At online hifi magazine StereoNet you can find a review of our premium DAC with VOLTAiR technology – SPL Diamond. The complete review is available online – here we have compiled some highlights for you.
“The Diamond DAC is the latest addition to the SPL’s ‘Professional Fidelity’ portfolio, which includes preamplifiers, headphone amplifiers, power amplifiers, an analogue crossover and a phono preamp based on SPL’s proprietary VOLTAiR technology.”
“The blurring of lines between pro audio and hi-fi is nothing new. SPL’s new Diamond DAC taps into the company’s pro audio pedigree to offer a consumer version of what you’d typically only find in professional recording and mastering facilities.”
Design:
“The Diamond DAC has a compact form factor (278x57x300mm, WxHxD) and weighs just 3.15 kg. Its pleasing chassis design has a neat brushed silver fascia, although black and red are also available. The volume control is a pleasure to use, and the input selector rotary encoder is suitably robust and reassuring. The remainder of the fascia comprises a clock source switch, an on/off toggle switch and an informative LC display showing the input source, clock source and rendered bitrate.”
“Thanks to the AKM chip, the Diamond DAC offers impressive number-crunching abilities. For USB, this means PCM audio up to 768kHz, and 11.2MHz (DSD256) for DSD (DSD over PCM DoP) audio signals. AES/EBU, S/PDIF and coaxial inputs support PCM up to 192kHz.”
“With a straightforward control panel, intuitive connectivity, and logical controls, setting up the DAC is a breeze, showcasing its impeccable engineering.”
Sound:
“From the moment you start using the SPL Audio Diamond DAC, its professional audio quality is evident. Modern electronic music sounds fantastic through it, benefiting from the latest production techniques to deliver a highly immersive listening experience. On more intimate recordings, the SPL lets the emotion flood through, while harsher, more straightforward rock comes across warts and all – in a satisfyingly tactile, visceral and earthy way. While it faithfully presents raw and unfiltered rock music, it never sounds abrasive. Older, well-recorded tracks feel refreshed, with the DAC revealing nuances that breathe new life into familiar songs.”
Conclusion:
“Overall, this little DAC delivers exceptional accuracy without compromising on the natural warmth and richness of a recording. It offers abundant headroom, ensuring clarity even in the most dynamic of tracks or when pushing your system to the limits. Listeners can expect a non-fatiguing auditory experience, making this DAC perfect for extended sessions. The soundstage is expansive, positioning instruments and vocals distinctly within a three-dimensional space, adding depth to music. Furthermore, this DAC shines in its ability to clearly separate and present intricate layers within complex compositions, making them accessible and enjoyable for listeners.”
“SPL’s Diamond DAC is an unashamedly traditional digital-to-analogue converter with solid professional audio DNA. It has a relatively minimalist user interface, excellent connectivity, and an extremely capable audio core based around a highly regarded proprietary DAC chip. The analogue output stage is very well-engineered, too. The result is a superb-sounding product with forensic detail retrieval capabilities but with a smooth and natural tonality. Highly transparent, very dynamic and an excellent communicator on an emotional level, it makes music magic.”
