Audio Research DAC9
The DAC9 makes digital playback feel vividly alive: its tube output stage brings organic midrange, natural timbre and a hushed backdrop to music, while deep detail unfolds across a three-dimensional soundstage. HomeTheaterHifi heard warm, non-fatiguing musicality, and The Audio Beat praised exceptional separation and textured bass. With PCM upsampling to 384kHz and DSD support, this is a compelling high-end DAC for immersive, long-form listening.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
90/100
Features Connectivity
82/100
Value for Money
92/100
Pros
Tube output stage delivers a warm, natural, non-fatiguing presentation that remains musical and engaging over long sessions.
Expansive soundstage, strong instrument separation and convincing image depth bring complex recordings into clear focus.
Fine detail retrieval and expressive dynamics arrive without an analytical or etched character.
Cons
No variable output, so it cannot drive a power amplifier directly without a preamplifier or volume control elsewhere in the chain.
USB compatibility was reported as problematic with Linux-based streamers, limiting system flexibility for some computer-audio users.
Ultimate treble extension and full-scale orchestral transient attack are slightly softened compared with leading reference DACs.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers consistently describe a naturally voiced, organic and highly involving converter that combines tube-like ease with strong transparency and expressive dynamics. It is especially admired for resolving musical information without turning clinical, though its gently softened frequency extremes and slightly rounded ultimate transients make it less ruthlessly incisive than some reference alternatives.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
94/100
The DAC9 is repeatedly praised for a warm, clean, natural and non-fatiguing presentation that sounds musical rather than analytical. The Audio Beat found its timbre, dynamics and dimensionality closer to great analog gear than any digital source heard in that system, while HomeTheaterHifi called it consistently engaging enough for long, stress-free listening. Enjoy The Music notes a slight softening at the frequency extremes, but regarded this as part of an organic character that draws listeners into the music.
Resolution and Detail
93/100
Reviewers hear abundant low-level information, subtle textures and strong instrumental separation without exaggerated edge definition. The Audio Beat praised its ability to reveal incredible detail without overarticulating, and Like Hifi reported previously unheard spatial and staging details in familiar recordings. TONEAudio notes that ultimate-reference DACs may extract still more treble resolution, while SoundStage Solo found small individual chorus voices less distinct than through a few competitors.
Digital Performance
92/100
The DAC9 is widely heard as smooth, quiet and free of the glare or sterility often associated with digital playback. Hifitest describes a dark background and elegant restraint of harshness, while HomeTheaterHifi highlights the silence between notes and a transparent-sounding ASIO driver. Its selectable filters and upsampling are useful rather than gimmicky: reviewers generally preferred the more relaxed, organic Slow filter, and found upsampling could add depth or reduce top-end glare.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
90/100
Construction receives strong praise: Like Hifi calls the workmanship flawless, and The Audio Beat describes the chassis and internal electronics as solid and meticulously assembled. SoundStage Solo specifically cites first-rate parts quality and a substantial solid-state power supply. TONEAudio's one meaningful reservation is the thin, resonant perforated-metal top cage.
Features Connectivity
82/100
The DAC9 offers a well-rounded set of conventional digital inputs—USB, RCA coaxial, BNC, AES/EBU and TosLink—along with both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs. It supports PCM to 24/384 and DSD128, provides selectable Fast and Slow filters, upsampling, a display and remote control. There is no variable output or headphone stage, and Audiophile Style found the USB interface less accomplished than the rest of the unit; SoundStage Solo also notes the lack of Linux-server compatibility.
Value for Money
92/100
At its $7,500 original price, several reviewers considered the DAC9 highly competitive against substantially more expensive converters. Enjoy The Music says it can readily compete with models costing much more, while TONEAudio calls the sub-$10,000 MB50/DAC9 pairing an “absolutely killer” combination. SoundStage Solo also calls its sound and appearance an easy recommendation, although the DAC9 remains a serious high-end purchase rather than an inexpensive option.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Frequency Response
- +/-0.15dB 20Hz – 20kHz; +/-3.0dB 6Hz – 192kHz
- THD+Noise
- Less than .002% at 2V RMS 1kHz Balanced output
- Signal to Noise Ratio
- >114dB
- Intermodulation & Noise
- .001% (SMPTE ratio)
- Channel Separation
- 107dB
- Intrinsic Jitter
- <10pS
- DAC Resolution
- 24 bits
- Push Buttons
- Power, Menu, Option, Enter, Input, Mute
- Output Impedance
- 500 Ohms balanced, 250 Ohms SE
- Digital Filter
- Selectable Fast or Slow algorithms
- Upsampling
- All Inputs upsample to 384kHz
- Inputs
- USB2.0HS 44.1 to 384kHz, DSD, 2xDSD; RCA, BNC, XLR 44.1 to 192kHz; TOS 44.1 to 96kHz
- Rated Outputs
- 3.8V RMS Max Balanced; 1.9V max SE (@ 0dB input)
- Power Supplies
- Electronically-regulated low and high voltage supplies. Line regulation better than .01%
- Noise
- 103dB
- Tube Complement
- (2) 6H30 dual triodes
- Power Requirements
- 100-125VAC 60Hz (200 – 250VAC 50/60Hz) 60 watts maximum
- Standby
- Less than 2 watt
- Dimensions
- Width: 19″ (48 cm)Height: 7″ (17.8 cm)Depth: 15.5″ (39.4 cm)Handles extend 1.50″ (3.8 cm) forward of the front panel.Weight: 32.0 lbs. (14.6 kg) Net; 43.2 lbs. (19.8 kg) Shipping.
Manufacturer's Description — Audio Research
Digital that sounds like analog
Digital advances quickly and Audio Research continues to stay at the performance forefront.
Our perspective and love for analog reproduction helps make our digital components sound superior musically. The DAC9 is a vacuum-tube analog section combined with the latest digital design, capable of decoding DSD music files and PCM files up to 384kHz.
Selectable digital filters & quad D-A converters
Audio Research designed two separate data paths to the DAC9’s D-A converters: one for PCM files, and another to handle serial DSD files at 1x and 2x DSD clock rates. This assures proper integer decoding eliminating interpolation distortion errors that degrade sonic purity. Native sample-rate upsampling is available for all inputs, up to 384kHz for non-DSD (PCM) music files.
Selectable digital filters are available for customization. An asynchronous USB input, along with four galvanically isolated SPDIF inputs, assures all of your digital sources will integrate with the DAC9. We pioneered using quad D-A converters, with each channel using dual stereo DACs running in mono to increase dynamic range and lower the noise floor.
The digital side mates to a vacuum-tube analog section that uses a pair of 6H30 dual triode tubes. The DAC9 is a balanced design with a Class-A, zero feedback analog section with no capacitive coupling.
Like other products that have preceded it, the DAC9 combines remarkable resolution with relaxed musicality. Audio Research’s sonic legacy—clarity, dynamics, dimensionality, and musical authority—are obvious and thoroughly engaging.
After more than 50 years, our focus remains the advancement of the state-of-the-art in music reproduction. Every component is meticulously hand-crafted and personally auditioned befor it leaves our Minnesota facility.
Our attention to detail, customer service, and product support create unprecedented value. An Audio Research component is more than a purchase, it is an investment.
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- 110Hz — online and in-store — Kielce, Województwo świętokrzyskie, Poland (website)
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
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- Area Hifi — online and in-store — L'Eixample, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Aris Audio — in-store — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (website)
- Audible Images — in-store — Melbourne, Florida, United States (website)
- Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
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