ARCAM-irDAC

digital-to-analog converter

ARCAM is a British manufacturer of hifi equipment, which was previously known as Amplification & Recording Cambridge (abbreviated to A&R Cambridge Ltd.). The company was founded in 1976 by a group of students of science and engineering at the University of Cambridge (John Dawson and Chris Evans).

A&R's first proprietary product was the A60 integrated amplifier, launched in 1976, which became a classic at the time, offering rich, high-quality sound. A&R changed its name to ARCAM in the 1980s, and is widely known in the audiophile community for its highly regarded Alpha, Delta, FMJ, Solo and rSeries models. which includes rBlink and the irDAC reviewed below.

The outstanding performance presented by the outstanding irDAC can confidently compete not only in its price range. This inconspicuous and inexpensive analog-to-digital converter is able to beat even much more expensive devices. The design is based on a very low jitter asynchronous USB connection, the circuitry of which uses technology designed for the reference FMJ D33 analog-to-digital converter. The heart of the device is the proven and valued DAC chip from Burr Brown PCM-1796, which can play music in 24 bits at 192 kHz resolution. Burr Brown provides the irDAC with phenomenal performance and a high dynamic range of up to 112 dB with a THD of 0.002%. ARCAM's small housing is made of a metal cast slid over the base. The bottom of the base is covered with rubber, which isolates the housing from vibrations without the need for feet. At the top of the housing there is the ARCAM logo with the note of the device model (irDAC) under which there is a silver button that serves as a selector of signal inputs. Input selection information is provided by signed transparent LEDs that change their color (red standby mode / green operating mode).

On the back there are closely packed RCA, optical and coaxial inputs with a USB type A connector for receiving music from Apple iPad / iPod / iPhone devices. The converter connects to computers via a USB type B port, which is equipped with a class 1/2 selector switch. Class 1 reduces the data transfer rate to 24 Bit / 96 kHz, but effectively isolates the device from any interference, with increased Jitter without the need to install drivers. Class 2 delivers large amounts of data in asynchronous mode up to 24 Bit / 196 kHz with very low jitter but higher interference and requires drivers to be installed in the system for proper operation. The IrDAC uses two separate clocks, the Wolfson WM8805 chip is responsible for clocking the S/PDIF digital inputs, and the XMOS chip separately clocks the decoder and receiver of USB type A and B ports. device control. The converter uses the attached separate 12V 1.5A power supply and has a switch to activate the device on the back wall.

Sound

Arcam impresses with its sound capabilities from the very beginning. The sound is spacious with good body and positioning of the musicians on stage. The instruments have well-defined edges and present their timbres in a colorful and correct way. The IrDAC also provides a lot of power and energy in the bass, which, although it is slightly matted, does not differ in terms of dynamic capabilities from much more expensive converters. It may lack a bit of micro-detail, but the greater attack it introduces in the lower registers can bring more energy to music that sounds very convincing. The midrange is well tuned, the vocals have the right weight and body without losing subtle nuances, air and strength. Vocals have breath, scale and clear timbre, they sound very convincing and provide a lot of information that the artist presents. The highest band is slightly raised, which in muddy systems can be a medicine that will add life and introduce more details into the music. The treble is clear and sonorous with a tendency slightly towards brightness. After all, they cannot be accused of a lack of control over the cymbals, which quite legibly and briskly emphasize the accents in the music. Brass instruments also do not lack colors and many decays, and their brighter character can be improved by the appropriate selection of the interconnect. The Arcam irDAC was directly compared to the much more expensive RME ADI-2 DAC FS and did not differ much from it in every respect. It clearly presented the whole range, in which nothing was missing (looking at the price, it is certainly the upper shelf, which is hard to beat in this price range). There is one but, in dense materials of rock music the irDAC can get a bit lost, merging and sharpening the music, which becomes less juicy and colorful.

Conclusion

Paying attention to the class of the device, the ARCAM cannot be accused of wanting a rhythmic, well-balanced, rich in colorful timbre and having many reverberations to transmit great sound at a reasonable price. The lack of DSD support and the resolution limited to only 192 kHz may discourage many people interested in buying this wonderful DAC. Let's ask ourselves honestly how much music we have in our collection exceeding 192kHz, not to mention DSD. Is this small percentage worth investing in a converter that, despite the higher price, may not match the great sonic qualities presented by the irDAC.

Technical data

DAC: Burr-Brown / TI PCM 1796

Frequency response: 10Hz - 20kHz (+0 -0.2dB)

Harmonic Distortion + Noise: 0.002%

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 112 dB

Bit Depth: 16 / 24 Bit

Supported frequencies:

44.1kHz
48kHz
88.2kHz
96kHz
192kHz

Power: external 12V power supply

Dimensions: width 190mm / depth120mm / height 44mm

Libra: 1 kg

Compatibility: support for Apple devices via USB type A connector

Elaborated by: Łabędź Przemysław