Swiss manufacturer Merging Technologies will launch their audiophile D/A converter, NADAC, at the High End Show in Munich on May 14. They will be in Hall 3 on stand J05/K08. Merging Technologies is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-resolution digital audio recording and editing systems including products that process PCM formats up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD up to DSD256. Merging Technologies systems are used by top recording engineers around the world whose achievements are consistently recognised at the prestigious annual music industry Grammy® awards. The bulk of the DSD downloads now available on the numerous specialist websites were recorded on Merging Technologies’ systems.
NADAC stands for Network Attached DAC, and will be delivered in two different versions, stereo and 8-channels. Both variants have ¼” and mini-jack headphone outputs and the monitoring-grade headphone outputs can be configured to carry a different signal to the main output. Merging Technologies was encouraged to produce NADAC because of the high praise their professional D/A converters have received from leading recording engineers. It uses the same technology and is built to the same exacting standards.
Many of those recording companies are in the forefront of providing a large catalogue of true Hi-Res Audio downloads. These are typically in DSD or DXD and many of them will feature the multichannel DSD files previously used for SACD releases. Merging is forming a dynamic partnership with a growing number of these content providers, to jointly promote the benefits of the listening to the music as the artists intended. Special deals for NADAC purchasers will be announced as they are made available.
The NADAC’s line outputs are driven by an ESS9008S SABRE Reference Audio D/A IC. This IC has 8 separate D/A converters and in the stereo version of the NADAC, each channel uses 4 D/A converters with the outputs summed in order to provide improved linearity, greater dynamic range and a lower noise floor. The 8-channel version of the NADAC may also be switched to work as a stereo unit, with the converters configured in the same way. Careful circuit layout and component selection, refined by many hours of listening tests has enabled the highest level of performance from this configuration. This is backed up by results that the test gear can barely measure. The headphone output uses the same type of converter IC configured similarly.
The NADAC has balanced and unbalanced line outputs; two headphone outputs; a digital volume control and any smart device with a web browser can serve as a remote control.
For more information please see the NADAC web site at nadac.merging.com