Monday, March 18, 2024
e22 Mark II DAC Overview
exaSound designs and manufacturers audio electronics that help consumers detangle and simply play all of your computer music formats. Based on ESS Technology’s original premium ES9018S Classic SABRE32 Reference integrated circuit, the e22 Mark II is exaSound’s benchmark two channel offering. The e22 is designed to not only natively support currently available music files, but also formats that have yet to be released. ENclusiv™ comprehensive sample rate support includes audio data up to DSD256 (DSD4), along with PCM files sampled at up to 384 kHz at 32 bits. exaSound pioneered delivery of DSD4, the highest DSD sample rate commercially available.

New e22 Mark II features include auto–power up after sleep and user adjustable power down after inactivityl, a maximum volume limiter when the output of the DAC is used to directly drive a power amplifier, and MP3Safe™ software protection against clipping caused by faulty or erroneous signal processing and data manipulation. The limiter allows the e22 to directly drive a power amplifier while protecting your loudspeakers from damaging overloads. MP3Safe analyzes incoming musical information, and safeguards against poorly formed data words caused by errors in lossy encoding and digital signal processing. MP3Safe takes the crunch out of your lower resolution music.

In addition to standard firmware and driver components, the Mark II hardware also has new features added. These include a redesigned, more substantial and deeply sculpted front escutcheon, and the ability to extinguish the display light via the e22’s included IR remote for no visual distractions while listening.

STANDARD IN QUALITY
TOur flagship model, the e22 is a third generation DSD256 DAC. It offers the highest digital audio resolution available on the market today. e22 has vanishingly low distortion and noise levels, and astonishingly clean analog-like sound. Time–smearing jitter, that killer of realistic temporal reproduction, has been pushed down to miraculously low levels via the ZeroJitter™ asynchronous USB interface.

The 8 channel, 32 bit ESS SABRE9018S is configured in the e22 as a stereo converter, with four internal DAC channels per stereo side. By utilizing the channels in a parallel topology, conversion monotonicity is improved which further reduces noise.

Our e22 DAC features the exclusive FemtoMaster™ 82 femtosecond clock for super–low distortion, a reference headphone amplifier that’s twice as powerful as what you’d typically find and able to drive even difficult planar magnetic headphones, heavy duty passivated European RCA connectors, American engineered passivated Amphenol XLRs, and a 12V trigger output for amplifier sequencing and automation.

INNOVATIVE DESIGN »« AFFORDABLE PERFECTION
The difference is obvious from your very first listen, even with an ordinary Compact Disc. The e22 DAC offers a very neutral presentation, and the more resolving your system, the better it can perform. With very high quality HRA studio masters, you will hear the music literally as it was recorded, with nothing added and nothing taken away.

 

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Sample Rates: ENclusiv™ comprehensive sample rate support
    • DSD: 2.8224 or 3.072 MHz
    • DSD2: 5.6448 or 6.144 MHz
    • DSD4: 11.2896 or 12.288 MHz
    • LPCM/DXD: 44.1kHz to 384kHz at 32 bits maximum sampling rate
    • Native support for 88.2, 176.4 & (DXD) 352.8kHz master files
  • Converter Core: ESS Technologies 9018S Classic SABRE32 reference monolythic 8 channel DAC configured for stereo
  • USB Input: Proprietary ZeroJitter™ asynchronous USB interface with error correction on classic B–Type connector, USB cable included
  • Host Support: Custom, high performance Mac OS & Windows ASIO drivers; MAC Core Audio drivers with DoP256 support
  • Player Application Support: Automatic sampling rate switching, software upsampling up to 384 kHz PCM and DSD4
  • Clock: FemtoMaster™ super–low jitter 0.082ps (82fs) master clock with jitter minimization utilizing 3 three precision oscillators
  • Power Conditioning: 11 linear power filtering stages
  • Host Noise Rejection: Galvanic isolation between the USB subsystem and the DAC circuitry eliminates ground loop noise and blocks computer–generated interference
  • Headphone Output: Third generation headphone amplifier, 4W into 16Ω doubles the current output to drive low impedance and low sensitivity headphones
  • Digital Inputs: Two S/PDIF inputs provide jitter reduction and superb D/A conversion when used with CD transports
  • Analog Outputs: Simultaneously driven, gold–plated balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA line outputs
  • Power Management: 12V Trigger output
  • Remote Control: Included 7 button remote, the e22 can be easily programmed to work with most IR remotes

 ASIO is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH


e22 DAC