Owner`s manual

Features
The e28 DAC is based on the ES9018 Sabre
32
reference DAC chip. It delivers 32-bit precision capable of
resolving the smallest signal details. The chip features patented 32-bit Hyperstream™ architecture and
Time Domain Jitter Eliminator. ES9018 delivers the industry’s highest performance levels that will satisfy
the most demanding audio enthusiasts.
Mac OS X High-Performance Driver
We offer a custom high-performance OS X driver supporting standard PCM sampling rates from 44.1kHz
to 384kHz at full 32bit resolution. The e28 DAC supports DSD over PCM 1.0 standard, for DSD64 (2.8224
/ 3.72 MHz), DSD128 (5.6448 / 6144 MHz) and DSD256 (11.2896 / 12.288 MHz)
Proprietary Mac ASIO Drivers
Using ASIO brings unique advantages that are hard to achieve with the Mac Core Audio system. Our
proprietary ASIO implementation is completely independent from the Core Audio sound system and
always operates in Integer / Exclusive Mode. ASIO supports native DSD, while Core Audio drivers rely on
the DoP workaround (DSD over PCM). ASIO is more efficient and causes a lower CPU load.
Automatic PCM / DSD Switching
Audio data is always streamed in its native format. e28 switches automatically between PCM and DSD
modes. DSD streams are processed in their native format without conversion to PCM.
Asynchronous USB mode
Asynchronous USB mode eliminates jitter caused by the computer and the USB interface. Asynchronous
USB is a two-way communication method between a computer and an external USB DAC. In this
method, the DAC is running as a master, and the computer is acting as a slave that delivers data only
when requested by the master.
In the case of the e28 DAC, sound data is requested by the FPGA core and stored in the device FIFO
memory buffer. The FPGA core makes sure that the buffer never gets empty during playback. Data from
the buffer is streamed to the DAC chip. The precision of the timing of the output stream is determined
only by the DAC oscillators and it is not degraded in any way by the computer clocks or by delays caused
by the USB interface.
Hardware Volume Control and Volume Bypass
The e28 DAC volume is controlled by the ES9018 DAC chip. It is completely independent from the Mac
software volume control. Audio data is always bitstreamed over the USB interface at full scale
0db/32bit resolution. Volume processing is performed by the DAC chip right at the border between the
digital and the analogue domains. This architecture offers signal to noise ratio comparable to the best
analogue volume controls and virtually no loss of digital resolution. Setting the volume to 0dB turns all
volume processing off and sets the device in volume bypass mode.
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