Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC
The Aeris DAC pairs analogue-like ease with exceptional resolution, rendering naturally textured voices, precisely placed instruments, and remarkably stable musical images. Audiophilia also found its deep-bass control commanding and its presentation free from the glare that can make digital fatiguing. Balanced and single-ended outputs plus variable level control complete a refined, revealing front end.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
78/100
Features Connectivity
77/100
Value for Money
96/100
Pros
Highly resolved yet sweet, non-fatiguing presentation with an analogue-like sense of ease.
Stable, lifelike imaging with naturally textured voices and clearly located instruments.
Extraordinary control and presence in the extreme bass.
Considered exceptional value against reference DAC competition by the reviewer.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
Audiophilia found the Aeris unusually convincing and analogue-like, with naturally textured voices, a stable musical picture, and exceptional bass control. Its presentation combines very high resolution with a sweet, non-fatiguing disposition that encourages close listening.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
95/100
The reviewer describes an enhanced sense of reality, naturally textured voices, and a presentation that is "comfortably analogue-like." Listening was said to be free of fatigue and inviting of closer attention, while extreme-bass control was called extraordinary.
Resolution and Detail
96/100
Audiophilia explicitly calls the Aeris's resolution "incredible," while stressing that it arrives alongside a sweet disposition rather than an overly clinical character. The review also reports clearly located instruments and a definite, lifelike body of musicians, orchestra, and choir.
Digital Performance
94/100
The review says the Aeris is completely devoid of digital glaze and delivers an unusually stable, solidified sense of reality. Its analogue-like ease and lack of fatigue point to a notably refined conversion performance, although the review does not provide detailed noise-floor measurements.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
78/100
The supplied specifications indicate a substantial 11 kg DAC and power-supply assembly, balanced and single-ended outputs, dedicated VCXO clocks, and very low stated jitter. Reviewers say little about chassis execution, internal layout, component quality, or long-term durability.
Features Connectivity
77/100
The Aeris provides USB, two S/PDIF coaxial inputs, and Toslink, along with both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs. Its dual-stage volume control allows direct connection to a power amplifier, but USB support is limited to 24/96 PCM and no DSD, network, Bluetooth, display, or remote-control functions are listed.
Value for Money
96/100
At the stated $13,100 price, Audiophilia characterizes the Aeris as delivering "dCS quality for less than half the price." The same review calls it "a bargain at 10K," an unusually emphatic endorsement of its value against high-end DAC competition.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Inputs
- 1x USB — accepts up to 24 bit PCM at 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz sample rates 1x Toslink — accepts up to 24 bit PCM from 11 – 192 kHz sample rates 2x SPDIF — accepts up to 24 bit PCM from 11 – 192 kHz sample rates
- Outputs
- 1 pair balanced XLR and 1 pair unbalanced RCA 7 volts RMS max output level
- Volume Control
- Dual-stage attenuation 70 dB range, plus 20 dB overdrive
- Software/Drivers
- No special drivers necessary USB interface is plug-n-play with all operating systems, including PC, Mac, or Linux.
- Clocks
- 20 bit dynamic range Voltage Controlled Crystal Oscillators (VCXO) 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz < 1 picosecond RMS jitter
- D/A Converter
- Differential output 352.8 kHz, 24 bit
- Digital Filter
- Finite Impulse Response (FIR) symetrical Flat phase and group delay
- THD+N
- Analogue outputs < 0.0006%
- Output Impedance
- RCA / XLR 120 ohms
- DAC and Power Supply Weight
- 24.4 lb / 11kg
- Dimensions
- 2.4″ x 15.5″ x 11.6″ 61mm x 394mm x 294mm
Manufacturer's Description — Jeff Rowland
Aeris DAC
The Aeris is the product of a close collaboration between Jeff Rowland Design Group and Holm Acoustics, a Danish company founded by Thomas Holm that specializes in signal processing products for high end audio applications.
The Aeris is much more than the successful result of a synergistic collaboration between the two companies. The high degree of complementary synergy between the two teams working in parallel can only be defined as a case of true organic design.
Features
IsoSync ECS
Isolated Synchronous Error Correction System. Based upon an asynchronous buffer, voltage controlled crystal oscillators, and a 24 bit D/A converter – all under the precise control of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) running proprietary algorithms.
Bit Perfect and Virtually Jitter Free
Bit perfect conversion with total jitter output noise of less than 10 picoseconds RMS from any input – USB, TOSLINK, and SPDIF.
Multi-Stage Isolated Power Supply
Main power supply is isolated inside an external machined aluminum chassis. Eleven precision high-speed regulators provide low impedance and low noise “point of load” DC current to all analogue and digital circuits.
Isolated Audio and Digital Circuitry
Left and right channel audio output circuits, digital processing, and D/A conversion circuits are isolated within individual milled aluminum pockets resulting in exceptional EMI shielding, and thermal stabilization.
Volume Control
Wide range level control of outputs permit direct connection to power amplifiers.
Driver-Free Operation
The USB interface requires no additional drivers to install or maintain/update.
Cross-Platform
The USB interface is plug-n-play with all operating systems, including PC, Mac, or Linux.
Machined Aluminum Chassis
Precision-machined chassis milled from a solid block of aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminum, provides exceptional thermal stability, RFI/EMI shielding, and resonance control.
6-Layer Circuit Board
Multi-layer circuit boards provide extremely low impedance ground and power distribution for remarkably low digital noise contamination.
High-Precision Surface Mounted Components
Extensive use of Lead (Pb)-free, low temperature coefficient, active and passive surface-mount components results in significantly smaller loop areas, reduced circuit capacitance and inductance, and introduces less noise than conventional leaded components.
Transformer Coupled Outputs
Transformer balanced XLR line outputs provide outstanding output common-mode noise rejection, eliminate potential ground loops, and ensure compatibility with other equipment.
Output Connections
Rhodium / Teflon Cardas output connectors for both balanced and unbalanced outputs preserve maximum audio signal integrity.
Remote Control
Allows remote control of volume, mute, standby, and input selection.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC
- The ASOC Gallery of Fine Audio — in-store — Stratford, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (website)
- American Sound — in-store — Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Ars Antiqua Audio — online and in-store — Boadilla del Monte, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Center (website)
- Audio Elation — in-store — Lolo, Montana, United States (website)
- Audiogears — in-store — Casalecchio di Reno, Emilia-Romaña (website)
- Class A Audio — in-store — Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia (website)
and 17 more verified dealers
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