Antelope Audio Re-Introduces Rubicon DAC

Leading digital audio manufacturer Antelope Audio [CES: Venetian, Suite 29-129] announced that Rubicon, the world’s first Atomic AD/DA converter, has been refined to include the latest groundbreaking technology from Antelope Audio. Rubicon, which is hand assembled and carries a price tag of $40,000 US, has been re-engineered to take advantage of the landmark innovations that went into developing Antelope’s Zodiac Platinum: which has been hailed as the finest sounding DAC ever made. 
Rubicon, which is available exclusively through custom order, now supports DSD128 and 24-bit/384 kHz PCM streaming through its custom, ultra-low jitter USB interface. In addition to providing unmatched conversion capabilities, Rubicon is able to deliver the ultimate listening experience by using a transformer-based JFET preamp and linear, dual stage headphone amplification. At the heart of the Rubicon is the most precise timing reference generator ever made: the Rubidium 10 MHz atomic clock. This exquisite timepiece enables Rubicon to deliver the absolute finest in detail and audio clarity. 
“Before making Rubicon publicly available, we wanted to make sure it included our very latest innovations, the most recent which have come about during the development of our Zodiac Platinum,” Levin continued. “Even though this prolonged our development cycle, we are confident that Rubicon now features the very best conversion, clocking and DSD upsampling algorithms available on the market. As I’m sure audiophiles will agree, the result was well worth the wait!” 
“Rubicon is Antelope Audio’s landmark innovation, and the culmination of all our knowledge and development in audiophile componentry,” commented Igor Levin, CEO and Founder of Antelope Audio. “Following years of development and discriminating attention to detail, Rubicon brings together a ‘perfect storm’ of technology synergies, delivering an audiophile listening experience that has never been possible before.” 
The Culmination of Audio Innovation
The Rubicon, which has already won a CES Innovations Award, now features the latest developments on Antelope’s Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), which helps reveal the true potential of DSD and PCM thanks to the 64-bit precision 8x linear phase upsampling. Now, the process of upsampling lower rate DSD to DSD256 and PCM to 384 kHz introduces stunning accuracy, transparency, imaging and dynamics. 
The conversion process of Rubicon is handled by world-class dual DAC technology. By having independent chips in both the left and right channels, the Rubicon is able to eliminate crosstalk while improving dynamic range, soundstage and linearity. The unit also features an ultra-linear, dual stage headphone amplifier, which provides accurate monitoring for range of headphone impedances and performs equally well at low and high listening levels. 
The combination of high-end converters, a JFET phono preamp and high resolution USB recording capability enables Rubicon to create ultra-accurate and sonically faithful digitizations of listeners’ vinyl collections. With quality up to 384 kHz — and utilizing Antelope’s proprietary USB chip which streams up to 480 Mbits/384 kHz — Rubicon faithfully captures all the depth and warmth present in original recordings. 
To learn more about the products and the show special discount, stop by Antelope’s suite at CES; no appointment is necessary for demonstrations during exhibit hours. For more information on the product please vist Rubicon Atomic AD/DA Preamp web page or Antelope Audio’s website.