Arcam introduces the ‘new and improved’ irDAC II

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One of the highlights of the Arcam stand at CES 2016 is the latest version of its irDAC with digital preamp, headphone amp and Bluetooth receiver. It's due on sale soon for £495.

Major upgrades on the MkII model include new internal circuits, a new headphone amplifier stage, new Bluetooth aptX input and the adoption of the ESS ES9016 Sabre DAC.

The headphone output stage has been taken from the company's flagship A49 amplifier and can, claims Arcam, drive even the most demanding of headphones.

And its engineers have worked “obsessively” to further reduce jitter, focusing on isolation of the digital and analogue stages, ultra-low noise power supplies and a direct couple signal path.

Physical inputs include one asynchronous USB, two SPDIF and two optical connections and there's wireless streaming via Bluetooth. All inputs can be controlled using the IR remote supplied.

There's full support for 24-bit/192kHz and DSD128 high-resolution music files. The USB input can support sample rates up to 384kHz, the coaxial input up to 192kHz and the optical connection up to 96kHz.

A smart cast-aluminium, anti-vibration case completes the package.

MORE: Arcam develops MusicBoost for iPhone 6

Andy Clough
Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.