Wells Audio Cipher II

Sam Rosen calls the Cipher “incredibly enjoyable,” citing its body, weight, and warmer character with difficult recordings. Doug Schroeder describes it as “luscious,” generous, inviting, and among the most analog-sounding DACs he has used, with an enveloping presentation that draws the listener through the soundstage.

Rosen praises superb detail that never becomes overly analytical, along with exact spatial cues, depth, and sharply defined placement. Schroeder reports a “flood of background information” and greatly enhanced resolution, while his first impression found it exceeded previously used ESS-chip DACs in resolving power.

The Cipher is repeatedly described as free of conventional digital edge: Schroeder heard no harsh or edgy character and called it strikingly analog sounding. Rosen found an inky-dark, noise-free background even with high-gain headphone listening, while another review praised its snappy, vivid, highly refined digital presentation.

Reviewers note the distinctive black-and-acrylic Wells chassis, mesh side panels for the tube stage, and an ambitious dual-mono, reclocked internal design. However, Schroeder also felt the stacked, hand-built internal structure appeared comparatively delicate and less firmly anchored than a conventional large-board layout.

The Cipher provides USB, coaxial S/PDIF, and I2S inputs, with AES/EBU available as an option; it supports PCM to 384kHz and DSD512. Optional digital volume control, integrated reclocking, optional external clock connections, and the ability to specify XLR connections add flexibility, though the reviewed unit is otherwise deliberately straightforward and lacks conveniences such as a display or remote.

At the reviewed $5,000 price, Schroeder calls the performance “very reasonable,” while Rosen recommends it among full-size DACs below $10,000. Rosen also found its spatial performance excellent against similarly presented competitors and valued the provision for future upgrades, uncommon at that price.