The Cary Audio DMS-800 Professional Version is a network audio player with a dual mono DAC section, launched alongside the DMS-650 in January 2022 at a retail price of USD 14,995. Cary positions it as the top model of its DMS platform, and it is only the second product from the company to carry the Professional Version name. It comes in silver or black anodized aluminium, and its high-resolution screen is larger than on the lower models, giving the case a slightly taller stance.
Key specs that matter
The converters are original AKM AK4499EQ current output switched resistor chips arranged in dual mono form. Sampling rates run from 44.1 kHz to 768 kHz for PCM at 16, 20, 24 or 32 bit, and DSD is handled from DSD64 to DSD512. Measured at 1 kHz, the XLR output reaches a dynamic range of 129 dB, signal-to-noise ratio is 127 dB, channel separation is 107 dB and total harmonic distortion is 0.0001%. Frequency range is 2 Hz to 22 kHz at 44.1 kHz. Cary states that master clock jitter is below measurable levels. The enclosure is 108 mm high, 438 mm wide and 413 mm deep, weighs 17.9 kg and consumes 55 W on 110-120 or 220-240 VAC.
Engineering and use context
The dual mono layout doubles the converters and separates the right and left channels, with dual DSP driver stages and 14 groups of independent regulated power supplies. Timing comes from a Crystek oscillator clock, and the digital filter is a 32-bit 8x oversampling type. PCM and DSD upsampling are selectable, as is conversion of PCM to DSD. Built-in streaming covers vTuner internet radio and the Connect modes for TIDAL, Qobuz and Spotify, together with AirPlay, DLNA and MQA support. The player is Roon Ready certified and ships with a 60-day free Roon subscription. An RJ45 Ethernet socket and wireless networking with MU-MIMO are provided, and aptX Bluetooth is supported. Music can also be played from USB hard drives or an SD card.
Pairing
The analogue stage feeds XLR and RCA sockets, meaning the player can feed either type of amplifier or preamplifier input. Digital inputs comprise three USB, one SD card slot, one Bluetooth, a single AES/EBU, a pair of coaxial and a single Toslink, letting other sources use the DAC. A coaxial digital output handles the full PCM rate and a Toslink output up to 192 kHz. A 12 VDC trigger input and IR control are provided, with control apps for iOS and Android.
Alternatives
The Cary Audio DMS-700 is another network audio player in the current Cary digital range.