If you're unfamiliar with Bricasti Design, perhaps it's time to take a look back at Ben Shyman's review of the company's highly lauded M1SE DAC--a $10,000, beautifully built piece of kit that Ben called "one of the best digital-to-analog converters that I have tested."

If you don't have $10,000 to drop on a DAC, though, rest easy. Or at least easier. Bricasti just announced the release of its new Model 3--a more affordable solution that nonetheless delivers decoding of PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD128, as well as DoP (DSD over PCM), with fully differential architecture and a balanced analog level control circuit.

More details directly from Bricasti Design:

The Model 3 digital to analog converter offers an incredible array of performance in a more affordable price class. Highlights include two fully differential conversion channels, separate conversion for PCM and native DSD, and a balanced analog level control circuit, making the M3 suitable for all applications. Internally the M3 utilizes two independent linear power supplies for the analog and digital processing to ensure low noise and superior isolation.

The M3 utilizes two independent linear power supplies for the analog and digital processing to ensure low noise and superior isolation. A newly designed chassis made from robust CNC milled aluminum in sections insures superior thermal characteristics, excellent vibrational damping and shielding from RF.

The M3's digital design employs precision DDS clocking that lowers jitter to extremely low levels, insuring a pure digital signal path without the use of sample rate converters, this combined with superior digital filter design, and Native DSD conversion yields a state-of-the-art digital audio path. The M3's high speed low distortion analog path features a bypass able preamp class analog level control allowing the M3 to be used to drive the power amps directly, with no bit loss for optimal analog performance.

The M3 comes standard with USB, AES, Toslink and SPDIF interfaces and can be ordered with an optional remote and optional network streamer interface which allows the M3 to become a DNLA UPnP compatible network player. The M3's player supports sample rates up to 384k PCM and DSD128 as DoP.

Available for immediate delivery. Price is $4,995.

Additional Resources
• Visit the Bricasti Design website for more product information.
• Check out our DAC category page to read reviews of comperable products.
• Read Bricasti Design M1SE Dual Mono DAC Reviewed at HomeTheaterReview.com.