The Singapore-based company behind the well-received Harmony DAC has unveiled a new product line. The Crescendo series sits below the flagship Harmony range, and the Verse is first out of the gate: a three-in-one combining R2R DAC, active pre-amplifier and discrete Class A headphone amplifier.<\/p>\n
LAiV says the Verse shares the same \u201cdesign DNA\u201d as the Harmony series but in a more compact form. The 3mm-thick aluminium chassis tips the scales at 0.9kg and measures 175 x 40 x 135mm. CNC-milled branding on the top and sides mirrors the Harmony range\u2019s aesthetic.<\/p>\n
Digital<\/p>\n
Under the hood sits an Intel Altera Cyclone FPGA running LAiV\u2019s proprietary digital signal processing. The company has implemented a true balanced R2R ladder network using precision-matched 0.05% tolerance resistors arranged in a mirror-image configuration on both sides of the PCB. Digital inputs include USB, coaxial, TOSLINK and I2S, all feeding through FIFO buffering and reclocking via onboard crystal oscillators.<\/p>\n
One notable feature is the Verse\u2019s native DSD decoding. Rather than converting DSD to PCM, the Verse processes DSD signals directly through a dedicated signal path. A word of caution here from the manufacturer, though: switching between PCM and DSD tracks in a mixed playlist may produce audible clicks or pops in native mode. For those running mixed-format libraries, a multi-bit DSD mode converts everything to PCM for seamless playback.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, the onboard sampling rate converter offers PCM resampling up to 768kHz and DSD conversion up to DSD512. NOS purists can bypass it entirely.<\/p>\n
Analogue<\/p>\n
Analogue duties fall to a discrete output buffer (making this an active pre-amplifier) with \u2013 according to LAiV \u2013 a low output impedance. Volume control is executed in the analogue domain and the XLR and RCA outputs can be run simultaneously. That\u2019s useful, but note the absence of analogue inputs; the Verse only feeds on digital signals. The discrete Class A headphone section lives under a gold heatsink and offers three gain stages via balanced 4.4mm (1100mW) and single-ended 6.35mm (290mW) outputs.<\/p>\n
A micro SD card slot on the underside handles firmware updates.<\/p>\n
Price and availability<\/p>\n
The Crescendo Verse is available now in black or silver, both with gold accents. It\u2019s Made in China and ships with a remote control and an external 15V\/2A power supply. LAiV is asking US$849 direct from its website with free worldwide shipping and a 30-day return policy.<\/p>\n