Merging proudly announces immediate availability of a new version of DA8/DA8P module for Horus and Hapi

The original design of our 8-channel DA converter board has been a great tool in setting a standard for critical listening and monitoring for all our users, and its design hasn’t seen the need for major changes for the past 7 years. We felt that now was the time to replace the DA converter chip from ESS with their latest offering, which means the new production Run 11 is now incorporating the ES9028PRO instead of the former ES9008.

This latest change allows our users to benefit from even more impressive specs with typical Dynamic Range of 125 dB (> 127 dB A-weighted) and THD+N in excess of – 116 dB (this latest number being actually close to the measurement limit of our Audio Precision equipment maxing at 118 dB THD+N).

While the above improvements of 1.5 to 2 dBs over the first generation won’t hurt, the design has also incorporated new refinements by adding local Low Phase Noise Oscillator circuitry to further improve the absolute transparency and stereo image of an Analog signal, essentially void of both jitter and wander.

The new product codes for Standard and Premium versions are respectively:

• IOM-H-DA8 – Horus/Hapi 8 channel Line Output D/A module, up to 192 kHz
• IOM-H-DA8P – Horus/Hapi 8 channel Line Output D/A module, DSD/DXD Premium

The new DA8 module offers a 1 dB higher Analog output level than previous generation. If both generation products are used simultaneously, we advise to simply attenuate by 1 dB the output level of the new cards for similar level.