Audio Technology Switzerland is proud to announce the releasing a new flagship D/A converter the NAGRA HD DAC X.
Las Vegas, USA – Wednesday 9th January 2019. The Swiss company announces it is releasing a new digital to analog converter to compliment the HD range, that is called the HD DAC X.
Nagra is demonstrating the new HD DAC X at the CES in room 29-203 (Venetian Hotel).
We are living in a digital era, most of the music we have access to is digital. Whereas a physical media such as a CD or streamed from a server, they are data. Except a few notable exceptions, digital data have to be converted to analog to be reproduced acoustically. This is a very critical step that can dramatically impact the overall system performance.
Nagra reputation in digital conversion is not new and dates from the Nagra D, in the early 90s. The Nagra D was the first 24 / 96 kHz recorder available on the market. To meet Nagra quality expectations, our Research & Development had to design its own discrete A/D and D/A converters.
In 2013, Nagra introduced the HD DAC a statement D/A converter that is highly regarded and received numerous awards. The introduction of the Nagra HD PREAMP in 2018 and the evolution of music files resolution toward DSD 256 (or DSD 4x) encouraged Nagra to design a new reference D/A converter.
The new Nagra HD DAC X is a major evolution of the world-acclaimed Nagra HD DAC.
Like the HD PREAMP, the HD DAC X is a two-chassis design. The HD DAC X shares most of its power supply and mechanical vibration control solutions. The power supply is based around a massive bank of super capacitors that has the advantage of silent operation, like battery, but are more stable given that they do not discharge over time. Each electronic stage uses individual power supplies with its dedicated low-noise regulator. The HD DAC X uses no less than 37 different power supplies and the digital section itself has 16 of them.
Inside the audio unit, the digital section is a completely new design, including a new proprietary USB input. The converter can play signals up to DSD 256 (or DSD 4x). The digital section is designed to be upgradeable, whereas software or hardware to cope with the evolution of formats and sources.
The HD DAC X features an extensive selection of digital inputs, including two Nagra-optical inputs for future Nagra high resolution sources. The analog section has been the object of extensive research and listening sessions. It adopts a dual-mono topology and each channel has its inter-stage transformer and tube. The transformers are of a new design and are hand-wound at Nagra facility in Switzerland.
The result is a life-like sound with warmth, texture, extreme dynamic and extended frequency response beyond what was ever achieved by other D/A converters. The sound stage is spectacular with a 3D feeling with depth and elevation. The HD DAC X reveals some details that are often masked by other D/A.
First production units are being delivered in January 2019. The suggested retail price list in the USA is 64 500 US$.
The other major product introduction is the TUBE DAC. The successor of the HD DAC, the TUBE DAC has the exact same analog section. Its digital input section as well as the digital core is the same as in the HD DAC X. The TUBE DAC is available in different packages and options that starts at a suggested retail price of 29 500 US$.
Nagra customers who invested in the previous HD DAC can also upgrade its digital core and inputs, to the level of the TUBE DAC, contact your dealer for more information.