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Reviews and Awards

Digital-to-Analog FAQs

Mystique Z User Manual

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Digital-to-analog reimagined

The refinements we made to the Mystique Z for 2027 are more than just aesthetic.

In addition to our new black anodized chassis we’ve upgraded the power supplies, output stage, anti-resonance, and shielding. The result is an even higher level of transparency, harmonic coherency, and emotional expression.

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A unique fusion of vintage and modern technologies:

• Artisanally crafted and hand-built in USA.
• Engineered around Burr-Brown’s legendary PCM58P R-2R ladder DAC chips.
• Ultra-purist typology unadulterated by oversampling, upsampling, digital domain filtering, noise shaping, or error-correcting algorithms.
• Converts up to 24-bit 192KHz PCM through USB, coaxial, and optical inputs.
• Galvanically isolated asynchronous USB with ultralow-noise femto clocking.
• Actively buffered and regenerated AES coaxial and TOSLINK optical inputs.
• A unique USB defeat switch eliminates 100% of the clocking noise inside the chassis to optimize performance of the coaxial and optical inputs.
• Discrete direct-coupled class A output stage with no capacitors or transformers to limit the bandwidth or color the sound.
• Low-noise hardware-based demultiplexing ensures perfect phase and time without the longevity issues associated with FPGAs and firmware.
• Three dedicated power supplies feeding nine Belleson SPX ultralow-noise ultrahigh-dynamic regulators isolate every circuit, chip, clock, and module.
• LC choke input power supply typology provides the highest impedance to AC, lowest impedance to DC, and unequaled durability and longevity.
• Ground lift isolates the signal ground from Earth, chassis, and AC grounds.
• Field convertible from 110VAC to 250VAC.
• 9"W x 3"H x 15"D and 19 pounds.

DAC Model Comparison Chart

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Optional Choke Upgrades:

Our entry-level DAC comes with Lundahl ferrous core chokes.

We offer two choke upgrade options: amorphous core and nano crystal core.

With each choke upgrade you will hear better musical flow, better harmonic coherency, more engaging emotional expression, a more open and ethereal top end, a richer and more luscious midrange, and more textured and tuneful bass.

Recommend for people with highly resolving systems.

Recommended for people who mostly listen to acoustic music.

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Optional anti-resonance upgrades.

Options to upgrade footers, chassis, or both. Anti-resonance upgrades include:

• ISO Acoustics GAIA Neo anti-resonance footers.
• Sorbothane pads under power transformer and chokes.
• Viscoelastic Butyl polymer chassis treatment.

Recommended for systems with deep intense bass response.

Recommended for people who listen to music at high volumes.

Recommended when anti-resonant audiophile furniture is not used.

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We incorporate the most musically transparent component parts from the audiophile, aerospace, telecommunications, and military industries.

• Ultra-fast ultralow-noise zero-recovery Silicon Carbide Schottky diodes.
• Lundahl C-core chokes with ferrous, amorphous, or nano crystal cores.
• Vishay TX2575 "Nude" resistors matched to 0.1% in the analog signal path.
• Nine Belleson SPX ultralow-noise ultrahigh-dynamic regulators.
• Direct-coupled Staccato discrete class A op amp modules.
• Custom JL Sounds ultralow-noise femto clocked USB input module.
• Silver mica capacitors used in low-pass ultrasonic reconstruction filters.
• OCC UniCrystal copper V-Quad wire used in power supplies.
• Vintage mil-spec paper-in-oil capacitors used in power supplies.
• Ultrafast low ESR organic polymer capacitors used in power supplies.
• Thermally stable CoG MLCC and WIMA film capacitors used in power supplies.
• Furutech rhodium-plated FT-909 low-mass nano crystal formula RCA jacks.
• Sorbothane and viscoelastic butyl polymer resonance dampening.
• ISO Acoustics GAIA Neo footers.

Hear what you've been missing.