NuPrime DAC-10 Digital to Analog Converter - Black

A DAC That Can Run the Whole Front End

The NuPrime DAC-10 is a converter with a genuine preamplifier built around it. Five digital inputs and two analog inputs feed it, and the outputs can drive a power amplifier directly. For a lot of systems that removes a box, an interconnect and a power lead.

Volume is where the money went. A precision stepped thin-film resistor ladder gives 99 steps of half a decibel each, with a single resistor in the signal path at any setting. That is preamplifier engineering, not a chip doing volume as an afterthought.

Two Gain Settings, So Nothing Is Stranded

The RCA outputs give 2V on low gain and 4V on high. The balanced XLR pair doubles that, at 4V and 8V. Match the setting to your power amplifier and the volume control ends up working in its comfortable middle rather than at either extreme.

Formats are not the constraint either. The USB input handles PCM to 384kHz and DSD to DSD256, so hi-res downloads and the top streaming tiers arrive without being reduced first.

Where the DAC-10 Sits in the Range

This is the model for people running speakers rather than headphones. It is the same design as NuPrime's DAC-10H, minus that model's balanced headphone amplifier, so none of the budget goes to a stage you would not use.

Every Input Gets Its Own Level

Input levels are individually adjustable, which matters more than it sounds. A television that runs hot and a turntable stage that runs quiet can share the same system without you reaching for the remote every time the source changes.

Full microprocessor control with memory retention means the DAC-10 comes back exactly as you left it. Same input, same level, same gain setting, every time you switch it on, with nothing to reset after a power cut.

Who Is This DAC Best For?

• You want to delete the preamplifier — a resistor-ladder volume control and 8V balanced output drive a power amp directly, so one box and its cables leave the rack.
• You have several digital sources — five digital inputs plus two analog ones mean the computer, the disc player and the television all keep a permanent home.
• Your sources run at different levels — per-input level adjustment stops the volume jumping when you switch from one to another.
• You play hi-res and DSD — PCM to 384kHz and DSD256 over USB cover everything the download stores actually sell.
• You want the headphone stage separate — its line output feeds one of our headphone amplifiers

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Computer on USB, disc player and television on the other digital inputs, and anything analog on the two line inputs. Run the balanced XLR outputs to a power amplifier if it has them, or the RCA pair if not. Then set the gain to suit the amplifier and trim each input's level once.

After that, one knob runs the system.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the DAC-10? These are the natural companions:

• Music Streamer: Puts your library on one of the digital inputs — see our Music Streamers.
• Interconnects: Balanced XLR cables to use the 8V output — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Floorstanding Speakers: The end of the chain past your power amp — see our Floorstanding Speakers.
• Audio Rack: A settled home for the front end — see our Audio Racks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can it drive a power amplifier directly?

Yes. That is what the preamp section is for, with 4V from the RCA outputs and 8V from the balanced XLRs on high gain.

What formats does the USB input handle?

PCM from 44.1kHz to 384kHz, and DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256.

How fine is the volume control?

Ninety-nine steps of 0.5dB, using a stepped thin-film resistor ladder rather than a conventional potentiometer.

How is it different from the DAC-10H?

The DAC-10H adds a balanced headphone amplifier. The converter, the preamp section and the connections are otherwise the same.

Can I set levels per input?

Yes. Each input has its own level adjustment, and the settings are held in memory when you power down.

See It in Action

Jim Christian Audio examines this model:

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