The AudioNemesis offers grain-free smoothness and a beautiful midrange which makes it easy to relax into the music. The sound doesn't suffer from any digital brightness or hardness. Voices exhibited a delicious, full- bodied glow without any trace of edge or unnatural sibilance. But don't assume that it is slow or undynamic sounding The AudioNemesis creates a blacker background thus allowing for more pronounced dynamic swings between soft and loud. This really is a DAC with a different sound.

AudioNemesis DC-1
d/a converter


We believe that audio circuits must be designed without feedback.
So, the analogue output stage of DC-1 is zero-feedback, all discrete with top active and passive parts: Toshiba, Dale, ERO. Everything has been chosen for the music only.
This is why the DC-1 has a lower than standard voltage output: we reduced the output stage to it's minimum to increase the music to it's maximum. The digital section has a very short audio path which also helps to reduce noise.
The S/PDIF input (RCA) has a digital transformer made by Scientific Conversion. An expensive choice but very important for the music.

We have chosen the zero-oversampling technique, rich of music and perfect for this class of product. We believe that less is better and our long experience in digital up-grade has taught us that we must avoid jitter related to sound signal in all possible ways and in any design, also in zero-oversampling ones. So, we designed a re-clocking circuit, using a high performance oscillator.

Due to the choice of zero-oversampling, the D/A converter is important and we didn't use a common one but a multi-bit type.

The power transformer of the DC-1 has one secondary for the digital section and one for the analogue, and it is made with a top quality core, usually used in audio output-transformers. In order to improve ESR, many low value electrolytic capacitors have been used in place of one or two with high value ones.

Six shunt-regulated power supplies can be found in the DC-1. Shunt regulation is expensive, rare and very good sounding. It's difficult to find this technique even in high cost products.

We reduced the noise coming from the power supply in many different ways. It's very important to have clean, pure and fast power supplies. To improve the performance even further we included a custom mains filter from the Italian company Systems&Magic .


Specifications: (may change without notice)

• multi-bit D/A converter
• zero oversampling, zero feedback all discrete output stag
• inside reclocking circuit
• low jitter sound
• high quality parts
• Scientific Conversion input digital transformer
• very short signal path (digital and analogue)
• 6 shunt regulated power supplies
• very large use of HDG to stop any vibration
• custom Black Noise mains filtering (by Systems & Magic)
• 75 ohm S/PDIF digital input
• RCA stereo output
• power 230-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 7 VA
• dimensions (w x h x d) 230 x 80 x 330 mm
• made in Italy




Non-oversampling Concept
Read how it all started:
Ryohei Kusunoki Non-oversampling Digital filter-less DAC Concept

Positive Feedback online issue 26

To sum up: Is the AudioNemesis DC-1 DAC an honestly worthwhile upgrade? In a word: yes. It is exactly the kind of upgrade that Rotel kindly provided for with its digital output.



TNT audio October 2005

Magicians, oops, units of this level are very hard to meet at these prices, these days, so, if you think it is the case to upgrade your CD player, definitely try to listen to it. Its voice is rather special, but I think many of you will like it.



High-Fidelity.pl

The AudioNemesis DC-1 was awarded Digital Product of the year 2005 by the online magazine Highfidelity.pl