floor. Gold Anti-Aerial Resonance Coils, built from dual silver and gold layered windings around a zirconium core, target airborne RF interference. Power comes from a resonant mode switching supply that shifts its operating frequency when extra current is required, keeping the noise floor of the supply low.

Pairing

Since the only analogue connection is RCA, the partner amplifier or preamplifier needs single-ended line inputs, as found on Aavik's own I-588 integrated amplifier. Network streaming covers DLNA and UPnP libraries, a computer can feed the isolated USB port, and CD transports or other digital sources connect over BNC coaxial or optical cable.

Alternatives

The Aavik SD-288 is the step-down streamer and DAC of the same SD-x88 series, listed at about EUR 23,250.