Digital Smart Homes | DAC (Digital to Analog Converters)

DAC's, - Digital to Analog Converters
A Digital-to-Analog converter (DAC or D-to-A) is a device for converting a digital (usually binary) code to an analog signal (current, voltage or electric charge). Most modern audio signals are stored in digital form (for example iPods and CDs) and in order to be heard through speakers they must be converted into an analog signal.

Chord Electronics, QBD76 DAC
Building on the huge success of the award winning DAC64 the QBD76 is now able to take digital to analogue conversion to a new level with improvements in performance and sound reproduction not seen anywhere else. Added to this a unique Bluetooth digital audio receiver has been designed to enhance connectivity so that you can stream high quality music wirelessly from a Bluetooth enable phone, PDA or personal computer.

The digital design of the QBD76 from digital input, to the DAC outputs, is designed using the latest generation of field programmable gate

array devices (FPGA), now with 1.25 million gates. The FPGA handles the switching of SPDIF inputs, all digital SPDIF decoding, digital PLL, RAM buffer controller, WTA filtering, and the 5th generation Pulse Array DAC. All of these functional blocks are designed at the gate level, for maximum performance. The QBD76 features state of the art improvements to the Pulse Array DAC, in particular the noise shaper architecture. Considerable work has been done to improve this aspect of Pulse Array, and new noise shaper has been developed, with the specific aim of reducing noise. Amongst other improvements the 5th generation Pulse Array now has 8th order noise shaping (the highest order of noise shaping of any known DAC), and 2608 times oversampling and digital filtering. A new digtal PLL has been developed using a highly accurate 115MHz clock. Data related jitter is completely removed from the source, and you are left with just random master clock jitter of less than 3pS cycle to cycle. The subjective result is that the sound quality
is now improved to a level similar to when the RAM buffer is used. Usability has been improved with the addition of a display and control via a micro controller circuit. Input selection, phase and RAM buffer settings can all be changed using three buttons on the top panel. Configuration is clearly visible via the magnified display. The number of digital inputs has been increased to include two coax, two AES and two optical inputs as standard, but now the addition of a USB input enables connection to a personal computer so music can be streamed directly. However the most important and major technical advance is the Bluetooth audio input. Modern phones, personal digital assistants and personal computers now have the ability to transmit high quality audio using the Bluetooth Advanced Audio Distribution Profile or A2DP for short. Using a custom designed Bluetooth receiver we have been able to extract the digital audio information and input this directly into our DAC technology. Unlike the analogue audio outputs seen from other Bluetooth devices this gives us much better performance and enables CD like transfer of music from the Bluetooth device. With its ground breaking sound performance and features the QBD76 defines the future of digital music playback.

Other DAC's we carry are:

Bel Canto gets you closer to your music with all of the equipment that we design and represent. Each piece in our collection is of reference quality and will help you reach your entertainment goals for years to come. Learn More

Cambridge Audio has been at the forefront of British hi-fi for more than thirty five years. Since its inception in 1968, Cambridge Audio has brought some of the most innovative and technologically advanced products to market. Learn More

Music Hall LLC was founded in April 1985. It is a company dedicated to manufacturing, importing and distributing well priced, top quality, high-end audio components. Its emphasis is almost exclusively 2-channel (stereo). Learn More

YBA is unique. YBA is the perfect balance between musical excellence and simplified use, intelligent design and technological innovation. The success of a musical system is not the work of fate but that of experience. For the last 25 years, YBA has achieved elegant synthesis by successfully combining award winning design and outstanding musical performance. Learn More

Conserving energy isn’t just good for your conscience and the environment, it’s good for your pocketbook too! Control4 gives you the power to be green by helping you manage lighting and temperature control in your home.
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Sonos puts the control of all your music right where it should be — in your hands. With the touch of a finger you can find and play a world of music, whether it’s streaming direct from the Internet or stored on your computer.
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Different, beautiful and full of quality sound. The whole range of products from Scandyna represents a lifestyle signalling courage and taste.
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