NEW MERASON DAC1 Mkll. Swiss Precision. Playback Perfection.
Now at True Audiophile
We have scoured the world looking for a entry DAC in price but not in performance. Of all places we found it in Switzerland. Switzerland? Land of insanely fanatical engineering and fabulously expensive gear? Well. They did it with the Frerot and the ultimate Merason: the DAC1. These are, ok we're going to say it, Killer DACs. They're smooth and musical and more analog than digital.....Mini review by True Audiophile
From our Reviewer: One of the most refined and enjoyable DACS I have heard. It has a gorgeous non-fatiguing sound that I would describe as elegant. It throws a wide and deep soundstage that is impressively 3 dimensional. My only wish was that it played DSD formats. -- TA
NOTE: New images are coming soon for the all new Mkll version. Explanation of the updates as well.
The Ear - Editors Choice
"Under these circumstances the intoxicating immediacy of the Merason can be quite addictive, it does what few digital components do, strips away the polish and lets you hear the real meat of the music. Talk Talk’s Myrrhman has a mesmerising intensity that’s created with immense restraint and poise, you can’t hear the days and nights of studio time it took to make but you do feel a nervous energy that few converters bring home. The muscularity and depth of the bass is pretty gorgeous too."
Read full Review here
The task of every MERASON product is to transmit the emotions directly - from artist to listener”
Daniel Frauchiger
HIFISTATEMENT
Anyone who owns a Merason DAC can confidently say to anyone who boasts of the latest technologies in digital-to-analog conversion:
"You're perfectly entitled to your opinion ... I hear music"
by WOLFGANG KEMPER | MAY 28, 2019
Part-Time Audiophile
There are lots of excellent sounding DACs in this price territory. With an MSRP of $5,000, it’s my opinion the Merason DAC-1 is a serious contender for best DAC at any price. Sonically, it competes toe to toe with the high priced big boys. 5K is not exactly loose change but I’d still be impressed even if the DAC-1 was substantially more expensive.
What you get is a product that seems to be built for the audiophile that is primarily interested in performance and doesn’t require a lot of fancy features or gold-plated-with-a-screen visuals. I kind of missed a readout indicating sample rate, but whatever. Not a deal-breaker for me. Neither is a lack of DSD or MQA capability. And there are no user-selectable filter choices to mess with my head. Remote? Nope. The Swiss DAC that is NOT the Swiss Army Knife of DACs. And proud of it. Imagine that.
by Dave McNair. Read the full review here.
HiFi News:
Hi-Fi News Verdict
The richness of the sound won't be to every taste, but it's never cloying or overplayed: instead, Merason's DAC1 backs up its smoothness with power and unforced detail to consistently appealing musical effect. True, the limited format handling may rule the DAC1 out for some – it takes a stand against digital expansionism! – but its singularity of purpose pays off in a sound as appealing as it is easy to enjoy.
Read the
Read the Full Review Here
Made in Switzerland
[[[specification_start]]]
Output: max. 3 V RMS (balanced), max. 1.5 V RMS (unbalanced)
Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 0.2 dB
THD+N: < 0.012 %
SNR: > 120 dB
DAC: Twice BurrBrown 1794A, discrete I/V stage
Power Supply: 120V AC / 50 to 60 Hz, 30 W
Operation:
Ambient temperature 10°C to 30°C. Humidity max. 80 %, non-condensing.
During operation, the device heats up by approx. 20 K compared to the ambient temperature.
Input format:
44.1 kHz@16 bit, 44.1 kHz@24 bit. 48 kHz@16 bit, 48 kHz@24 bit. 88.2 kHz@24 bit.
96 kHz@24 bit. 176.4 kHz@24 bit (USB). 192 kHz@24 bit.
Dimensions:
Width: Height: 4"; Depth: 11.4" ; Width 18", Weight: 18lb
[[[specification_end]]]