ЦАПы — Vincent DAC-700

The Vincent DAC-700 belongs to the tubeLine series as a D/A converter, which the brand presents as a unit for the highest demands. It was announced in July 2023 with a European suggested price of EUR 2,299. Its main feature is a choice of two output stages, one with valves and one with field-effect transistors, selected with a button.

Key specs that matter

A 32-bit ESS ES9038Q2M chip performs the conversion, while a Cirrus Logic chip with a new USB interface handles the input side. Six digital inputs are provided - one USB-B, two optical, two coaxial and one AES/EBU. USB carries PCM at up to 32 bit and 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD512, and the other inputs are limited to 24 bit and 192 kHz with DSD64. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 0.5 dB, distortion stays below 0.004 percent, signal to noise is better than 95 dB, dynamic range is beyond 100 dB and channel separation passes 90 dB. The output delivers 2.5 V from an impedance of 600 ohm. The case is 430 x 95 x 360 mm and weighs 6.9 kg.

Engineering and use context

A large toroidal transformer supplies the digital and analogue sections from separate windings. The analogue part runs fully balanced, including filter and buffer circuits split by channel. With the TUBE/FET toggle the owner chooses whether the converted signal is brought to output level by the valve amplifier, fitted with one 6Z4 and two 12AU7, or by the FET transistor amplifier. The lit valves are visible through a front-panel window, and a dimmer on the rear adjusts their illumination. On the front there are a power switch, a SELECT button and an INPUT dial with LEDs marking the active input. After switch-on the DAC needs up to 30 seconds before it is ready. A voltage selector on the back changes between 230 V and 110 V, and the unit turns itself off after 15 minutes without a signal, drawing under 0.4 W in standby against a maximum of 35 W in use. DSD files play alongside WAV, FLAC, ALAC, APE, MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA.

Pairing

With balanced XLR sockets next to unbalanced RCA ones, the DAC-700 connects to a preamplifier or integrated amplifier with either input type. Two 3.5 mm power-control sockets link its switching to other Vincent equipment. Black and silver versions are offered.

Alternatives

The Vincent DAC-1MK is a powerLine converter built around an ES9038 decoder with a fully balanced signal path and DSD256 support over USB.