Reference 040

About the Reference 040

The Concert Fidelity Reference DAC 040 is a high-end digital-to-analog converter that uses a Philips 16-bit multi-bit DAC chipset operating at 44.1kHz without any oversampling or digital filtering, delivering a pure and natural sound. It incorporates a vacuum tube output stage with two 12AU7 tubes for gain and one 6CA4 tube for rectification, housed in a hand-built silver-gray aluminum chassis. The DAC is notable for its open and deep soundstage, excellent layering, and analog-like presentation with vivid harmonic colors and superb instrumental timbres. It features a single S/PDIF digital input and one pair of single-ended RCA analog outputs. The DAC section is powered by an internal battery pack in the DAC-040BD version to keep the DAC chip warm, providing 8-10 hours of battery life between charges, but later NX upgrades removed the battery system. The design allows easy tube rolling via externally accessible tube sockets. Dimensions are approximately 17" wide, 3.9" high, and 12.5" deep, weighing about 16 pounds. The DAC is praised for its neutrality, fast transient response, and detailed yet natural bass, making it suitable for pairing with neutral preamplifiers. It is considered a musical and emotionally involving DAC that outperforms many modern 24-bit/192kHz DACs in musicality. The price for a used upgraded NX version is around including tubes and accessories.