Audiolab D9 DAC
D9: Continuing the M-DAC’s legacy
A key part of the M-DAC’s success was the use of ESS Technology’s then new and groundbreaking 32-bit Sabre DAC technology. The ES9018 Reference DAC chip was introduced in 2009, and the M-DAC was one of the very first DAC components to use it.
When the M-DAC arrived in 2011, it proved to be a revelation – not just owing to this innovative chipset but also because of the circuitry Audiolab designed around it. This ensured it made the most of the ES9018 Reference’s attributes whilst eliminating the deleterious effects of sub-optimal implementation.
The range of Sabre DAC chipsets has since expanded and is now widely used by audio manufacturers, but these chips remain challenging to implement to achieve optimal performance. While they are capable of excellent resolution, products that use them can sound sterile if appropriate care is not taken with the accompanying circuitry. Audiolab has more experience in working with these chips than any other manufacturer, from the original M-DAC onwards, giving the company a significant advantage.
Impeccable design, superior performance
The premium-level D9 raises the quality bar still further in every respect – build quality, facilities and, of course, sonic performance. Its affiliation with Audiolab’s flagship 9000 Series hi-fi components is clear from the outset, with its crisply designed exterior and eye-catching colour display. Technically, the D9 bears close comparison with Audiolab’s 9000N
D9: Impeccable design, superior performance
The premium-level D9 raises the quality bar still further in every respect – build quality, facilities and, of course, sonic performance. Its affiliation with Audiolab’s flagship 9000 Series hi-fi components is clear from the outset, with its crisply designed exterior and eye-catching colour display.
Technically, the D9 bears close comparison with Audiolab’s 9000N music streamer (£2500), shorn of the onboard network streaming functionality but with everything else intact (plus Bluetooth added). At its heart lies the ES9038PRO – a pre-eminent DAC chip from the top tier of ESS Technology’s current range.
While the ES9038Q2M used in the D7 is a two-channel chip, the ‘PRO’ version’s architecture incorporates eight channels. The D9 utilises all eight of these to deliver a balanced stereo signal – four for the left and four for the right – realising further benefits in the eradication of noise and distortion. This combines with proprietary Audiolab circuitry including an ultra-precision master clock and Class A post-DAC filter to deliver remarkable sonic clarity and breathtaking dynamics.
Every significant hi-res and lossless audio format is catered for, including FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, APE and WAV, as well as compressed legacy formats, alongside full MQA decoding. The same user-selectable upsampling and digital filter settings are provided, enabling the listener to tune the sound to suit the source material, and the D9 also has Roon Tested certification.
The D9’s audio circuitry is significantly elevated, as befits its premium status. The post-DAC analogue circuitry incorporates top-grade components and a differential balanced architecture for maximum signal purity. An expertly engineered linear power supply incorporates a 40VA toroidal transformer, delivering clean, consistent power to all the sensitive parts of the digital and analogue stages.
Multiple discrete ultra-low-noise regulators provide power separately to the left and right channels for each stage of the digital-to-analogue conversion process – a sophisticated topology born from Audiolab’s experience of working with ESS Technology’s reference-class Sabre DAC chips.
The D9’s connectivity array adds an AES3/EBU digital input to the D7’s complement of asynchronous USB-B, USB-A, two optical and two coaxial inputs. The D9’s Bluetooth implementation adds support for Sony’s LDAC high-definition format, alongside aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, regular aptX, AAC and SBC. Output options mirror the D7: balanced XLR and single-ended RCA (fixed and variable), plus optical and coaxial digital outputs, a 6.3mm headphone socket and a pair of 12V trigger outs.
Solidly built and impeccably finished, the D9’s crisp lines are complemented by two rotary controls and a left-aligned 2.8in colour screen, mirroring Audiolab’s top-tier, full-width 9000 Series components but in a more compact form. The screen displays a variety of information including volume level, input selection, track information and format data. Various other options include a VU-style meter showing real-time decibel levels; the display can also be simplified, dimmed or turned off completely, as the user prefers.