Audio Horizons
Superior performance. Clearly.

Simple?  No.
Exotic? No.
Classic? Yes.

Clean and Elegant

The Audio Horizons DAC-2 is a high end DAC boasting specifications found only in DACs costing a good deal more, such as razor straight linear frequency from 20Hz to 20kHz, THD guaranteed not to exceed 0.0035% from 20Hz to 20kHz, dynamic range of 105 db, signal to noise guaranteed to be in excess of 110 db, A weighted, and channel separation better than 110 db at 1kHz and 105 db at 10kHz.  Individual DAC specifications come with each unit, and units typically exceed these specifications, and some by a good bit.  

In Spring 2005, Audio Horizons will introduce two superb new products: a tube DAC, even finer than the already superb DAC-2, the DAC 6922, and a superb low noise, low distortion tube preamp with separate power supply, the SPS 4.

We invite you to compare our confirmed specifications with those published by other DAC manufacturers.  Then we invite you to audition the DAC-2.

A number of impressive design features in the Audio Horizons DAC-2 contribute to its sterling performance.  They include:

  • A line filter after the AC power input.  At 80db, this is the most effective filter on the market, and it insures that AC noise is virtually eliminated before it ever reaches the power supply.
  • The power supply uses a 10 times larger VA than needed in order to insure a stable soundstage.
  • C coupling transformers and separate digital and analog power supplies reduce interference between the digital and analog sections.
  • Two stages of regulation in the digital supply interface lower the impedance and provide better isolation, which results in quieter digital noise levels.
  • Blackgate coupling capacitors are used to bridge the digital and analog section.
  • The use of a low ESR capacitor bank, with an extremely high 8,800 uf of storage in the analog section, provides extra reserves when sudden dynamic demands are made on the DAC.
  • In addition, the use of a push-pull analog section increases the system’s dynamic range and responsiveness, thereby producing a punchier sound.
  • The absence of a built-in clock circuit reduces digital intermodulation and lowers the noise floor to produce a very quiet DAC even by DAC standards, one with extremely high signal-to-noise.
  • The circuit design reduces jitter to a minimum by using the shortest digital signal path possible.
  • The low output resistance and capacitance design permits the use of long interconnects with minimal sonic degradation.
  • All inner wiring uses Teflon silver coated wiring to provide optimum performance for many years, and to protect the DAC for those who live in environments with high humidity. 
  • Instead of an inexpensive Toslink, the DAC-2 uses  as standard equipment a close tolerance ST optical digital connection in addition to coaxial for those who have a transport with a quality ST optical connection in order to further isolate ground loop noise from the transport.
  • In addition, the DAC-2a boast two premium line output transformers to remove the ground from the signal path and to provide us with many of the advantages of balanced outputs.

The Audio Horizons DAC-2 is a high end DAC boasting specifications found only in DACs costing a good deal more, such as razor straight linear frequency from 20Hz to 20kHz, THD guaranteed not to exceed 0.0035% from 20Hz to 20kHz, dynamic range of 105 db, signal to noise guaranteed to be in excess of 110 db, A weighted, and channel separation better than 110 db at 1kHz and 105 db at 10kHz.  Individual DAC specifications come with each unit, and units typically exceed these specifications, and some by a good bit.  

The DAC-2a  has the same superior specifications but with even further enhanced performance by virtue of adding line output balancing transformers to solve the ground loop problem.

In Spring 2005, Audio Horizons will introduce two superb new products: a tube DAC, even finer than the already superb DAC-2 and 2a, the DAC 6922, and a superb low noise, low distortion tube preamp with separate power supply, the SPS 4.

Specifications

Current Pricing
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