Aesthetix Pandora tube 24/192 DAC

Aesthetix's owner and cheif engineer Jim White was key designer/engineer of several legendary Theta Digital products back in the 1990s.  He then turned his passion to analog reproduction and created some of the best tube preamplifiers and phono stage of this decade.  Jim is now back to his roots by releasing two very promising digital audio products, The Pandora DAC and the Romulus CD player, promising analog sound from digital music.  The gorgeous Pandora tube DAC can do 24/192 (via flagship Burr-Brown PCM1792) with asynchronous USB input licensed from Wavelength.  Digital filter is proprietary using a separate DSP chip.  The tube output stage is no negative feedback with fully balanced configuration.  Judging from their electronics and analog reputation, these units are likely to sound stunning!

Pandora DAC's features:

• Card-based DAC with three digital input slots.
• AES/EBU, RCA Coax, Toslink standard on digital input 1 slot.
• USB standard on digital input 2 slot.
• USB capable of class 1 audio (96KHz, 24bit) and class 2 audio (192KHz, 24bit).
• 2nd USB input optional.
• Asynchronous transfer mode for USB input, licensed from Gordon Rankin / Wavelength Technologies.
• Asynchronous transfer mode allows for jitter levels over a hundred times lower than previous USB solutions.
• DSP based digital section using Motorola DSP56362 for digital filters.
• DAC section based on Burr-Brown PCM1792A.
• Analog section featuring four vacuum tubes in differential configuration.
• Zero global feedback.
• Balanced and single-ended outputs.
• Volume control optional, allows DAC to drive a power amplifier directly. Switched resistor design.
• Remote control of all functions.
• Multiple stainless steel Faraday cages isolate critical digital, analog and power supply sections.
• Two transformers, one for digital circuits and one for analog circuits.
• All aluminum chassis construction.
• RS232 control.
• 12v trigger.
• Unit Weight: 35 Lbs
• Dimensions: 18" width x 4 3/8" height x 18" depth
• US$5,000