Audio Research DACs apply the company's decades of vacuum tube expertise to digital-to-analog conversion, bridging the world of high-resolution digital sources with the warmth and dimensionality that defines their analog electronics. While many manufacturers chase laboratory specifications, Audio Research focuses on musical engagement, using tube output stages to deliver digital sources with the natural decay, harmonic richness, and three-dimensional presence that draws listeners into the music rather than analyzing it. The result is digital playback that rivals the best analog sources in terms of musical involvement and long-term listening satisfaction.
The DAC 9 represents Audio Research's current approach to digital conversion, featuring a carefully implemented tube analog output stage that transforms PCM and DSD sources into a presentation worthy of their finest amplification. With comprehensive connectivity including USB, optical, and coaxial digital inputs, the DAC 9 serves as the digital hub for a high-end system, providing the distinctive Audio Research house sound regardless of source format or resolution. Built in Minnesota to the same standards as their legendary amplifiers, the DAC 9 brings tube-based musicality to the digital domain.
