DAC2 QUAD R-2R Ladder

Extraudio DAC2 QUAD R-2R Ladder high-precision digital engine

R-2R Ladder ultra-high precision 32-bit depth DAC with FPGA, which produces an analog sound, full of nuances, without digital harshness, without any type of error, thanks to the depth of 28 to 32 bits, the resistance ladder is corrected through the second FPGA that is only responsible for converting and correcting the linearity of the four DAC modules, then we have another ARM FPGA with the latest technology for the sample rate functions, selection of inputs and conditioning of digital signals, freeing the main FPGA from all this work, a unique sound is achieved and with very low voltage steps on the R-2R ladder, approximately each step is equivalent to a tiny jump of 0.04 Volts from MSB (Most Significant Bit) to LSB (Least Significant Bit), all this added to the R-2R resistor ladder of our DAC,s proprietary technology using about 600 pieces of 0.01% tolerance Vishay Foil Resistors ® of the highest quality, handmade soldered in The Netherlands with temperature control, with high quality tin, make the sound even more exact, but very analog and musical, with a lot of texture and spatiality, very whole and without digital deficiencies in digital steps, the lower the step height, the higher the quality and smoothness in the digital conversion, that’s why we use a 32-bit depth.

Finally, we have a microcontroller that takes care of all the other control functions, to put it another way, there are 3 motors within the same product both in DAC1 and DAC2.

Image for illustrative purposes; check the finishes availables with your dealer.

Proprietary modular concept

Our DACs are designed with ease of future expansion in mind, which is why all of its internal construction is modular, so we can offer the end-user an updated technological solution and extend the life of our products, without having to change and buy another DAC, simply update it by changing some of its modules, since Digital technology is not like analog technology, which is always in constant evolution, this allows the audiophile user to be up to date and is also part of Extraudio’s philosophy and our fight against programmed obsolescence.

This modular concept of electronic circuit design is more expensive economically and requires more design effort, but it allows us to concentrate our efforts on the different parts individually, this design process has given us the advantage of isolating different parts in our own circuits. Printed manufactured in The Netherlands with 4 layers and electrolytic gold plated, achieving elimination and reduction of noise in each stage and module and separating the digital control and analog parts and thus all our DACs are prepared for the future.

Image for illustrative purposes; check the finishes availables with your dealer.

Proprietary Programmable Audio Oscillators

All the DAC manufacturers talk about technicalities about audio oscillators and clocks for digital signals etc, we will just say that we use several oscillators and clocks that do their job accurately in femtoseconds and are calibrated to perfection, without jitter, this makes that the performance of the digital conversion is greater and the ultra-low jitter and the digital to analog conversion more linear and above all the music that emanates from the DAC be more human and not digital in character.

Why don’t we use screens or other digital displays at Extraudio?

Many people ask us why we don’t use OLED, LCD, or TFT screens…?
Marketing, aesthetics, and image are a matter of the competition and we are focused solely on the reality of the restitution of recorded music, we leave banal or superfluous things to others.

Many elements such as screens or other digital display devices pollute the audio system generating electrical interference and polluting the masses.

Our products are minimalist on the outside and incredibly complicated on the inside, everything happens inside the products and the necessary information for the use of the product is simply displayed with LED indicators.

Keep in mind that it would be easier and cheaper to cut a rectangle and mechanically apply a screen to the front panel, but we do not work to control costs and use superior machining on solid aluminum front panels, even so, and with the extra cost of the mechanization we incorporate all the necessary indicators for the use of the product.

The importance of dual and quad power supplies

Our power supplies are designed with extreme care, powering an audio product is vital to a perfect stereo feel or what is known in pro audio as dual mono, the dual-mono feel, you can’t get it if you don’t use them. multiple transformers and separate power supplies for each channel, the DAC2 incorporates 3 proprietary quad ultra-low noise medical-grade transformers, custom-built especially for the DAC2 in the Netherlands, and 6 separate power supplies.

Our power supplies include parallel capacitor banks creating a store of power energy for when complex musical passages need to be played, like a full symphony orchestra playing all its instruments, it’s like a 500 horsepower car, why Do we need 500 horsepower if we drive at 100km/hour? In the world of high-end audio, we need that extra horsepower, whether they are amps or watts, for when they are needed in passages or very complex audio compositions, and if those are not extra horsepower, which in our case is the capacitor banks of each of the individual sources, the speed, the expressiveness and the reality of the music and the dynamics disappear, that’s why the DAC2 has a power bank of 60.000 uF in parallel to get much more energy stored and lower the ESR and impedance of the power supplies, as well as correct the power factor.

The power supplies for Extraudio products are extremely quiet and are designed with powering like pro audio in mind, by mono power rails completely separating the power supplies for the different digital and analog parts, creating a true dual-mono feeling. not pseudo-stereo.

Finally, we use Schottky diodes in the rectification of alternating current to direct current. These diodes are very special and expensive, they provide us with high efficiency, ultra-fast recovery time, low junction capacitance, low direct voltage drop, high-frequency operation, high current density, and are very quiet. The DAC2 is provided with 18 of these diodes.

Many engineers ask us, how can it be that we reach such low signal noise or THD figures and what are they used for in our power supplies?.

