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#Meridian explorer dac chip software#
The CS4353 has a maximum sample resolution of 192KHz and a 24-bit bit depth, so it can play maximum quality PCM audio files, assuming or software that can play them, such as Jriver or Foobar 2000. The CS4353 is by far the most capable Cirrus Logic DAC chip we've encountered, and frequently appears in high-quality amp units and CD players from premium manufacturers such as Marantz. It contains a lot of audio hardware used in Meridian’s hugely expensive 800 series, and also has an asynchronous USB connection, high-end capacitors, an XMOS L2 DSP chip and a Cirrus Logic Crystal Semiconductor CS4353 DAC chip. It's also far more expensive than most other compact USB DACs. The Director's audio quality is unquestionably excellent, although you'll need a good set of speakers to appreciate it at its best. We could pick out individual instruments with ease from the most complex tracks, while the resonant interplay of vocal harmonies in Coope, Boyes and Simpson's Jerusalem Revisited was reproduced with spine-tingling accuracy. All our standard reference tracks, from the rich synths of Pendulum to the crowded guitar-driven soundscapes of Coldworld's Tortured by Solitude, were rendered with perfect clarity and precision. In general, the DAC has a beautifully balanced audio profile that makes the most of any decent-quality recording. Subjectively, it has a slightly warmer tone and broader soundstage, which become most noticeable in orchestral recordings such as Holst's Jupiter, recorded by Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker. Even with high-resolution tracks, you're going to hit the quality limits of even high-end speakers, such as our reference Kef X300A speakers, before you can distinguish the Director from other high-quality DACs.
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In comparative tests against Meridian's Explorer DAC and the Arcam rPAC, both of which are incredibly high-quality audio sources, the Director produced only the slightest perceptible improvement in subjective sound quality when listening to standard CD-quality (44.1KHz, 16-bit) lossy MP3 and lossless FLAC audio recordings. During our tests, we connected the DAC to the analogue input of our reference Kef X300A speakers.