ЦАПы — Copland DAC215

The DAC215 is a DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier from Copland, the Danish company known for its valve and hybrid electronics with minimalist Scandinavian design. It combines a quad-mono ESS converter with a valve output stage for headphones and preamplifier use.

Key specs that matter

The converter is an ESS ES9018 32-bit chip in a mono configuration, with its eight converters split four in phase and four in opposite phase per channel. USB accepts PCM up to 384 kHz and 32 bits and native DSD64 and DSD128. S/PDIF inputs, one coaxial and two optical, accept PCM up to 192 kHz. There is one analogue input and two analogue outputs, fixed and variable. The headphone output on the front is a 6.35 mm jack, and the gain stages use two ECC88 double-triode valves. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 100 kHz within 0.5 dB. Headphone output reaches 8.5 V rms from a 5 ohm output impedance, and the line output impedance is 100 ohms. The unit measures 200 mm wide, 280 mm deep and 115 mm high, with a weight of 3.8 kg and 25 W consumption.

Engineering and use context

Combining four in-phase and four opposite-phase converters per channel exploits the statistics of the signals. The signal components add constructively when the phases are combined, while the noise of the separate converters is uncorrelated and partly cancels, raising the signal-to-noise ratio. The analogue filter stages use Class A discrete transistor buffers borrowed from Copland's CD players. The headphone and preamplifier outputs pass through valve gain stages. USB works asynchronously, with the DAC's clock in charge, and it takes no power from the computer. Incoming USB data is converted to I2S and fed directly to the DAC chip. Macs and Linux need no drivers, and a Windows driver is available. The volume control and preamplifier can be bypassed for pure DAC operation using the fixed output, and an LED-lit switch on the front turns the amplification off. LEDs show the sample rate. The fascia carries two large knobs for volume and source, with the headphone socket on the left and the power button on the right. Copland describes the styling as Danish, with straight lines and minimalism. Coaxial and optical sources cover CD transports and televisions. The DAC215 sold at about GBP 1,998 in the UK. It has no remote control, which is a limitation for preamplifier use.

Pairing

The DAC215 drives headphones directly or feeds a power amplifier from its variable output. A computer by USB and a CD transport by S/PDIF provide sources.

Alternatives

Copland makes no other standalone DAC beside the DAC215.