Design features – Wyred 4 Sound DAC-1 LE User Manual
Page 4
Design Features
At Wyred 4 Sound, one of our goals is to bring cutting-edge technology to as many people as
possible. With that in mind, the affordable DAC-1 LE, with DSD processing capability, is here! There
are many contributions which make the DAC-1 LE an industry leading DAC. A big thanks goes out to
ESS for the implementation of the finest DAC chip on the market, the Sabre reference 9018 DAC. The
DAC-1 LE can process signals up to 32 bits in length, and 200 kHz in sampling frequency through the
coax digital inputs. Because of the limitations of Optical transmission, a maximum of 174.6 kHz has
proven to be reliable through the TOSLINK inputs. You will find that some optical inputs will operate
at rates up to 192 kHz, but is not guaranteed. The DAC-1 LE USB input will process signals up to 32 bit
in length, and sample rates up to 384 kHz PCM or 128x DSD. The heart and soul of the DAC-1 LE uses
the 8ch ESS chip in quad-differential mode meaning that there are actually 4 differential D-A
conversion circuits for each channel in parallel. This greatly helps achieve the spectacular S/N ratio
and output drive capability.
Each of the Coax inputs are transformer coupled to isolate the source while maintaining proper
loading. To ensure that the lowest input signal level will satisfy the digital conversion engine, the
signals also pass through TTL buffers to maintain consistent signal integrity. To simplify input
selection, the ESS chip is also used as the receiver chip and performs all the signal selection and
routing. Automatic signal up-sampling is done internally to keep output filtering to a minimum, and
is a crucial part of the jitter elimination. To ensure source immunity, the time domain jitter
elimination is executed as the signal enters the DAC chip by re-clocking to the desired rate selected
by the ESS chip.
With an oversized toroidal transformer, more than 115,000uF of capacitance, 3 stages of filtering
and 13 regulation points, the power-supply in the DAC-1 LE is surely overbuilt. The analog output
stages are powered by a separate power-supply to ensure isolation from the digital front-end.
House-keeping voltages also use separate supplies to guarantee minimal supply contamination. The
digital board is supplied with 7 out of the 13 dedicated regulators to ensure tight tolerances, and
consistent power delivery.
The best part of the DAC-1 LE is the proprietary discrete output stages which represent the
beginning of the analog generation. You will quickly find why W4S spent so much time developing
the cleanest, most transparent, and natural sounding output stage. Instead of choosing the simple path
like many others, we took the “dirt road” and it paid off big time. Our grain-free sound stage
WYRED 4 SOUND
DAC-1 LE v1
4235 Traffic Way
Atascadero, CA 93422
PH: 8054669973
FAX: 8054628962
©2014 WYRED 4 SOUND
All rights reserved.
Page 4 of 16