Digital Processor Reviews

Dirac Live ART room-correction software for PC and Mac

Kalman Rubinson Sep 03, 2026

I have been fascinated with Dirac, the Swedish audio-optimization software company, ever since I noticed the Dirac booth in the back at CEDIA 2010 in Atlanta. This was not a demonstration but a tease, a tantalizing promise of a cure for problematic listening room acoustics using digital filters to adjust loudspeaker response in both the frequency and time domains

Digital Processor Reviews

Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition Gen2 streaming D/A processor

Kalman Rubinson Jul 03, 2026

I am not big on streaming overall, but I do like to find new releases on Qobuz, enjoy the live feed from the Berlin Philharmonic via their Digital Concert Hall, and sample multichannel music on Apple Music. If I really like something, I buy discs or downloads to add to my local collection. But I must admit that audio streamers are hot!

Digital Processor Reviews

Meitner MA3i Integrated D/A processor

Jason Victor Serinus May 07, 2026

"Is the Meitner MA3i integrated DAC ($11,500) sufficiently different from its predecessor to warrant a full review?" That's the question Editor Jim Austin posed as he contemplated the alternative: a shorter follow-up to my 2022 review of the now discontinued MA3 ($10,500).

Digital Processor Reviews

HiFi Rose RD160 D/A processor

Herb Reichert Apr 09, 2026

Lord knows I try to keep an open mind, but those good-measuring delta-sigma chip DACs rub me the wrong way. Their processing complexity vexes my mind, and there's never been a reconstruction or upsampling filter that I've been a fan of. Nevertheless, I believe that every audio component must be judged by how it sounds and feels in use.

Budget Component Reviews Digital Processor Reviews

LAiV Harmony µDAC D/A processor

Herb Reichert Dec 10, 2025

Today I'll be describing an "acorn" DAC, the least-expensive yet. LAiV Audio's new µDAC is small, costs just $994 ($1049 as of January 1 2026), and is dancing at the same party as the high-intensity, high-priced DACs. It offers listeners a unique perspective on what quality digital can sound like.

Digital Processor Reviews

McIntosh DS200 streaming D/A processor

Tom Fine Oct 30, 2025

McIntosh, which is based in my home state of New York, has long been in my audio life. It was the "house sound" where I grew up. My parents' stereo system was powered by a pair of MC75 tubed amplifiers (fed by a Marantz 7B preamp, driving Bozak Concert Grand speakers). In my father's recording studio, McIntosh amplifiers powered the monitors.

Digital Processor Reviews

Bricasti Design M21 D/A processor

Sasha Matson Oct 03, 2025

Those of us who review audio equipment, and even audiophiles who don't, often talk about our reference systems. The term implies a certain level of consistency. If you are changing components every week, your system probably lacks the stability to be a true reference. In the case of reviewers, this presents an irony . . .

Audacious Audio Digital Processor Reviews

CH Precision C10 D/A processor

Jim Austin Sep 25, 2025

It takes audacity for a company that already builds one of the finest DACs on the planet, which is already expensive, to set out to build one that's so much better that it warrants an extra digit in the model number and a much higher price tag. But then CH Precision has never lacked audacity.

Digital Processor Reviews

Ideon Audio eos D/A processor

Herb Reichert Aug 21, 2025

This review started with a gentle handoff. My ol' pal Walter Swanbon of Fidelis Distribution stopped by Brooklyn to take away the $10,000 Limited Edition Falcon LS3/5a loudspeakers and drop off the $10,000 eos DAC by Ideon. As he was getting in his car, I yelled, "Walter! I'm warning you! If that thing's not plug'n'play, I'll put it right there on that curb."

Digital Processor Reviews

Weiss DAC204 D/A processor

Robert Schryer Jul 31, 2025

Weiss Engineering D/A processors are widely known for their high quality, in both home-audio and pro-audio circles. Over several Stereophile reviews, they have always measured well. Oh, and did you know they'd won a Grammy Award? Weiss Engineering founder and chief designer Daniel Weiss won the 2021 Grammy Award for Technical Merit for his pioneering work during the '80s and '90s designing digital equipment for mastering studios.