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Nagra Audio Nagra TUBE DAC
The Nagra TUBE DAC is a no-compromise D/A converter that can reproduce DSD 256 and 384 kHz PCM signals with an unparalleled natural rendition.
Following the path to high definition sound laid down by the world-acclaimed HD DAC, we wanted to offer the latest sampling frequencies and resolution. We took the opportunity of extending the HD DAC X project with a whole new digital interface and converter to update and upgrade the HD DAC.
The new digital core is built on the experience gained from the HD DAC. The design features an entirely new converter as well as a new USB interface. The result is highly impressive and also a major improvement in every format, even regular red-book CD through S/P Dif, for instance.
Conversion
The TUBE DAC is designed to convert a digital signal to analog with total integrity and without introducing the slightest impurity or coloration to the original sound. This objective has been totally achieved, and sound has never reached such a true level of definition.
The effort put into the design and exactitude of the Nagra TUBE DAC was exceptional from every perspective. Its circuits, which adopt the DSD 4x (Direct Stream Digital 256) run at the highest resolution available today, 256 times that of a standard CD and four times that of SACD.
Analog section
The analog section was also the object of a no-holds-barred approach. Thanks to the quality of the signals supplied from the digital conversion circuits, the traditional steep slope filters have been totally eliminated. The consequence of this is the preservation of transients and harmonics, enabling the music to present an exceptionally natural sound. Some of the critical design elements include ultra-high-performance drivers, hand-wound transformers and a tube-driven output stage.
Power supplies
There are 25 precision ultra-low-noise internal power supplies that drive the unit, giving each element its own independent and pure supply source. The Nagra TUBE DAC converter needs two external power supplies, one for the digital section and the other for the analog, keeping the two sections independently isolated. It should be paired up with the Nagra Classic PSU unit to attain its ultimate performance although it is also compatible with the previous generation power supply, the Nagra MPS.
Connectivity
The TUBE DAC is equipped with extensive connection possibilities, allowing integration in all types of domestic and professional systems. It is particularly suited to computer environments thanks to its new generation audio USB input, through which it receives signals up to the DSD 256 format from a PC or MAC.
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Professional Reviews 89/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
80/100
Features Connectivity
82/100
Value for Money
89/100
The Nagra TUBE DAC brings organic transparency and a vast, precisely layered soundstage to digital playback, pairing PCM, DXD and DSD256 capability with a seductive freedom from glare. Tom Lyle found voices and instruments startlingly lifelike, with exceptional dynamic nuance, deep detail retrieval and remarkably fatigue-free musical flow—even from standard-resolution files.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Delivers exceptionally natural, transparent and lifelike sound, without conventional digital hardness.
Combines expansive soundstaging with strong instrument separation, microdynamics and macro-dynamics.
Makes both CD-quality and high-resolution material deeply involving, detailed and free from listening fatigue.
&
Cons
Its premium cost rises substantially for buyers who also need the required Classic PSU power supply.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
In the reviewed Tube DAC/Classic PSU combination, digital playback was described as exceptionally natural, transparent, spacious, and involving. The reviewer heard a striking absence of conventional digital hardness, alongside lifelike instrumental presence and unusually deep access to recorded detail.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
96/100
Tom Lyle called the Tube DAC/Classic PSU combination the best digital sound he had heard in his system and described it as more pleasing than any DAC he had heard near its price. He found its beauty uncoloured, its transparency close to absolute, and its presentation so musically compelling that it encouraged extended late-night listening without fatigue.
Resolution and Detail
92/100
The reviewer heard unfamiliar details from the rear of the orchestra and said the DAC could dig deeply into dense, vintage multitrack recordings. Instruments were rendered with captivating, lifelike individuality, while the large soundstage maintained convincing separation between closely placed performers.
Digital Performance
95/100
The Tube DAC was described as the antithesis of what the reviewer considers digital sound, avoiding upper-midrange emphasis and enabling fatigue-free full-album listening. Regular CDs sounded amazing, and the presentation was praised for natural transparency, dynamic nuance, and an LP-like freedom from glare or artificial edge.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
80/100
The supplied review focuses overwhelmingly on sonic performance rather than chassis construction, internal layout, parts quality, or long-term durability. It does cover the Tube DAC with Nagra's separate Classic PSU, but offers little direct assessment of the unit's physical execution.
Features Connectivity
82/100
Connectivity is comprehensive for a dedicated high-end DAC: USB, dual S/PDIF, optical, AES/EBU, and Nagra-format I2S inputs are provided, alongside RCA and balanced XLR outputs. It supports PCM to 24-bit/384 kHz, DXD, and DSD256, though the listed specification does not indicate streaming, Bluetooth, headphone amplification, volume control, display functions, or remote operation.
Value for Money
89/100
At the reviewed price of $27,000, Tom Lyle explicitly judged the Tube DAC worth every penny. That endorsement is tied to the complete Tube DAC/Classic PSU package and to performance he considered unusually strong even against considerably more expensive digital systems.
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