HiFiMAN Serenade – DAC and Headphone Amplifier Now with Wi-Fi Streamer!
13.01.2025 05:03 | ~1 minute read
The second generation of the HiFiMAN Serenade digital-to-analog converter with headphone amplifier has become $200 cheaper and received a Wi-Fi module. The new HiFiMAN Serenade DAC is based on the proprietary Hymalaya Pro Ladder engine, which is an updated version of the first generation Hymalaya DAC, originally released in 2021.
The heart of the Hymalaya Pro Ladder is an FPGA system based on precision resistors with tolerances of 0.01%, which provides performance that surpasses the classic PCM1704 chip from Texas Instruments in all parameters, achieving a total harmonic distortion rate of -6 dB or 0.0012% (such parameters are achievable only in systems based on a pair of PCM1704K).
Thanks to the use of Wi-Fi, the SERENADE DAC provides significantly lower signal transmission latency compared to traditional Bluetooth streaming. The HiFiMAN Serenade headphone amplifier is made on discrete elements and operates in pure class A. The power supply is based on a 50 W toroidal power transformer with an iron core and a bank of filter capacitors with a total capacity of about 30,000 microfarads.
The HiFiMAN Serenade Wireless connectivity, in addition to Wi-Fi, includes a 4-pin XLR connector, a 6.35 mm jack and a Pentaconn 4.4 mm for headphones, balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA outputs and a pair of unbalanced RCA inputs on the rear panel. The HiFiMAN Serenade DAC with headphone amplifier is now available for sale at a recommended retail price of $ 999.
Specifications
This product is in the Hi-Fi and High End Electronics and Acoustics database
DACs — HiFiMAN SERENADE
Model name
SERENADE
Conversion type
FPGA
Engine
Hymalaya Pro Ladder R2R
DSD compatability
Yes
Parameters
N/A
Frequency response low +/- 3dB (Hz)
20
Frequency response high +/- 3dB (Hz)
20000
Gain (dBu)
N/A
Output Level (balanced) (V)
4.5
Output Level (single-ended) (V)
2.2
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)
110
Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (% at 22 kHz)
0.0015%,
Dimensions (mm)
300 x 255 x 50
Weight (kg)
3.9
Official link
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