Linn Numerik, Hi-Performance DAC

Linn Products Ltd UK has probably won every audio-related award for every audio-related category ever conceived in its nearly 50 year history.  Speakers, turntables, amplifiers, active crossovers, DACs, music systems, and even a specialty record label are all created with utmost precision in Linn's Glasgow factory.  The company has been around so long because they simply know how to stay relevant and excel at doing it. 

Case-in-point: The Numerik DAC looks simple on the outside, but hides a ton of electronic wizardry on the inside to produce some amazing music. At its core, the Numerik leverages dual Burr-Brown PCM63P 20-bit "Sign-Magnitude" monolithic digital-to-analog converters combined with a BurrBrown DF1700 digital filter with 8x oversampling. Designed primarily for standard-resolution red-book formats, the Numerik accommodates sampling frequencies of 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz. 

Housed in a compact, fully-screened low-noise chassis measuring, the Numerik provides simple connectivity designed to defeat timing inaccuracies and ensure reliability. Digital data is accepted via two 75-ohm BNC S/PDIF inputs, which automatically detect incoming sample rates with a lock range of ±150 ppm.

Decoded analog audio is fed through two pairs of gold-plated RCA phono outputs supplying a 2.1V rms peak signal, all backed by an efficient internal power supply—later upgraded to Linn's switching Brilliant Slimline technology—to preserve an extraordinarily clean, liquid audio stage.

The Numerik is a serious performer, hiding in a compact and simplistic package.  It's real treat to use and to listen to.   Demos are encouraged in Andover, MA.

$499 (plus applicable shipping and/or MA sales tax)