Description
“You should make a note of the name DA5. The new D/A converter of the well known Japanese manufacturer CEC makes an excellent all-round impression. It scores with inner values, such as the built-in exception-DAC chip ES9018K2M and can function with its innovative volume control and the headphone amplifier as the heart of a high quality audio system.
The new CEC DA5 has therefore the stuff to be the heart of a modern audio system. You can not only enjoy the music from the CD drive through it, but also from a Music Streamer or a PC – and at the highest resolution level DSD 256/11.2MHz. But that‘s not all. The CEC DA5 has a newly developed digital volume control, which can adjust the analogue volume level in extremely fine increments from -99 dB to 0 dB. This is not only useful because the D/A converter acts as a headphone amplifier, but also because it can be used just as well as a preamplifier. The CEC DA5 is easily connected to a power amp or powered speakers – and the high quality audio system is ready to go! The new CEC DA5 is simply a very strong statement in digital playback.“ (Hifi Stars – 2016)
The conversion from digital to analogue signal is performed by the ESS Hyper stream DAC chip ES9018K2M compatible with 32bit – 384kHz PCM and 11.2MHz – DSD 256. Exceptional channel separation and wide dynamic range result in reproducing music with unbelievable breath and depth of sound stage. CEC DA5 offers two different digital filters. “FLAT”, a standard filter with super linear frequency response to 20kHz, and “PULSE”, a ringing-free pulse-optimized filter with a softer roll-off below 20kHz.
Digital Inputs: SPDIF: Balanced type AES/EBU, Coaxial and Toslink are compatible with 24bit/192kHz. USB: PCM32bit/384kHz and Native reproduction of DSD256/11.2MHz are available.
Both conventional type RCA and balanced type XLR output connections are available. We recommend the balanced connection to make CEC DA 5 balanced circuit superiority perform at its finest.
Incorporating it’s high performance headphones amplifier circuit the CEC DA5 can be used even as an audiophile headphone amplifier.
Digital volume control can adjust the analog output level at the digital domain. Adjustments from -99dB up to 0dB without deteriorating sound quality are possible. You may even connect directly to a power amplifier and/or active loudspeakers, and adjustments are done via remote control. Once output level has been set it is memorized even after power is off. LED monitor indicates the input status, input sampling frequency and filter condition. You may select the light condition out of three steps of brightness according to your listening condition.
Test reports in international magazines as well as the testimony of our satisfied customers worldwide confirm that we have achieved our musical objective: music reproduction on its highest level.
News
The TL5 and the DA5 are in the Part Time Audiophile “The Best Digital Players | Buyers Guide Summer 2022” and received the Reviewer’s Choice award.
Reviews
Marc Phillips, Part Time Audiophile 6/11/2022
“The CEC DA5 DAC and matching TL-5 transport represent my new favorite thing in the world of high-end audio—a product that makes you rethink how you want to proceed in this hobby. …. Here’s a tip—people are still into playing CDs. And the CEC TL-5, mated to the CEC DAC5, took my CD collection to a whole new level of listenability. If I had the CEC combo in my home, I would stop worrying about what I’m going to do with all these CDs everywhere.”
“…You should make a note of the name DA 5. The new D/A converter of the well known Japanese manufacturer CEC makes an excellent all-round impression, it scores with inner values, such as the built-in exception-DAC chip ESS ES9018K2M and can function with its innovative volume control and the headphone amplifier as the heart of a high quality audio system. The new CEC DA5 is simply a very strong statement in digital playback.” Review from HIFI STARS – 2016
