The DA10, is a stand alone stereo digital to analog converter. This half rack unit can receive AES or SPDIF digital audio on XLR, RCA and optical link.
The DA provides three Clock modes. The preferred modes are Crystal Mode and Narrow Lock Mode, but the unit also offers a Wide Lock Mode based on an internal Sample rate conversion for listening at non standard sampling rates.
The level of the analog outputs (balanced or unbalanced) is controlled by an up–down switch and a 2 digit display. The “potentiometer free” discrete analog attenuator provides up to 56dB very high precision volume control in 1 dB steps.
A state of the art discrete headphone driver is capable of accommodating at ease even the lowest impedance headphones. The unit includes a polarity switch, and a Stereo-Mono switch, a feature aimed at mastering studios.
The optical input of the DA10 can be connected directly to most current model Macintosh computers, including PowerBook laptops, and requires no addition interface. The requirement for this connection is that the computer must have a Digital Audio Output. This is in the form of a 3.5mm “combo jack” that outputs either a “wired” analog signal or an optical digital signal. The connection can be made using either a “Toslink to 3.5mm mini plug” interconnect or a “Toslink to Toslink” interconnect with a “Toslink to 3.5mm adapter” on the end that plugs into the computer.
*PLEASE NOTE: Do not use “earbuds” or any other type of headphones designed for use with portable battery-powered devices such as an MP3 player. The DA10 is not designed to work with this type of headphone. The headphone output is capable of much higher levels than a battery-powered device in order to properly drive typical HiFi headphones. Damage may occur to the portable device headphones if they are connected with the DA10 Volume control set to a higher setting.
