IF you like it over the top – and we’re talking about hi-fi components – then Boulder’s upcoming 2120 digital-to-analogue converter will tickle your fancy. Shown at the recent 2015 CES in Las Vegas, the 2120 is a four-chassis system with an eye-watering price tag.
According to a brief email from the Boulder people, there’s no official press release yet, but this is what they gave us:
“The 2120 is a four-chassis piece: power supply, logic and user interface, left channel analogue and right channel analogue. The analogue channels are piggy-backed into the logic chassis to save space. Each of the analogue and the logic chassis has its own dedicated power supply within the supply chassis, in addition to a fourth which handles only a low power consumption standby mode.
“The display is a 5 x 11.5in full-color LCD that shows all metadata, cover art, sample rates, etc. Most aspects and inclusions for the display can be customised in the settings menu.
“Inputs include Ethernet, USB, HDMI, AES3, S/PDIF and Toslink. Each input module can be replaced, so custom combinations or multiples of each can be configured in the DAC. All inputs strip the embedded clock and transmit the data around the unit asynchronously.
“All incoming PCM data is up-converted to a minimum of 32-bit/768kHz. Maximum accepted incoming data rates top out at 32-bit/384kHz.
“It will also handle single and double format DSD. A few have asked about quad DSD and we’re still working on determining if the hardware will accept it or not.
“An internal digital volume control with a range of 80dB in 1.0dB steps allows the unit to connect directly to an amplifier. The unit is fully DLNA/UPnP compliant and will handle streamed music within that protocol.”
If these don’t impress you, there’s the retail price when the 2120 is released in the second quarter of the year – “between US$55,000 and US$60,000.” Convert that!
