Extraudio Extraudio DAC1 MKII (Dual R2R) – New High-End R2R Ladder DAC, Discrete Class A Output, Modular Design, 3-Year Warranty

Extraudio DAC1 MKII (Dual R2R) — New High-End Digital-to-Analog Converter

Brand new unit, sold with a full 3-year manufacturer warranty from the date of purchase.

The Extraudio DAC1 MKII takes a deliberately unconventional approach to digital-to-analog conversion: instead of a standard off-the-shelf Delta-Sigma DAC chip, it uses a proprietary discrete R2R resistor-ladder architecture — around 600 ultra-precision Vishay Foil Resistors (0.01% tolerance), corrected via a dedicated FPGA, with a 28-32 bit resistor ladder depth. The goal is a conversion that sounds less "digital" and more organic, dense and analog-like, with real texture and a natural sense of space.

Key specifications:

Proprietary R2R ladder DAC topology with FPGA-based linearity correction
Discrete, pure Class A output stage
Dual-mono / quad power supply design: two custom medical-grade toroidal transformers made exclusively for Extraudio in the Netherlands, 4 separate power rails, 45,000 µF parallel capacitor bank, 14 Schottky diodes for ultra-quiet rectification
Frequency response: 5 Hz – 180 kHz, ±0.1 dB
Signal-to-noise ratio > 132 dB (20 kHz bandwidth), jitter as low as 0.3 pS RMS typical
Fully modular design — key digital modules (USB, I²S/Bluetooth) can be swapped and upgraded in the future, so the DAC never becomes technologically obsolete
Extensive connectivity: RCA & BNC SPDIF, XLR AES/EBU, optical, removable USB 2.0 input, plus a proprietary I²S module (RJ45 and HDMI, with a 10-position rotary selector) and Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD
Handles up to 24-bit/768 kHz PCM and DSD512 via USB/I²S
Balanced XLR output (4.6 V / 3 Ω) and unbalanced RCA output (2.3 V / 50 Ω)
Solid aircraft-grade aluminium front panel, hand-soldered internally in Europe with a high-silver-content alloy

Frequently asked questions
What makes an R2R DAC different from a conventional (Delta-Sigma) DAC? An R2R ladder DAC reconstructs the signal directly through a network of precision resistors rather than through noise-shaping algorithms, aiming for a denser, more direct and more analog-sounding conversion.
Can the DAC1 MKII be upgraded later? Yes — its digital input modules (USB, I²S/Bluetooth) are designed to be swapped out, so you can keep the same DAC as digital standards evolve.
Does it need an external preamplifier? This depends on your system and whether you need volume control ahead of your power amplifier — in most high-end setups, pairing it with a dedicated preamplifier gives more control and dynamic headroom.
Is the Bluetooth input true high-resolution? It supports Bluetooth 5.0 aptX HD, delivering meaningfully higher resolution than a standard CD-quality stream, for convenient wireless streaming from phones, laptops or NAS devices.
Can I listen to it before buying? Yes, an in-person audition with your own source, preamp/amp and speakers is the best way to judge how it fits your system.

Sold by SON HD SALON PRIVÉ, independent high-end HiFi specialist near Paris (Colombes, France). Full details and photos: https://sonhdsalonprive.fr/dac-1-mkii-r-2r/
Contact: contact@sonhdsalonprive.fr / +33 6 19 45 95 48