Our noise floor is almost absolute silence -180db, this value is not usual, we have been dedicated since 2008 to the research and development of high-end audio products and our answer is this:

All this precisely produces an unprecedented level of performance, silences are part of the music and if there is no absolute silence in the power supplies the reproduction of the music is polluted, it is that complicated and that simple at the same time, because in Extraudio “less is more”.

In the USB 2.0 input, we also use a module, with a simple action on the DAC that can be updated in the future as there are constantly new features for USB communications.

We know the importance of this entry and its advantages, as well as the innovations that will come out in the future and the existing formats, for example, MQA or other formats such as DXD, DSD, or higher sampling rates, but with a simple change of module the end-user will always be up to date in the digital future.

This module contains complete isolation from the outside to the inside of the DAC.
Up to a depth of 32bits, 768Khz, DSD X2, X4, X8.
Oscillators Low Phase Noise XO
Output format: I2S 32bit or DSD64, DSD128 – On Windows up to DSD256, DSD512
Supported sample rates: 44.1kHz to up to 384Khz.
No drivers are needed for MAC OSX, Linux with UAC2 kernel, KS, Wasapi, WDM, or ASIO Drivers for Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, 32, and 64bit.

We have designed this module for the convenience of the user, which can connect devices or digital sources from other brands via I2S, which is the interface and native language of digital audio, without “Integrated Interchip Sound” compression, and which goes directly to the R-2R digital engine of the DAC Extraudio, is the only real digital connection format without any type of compression, it is the native binary stream, this delivers superior sound quality through this DUAL digital input that has an Rj45 or HDMI LVDS input for greater compatibility as well as a selector rotary that allows 10 combinations of bits in a high or low position, making any digital product compatible with this type of native digital I2S output.

In this same I2S module we have provided the high-end R-2R DAC with Bluetooth HD Aptx-HD wireless connection, this connection has been designed and interconnected in a proprietary way in Extraudio via native I2S and has been applied in a revolutionary way directly by I2S, achieving a signal of 24bits and 48 to 192Khz and a higher resolution than any transport or traditional CD player of 16bits 44.1Khz.

In the future, we will implement the latest firmware and hardware versions of this wireless technology, which for us is the future, and thus ensure that our DACs are always up to date.

This advanced wireless connection allows us to connect via streaming from our computer, laptop, NAS, or from online services, for example; Amazon Music HD, Apple Music, Qobuz, Tidal, etc, over the Internet and have millions of albums available immediately and without technological complications.

With impressive ease of use for anyone, whether using your music offline on your devices or online via the Internet, from a computer, laptop, tablet, iPad, or mobile device.

A Bluetooth 5.0 APTX HD or higher compatible device is required.

The DAC2 optionally includes the exclusive Extraudio remote control, conceived from a different approach, aiming for user comfort.

Extraudio sought to offer a device in which battery life and operating distance were its main features. Both objectives have been largely achieved.

The remote control does not have removable batteries but integrates an internal battery that only needs to be recharged with a standard USB charger.

The transmission range is 20 to 80 meters, depending on the country of use and the electromagnetic or RF interference present.
The design retains the minimalist line, the hallmark of Extraudio’s products, based on Mies Van Der Rohe’s philosophy of “less is more”.

There are only four buttons: on/off, input up and down, and mute. The concept behind this remote control is unusual, pursuing a more efficient and ergonomic creation. We stand for functionality and form in design and not banality.

Extraudio timeless and minimalist design

Extraudio brings together 14 years of industrial engineering experience and a host of pioneering technologies in a distinctive, elegant design. Drawing inspiration from our “less is more” mantra in the Discovery and Origin range, it offers a unique aesthetic that combines order and precision with artistic expression.

Its radii and curves, and inspiration from the golden form of nature, nod to our emotional connection to the art, music, and sound it inspires us to create, while the top and side panels are understated yet chunky, the controls Optimized and uncluttered rear panel help improve playability and ease of use.

Each model is clad in aircraft-grade aluminum, a lightweight material chosen for its acoustic properties to reduce mechanical vibration and magnetic effects. The panels are cut using state-of-the-art computer numerical control milling machines and treated with a smooth, durable ceramic coating.

We build our products without financial commitment. We do not look at the costs but at the final result. This last concept is vital to achieving the expected result of an Extraudio product.

Our 6000 series aircraft-grade selected aluminum chassis guarantees maximum electromagnetic isolation, durability, and robustness.

Our finishing process is just as exclusive and handmade as our electronic parts. The two exclusive colors formulated for us are black and gray, with ultra-matte fly wing varnish and double quality check of each piece.

The process of finishing the Extraudio chassis is very complex, after 4 years of research we decided on these finishes that are giving us such good results, first we select an aluminum beta, then the computer numerical control cut each piece and once we have We proceed to wash the cut piece, degrease it, removing impurities by opening the pore and closing it again at high temperature, then it goes through the manual rigging process, manual polishing process, application of the layers of paint where we apply our three black, white, or gray colors Composed specifically for us with a ceramic finish and finally one or two coats of the exclusive “High Gloss varnish” mixed with bi-component epoxy for hardening, which is applied in a pressurized varnishing chamber.

Once these processes are finished, we go to cleaning and quality control of each of the pieces and if everything is correct, it goes on to the final screen printing process.

The fly wing matte gray Knobs for the Discovery versions or for the Origin series, which is our Premium series, the matte black chassis, and the 24-carat gold-plated Knobs for maximum durability and aesthetics.