EAR | Products by Tim de Paravicini
Source Components | Tube Electronics | Solid-State Electronics | Primary Drive Loudspeakers
EAR Classic Compact Disc Player
The EAR Acute Classic is Tim de Paravicini’s latest CD player. The original Acute employed the excellent Wolfson, 24/96 upsampling DAC. The Acute Classic employs the latest Wolfson DAC, which upsamples to 24/192. The Acute Classic also offers digital inputs—S/PDIF, Toslink, and USB. Everything beyond the DAC is of Tim de Paravicini's design, including the filters and the output stage. One thing that makes the player unusual is the fact that the filters are analog, not digital. Another is the transformer-coupled tube output stage. A third is the fact that it has enough gain to drive a power amplifier directly, with the front-panel volume control (also analog). The Acute Classic CD player offers both true balanced and single-ended analog outputs.
EAR DAC 4 Currently unavailable
The EAR DAC 4 accepts up to 24-bit/192kHz digital signals from USB, coaxial S/PDIF, and Toslink S/PDIF inputs, and upsamples all signals less than 24/192 to 24/192. Upon D-to-A conversion, the signal is passed to analog filters of Tim de Paravicini’s design. The output stage is a transformer-coupled vacuum tube circuit that offers both unbalanced or true floating balanced outputs. The EAR DAC 4 can directly drive any power amplifier, with an analog volume control that can be controlled by remote handset.
EAR | Products by Tim de Paravicini
Source Components | Tube Electronics | Solid-State Electronics | Primary Drive Loudspeakers