StereoNET Logo

  • What would you like to find?

Arcam Releases 2nd Generation irDAC

Posted on 30th November, 2016
Arcam Releases 2nd Generation irDAC

Arcam's evolution of DACs has earned massive success for the company by budget conscious, discerning enthusiasts. From the original rDAC released back in 1989, they were the first company to launch an affordable outboard DAC. The irDAC followed just a few years ago (2013) based on the Burr Brown 1796 DAC chipset and 8 seperately regulated power supplies and has been nothing less than a best-seller according to Arcam's local distributor, Advance Audio.

Trawl the forums and you'll often find Arcam recommended to those seeking a high-performance DAC without breaking the bank. It's a reputation well-earned and deserved.

Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, Arcam have worked hard to release a replacement to the irDAC as the irDAC-II.

Arcam irDAC-II

Visually, not much has changed. It's just bit wider than the irDAC. Dig deeper however and you'll find it has completely new internals now uses the ES9016 Sabre DAC chipset, and now offers aptX Bluetooth connectivity and an impressive headphone amplifier.

We have gained a lot of knowledge developing class leading DACs. Areas like isolation of the digital and analogue stages, ultralow noise power supplies and a direct coupled signal path make a big difference.

Jitter reduction is an obsession within our engineering team. They have applied their experience in the irDAC-II to produce a signal that is almost jitter free.

Arcam's irDAC-II is designed to be the heart of a digital audio system and can be connected to a number of different types of digital sources and connections via asynchronous USB and Bluetooth. With the supplied IR remote, all of the inputs can be controlled or selected, or you can opt to use the top mounted source and volume buttons.

The headphone output stage comes thanks to Arcam's flagship A49 headphone amplifier, evident on irDAC-II by the front mounted 3.5mm headphone jack. A handy addition for desktop audio enthusiasts.

Arcam IRDAC-II Rear

Finally, Arcam's irDAC-II now supports DSD128 via the USB input and PCM support up to 24bit/384kHz.

Only time will tell if Arcam have managed to fill the big shoes left by little brother irDAC. We hope so.

The irDAC-II is available now for $1195 RRP.

Arcam is distributed in Australia by Advance Audio.

Specifications

  • Supported sample rates:
  • USB: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 384kHz
  • Optical: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz
  • Coaxial: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
  • Bluetooth: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX:LL
  • Bit Depth : 16:bit, 24:bit
  • Headphone : 30Ω : 600Ω, 3.5mm plug
  • Power requirements: 18W max
  • Dimensions: W194 x H44 x D124mm
  • Weight: 1.1kg
  • DAC:ESS ES9016K2M
  • Input: USB, SPDIF, optical, Bluetooth
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz:20kHz, +/:0.1dB
  • Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.0007%
  • Signal-to-noise ratio (A:weighted): 117dB (24:bit)
  • Maximum output level: 2.1V RMS
Marc Rushton's avatar
Marc Rushton

StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After writing for print magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET in 1999.

Posted in: Hi-Fi

JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION

Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP

Trending

applause awards

Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.

Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.

The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.

We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.

Licensing Information

00002888