News

British manufacturer Veracity Audio has unveiled its new Mystra digital to analogue converter. Designed and hand built to order, Mystra is available with a choice of custom levels and black or silver front panel finish. Veracity says that the aim in designing this DAC is remarkable music reproduction. 

Mystra's dedicated 24-bit dual mono conversion handles PCM format without sample rate change. The stand-alone ΔΣ bitstream reconstruction filter plays back DSD64 and DSD128 natively, without digital processing. A dual DAC. Mystra auto-switches with the incoming signal file format, so when the DSD is the incoming format it will go to the DSD reconstruction filter. Conversely, when PCM is the incoming format it will go to the parallel PCM-only DAC. Through direct connection, both engines share only the valve analogue stage, on a 'one-at-a-time' basis. 

Mystra DAC is fully featured for any two-channel digital audio application thanks to its pair of RCA coaxial (optional AES/EBU, BNC) digital inputs, multi-format asynchronous USB input, analogue preamplifier function and stereo RCA and XLR outputs. 

Meanwhile Mystra boasts an analogue volume control to precisely match the output of the DAC to any pre or integrated amplifier. The non-inductive audio resistors are switched by relays in R2R shunt operation mode, meaning that only two resistors are in the signal path at any volume level. This discrete, stepped attenuator has 87 levels. For purist, minimalistic systems, this volume control enables direct connection to power amplifiers. Volume control and input selector operation is remotely controlled with a handset. 

The DAC is equipped with a line preamplifier option. An external analogue source can then be linked directly to the DAC valve stage, this becomes an active preamplifier with R2R volume control. Analogue input is via a pair of RCAs, while output is via main analogue outputs, RCA and XLR. 

The valve analogue output stage operates in pure Class A and is a single-ended triode design without negative feedback, which has original Veracity topology. The valve signal amplifier features bias reference generator and active triode loading. Here one valve triode works as a current source to another valve triode for pure, symbiotic operation. The valve stage consists of a pair of 6SN7 signal drivers, a pair of ECC82 output drivers and a pair of CV574 full-wave valve rectifiers. To personalize the sound, Mystra DAC includes ‘valve rolling’ flexibility, so users may match their tonal preferences. 

Available to buy now for £3,390, you can find out more about the Mystra DAC and other Veracity products here.