R8

About the R8

The Audio-gd R-8 is a high-performance balanced discrete R-2R DAC equipped with advanced high-speed ladder correction, optimized FPGA FIFO buffering, and re-clocking. It uses two high-performance temperature-compensated crystal oscillators (TCXOs) for 44.1kHz and 48kHz sampling ranges. The analog output stage is fully discrete, DC-coupled, and uses matched-transistor output stages operating in pure class A without negative feedback, ensuring a natural and detailed sound. The DAC supports PCM signals with built-in 2X, 4X, and 8X oversampling and digital filters, plus four true NOS modes with analog 6dB filtering. It natively supports DSD64 to DSD512 and DxD formats without converting DSD to PCM, processing DSD via a separate converter path. Inputs include AES/EBU, coaxial SPDIF, optical TOSLink, I2S on HDMI, and USB via an Amanero USB Class 2 chipset. Outputs include RCA, XLR, and proprietary balanced ACSS outputs. The R-8 is highly configurable with firmware updates via USB Blaster, allowing features like TDA1541 emulation and multiple NOS/OS options. The unit weighs approximately 12 kg, has a 100% aluminum housing, and dimensions of 430 x 445 x 80 mm. Power consumption is about 40W at 220-240V AC. The DAC is known for its musicality, detailed soundstage, and ability to emulate various tonal characteristics through selectable modes. It is a derivative of the more expensive R7 model but uses a single buffer for all outputs, limiting simultaneous use of cinch and XLR outputs. The R-8 MK3 version adds further improvements including multiple discrete DSD decoders, FPGA and CPLD integration for jitter suppression, and a vinyl simulation mode.