ЦАПы — Sugden Audio MASTERCLASS DAC-4

The Masterclass DAC-4 is a Sugden Audio converter, made by J E Sugden & Co in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire. Instead of following current digital trends, Sugden uses its own conversion circuits and data reformatting, with no oversampling and no digital filtering at any stage.

Key specs that matter

Six inputs are provided - three coaxial, two optical and one USB. The S/PDIF inputs accept 16 to 24 bit word length at 32 to 96 kHz, while USB is limited to 16 bit 44.1 kHz. Frequency response runs from 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 1.5 dB, and Sugden quotes better than 80 dB signal to noise. The case measures 90 x 250 x 330 mm and packed weight is 5 kg.

Engineering and use context

With that many inputs the DAC-4 is designed to act as the central hub for several digital sources at once, from a CD transport to a computer.