PBN Audio Olympia-DX R2R Multibit D/A Converter Factory Upgraded to 24/192 - PRICE REDUCED

The Olympia-DX D/A Converter is an R2R DAC that was developed by renowned audio electronics and speaker designer Peter Noerbaek.  It has a very smooth, "analog" sound because it uses four Burr-Brown PCM1704 converter chips and has a very carefully designed analog stage.  It also has a separate power supply with 80,000 uf of capacitance - as much as many power amplifiers - and a Kimber power cord that appears to be a PK14.  The Burr-Brown PCM1704 chips are no longer made because they were very expensive to manufacture and have an inherent advantage over later R2R implementations that use discrete resistors because matching the resistors requires extremely tight tolerances that are very difficult to achieve in practice, and when they are not achieved, the sound quality is degraded.  Compared to Aqua HiFi's DACs and the Denafrips Terminator, the Olympia DX offers much more robust construction and a more carefully constructed analog stage.  It is the ideal unit for vinyl aficionados who want the warmth of analog with the convenience of digital and without the surface noise and hassles of record cleaning and cartridge maintenance.

The unit is fully balanced and has one set each of buffered and unbuffered outputs with both RCA and XLR.  It differs from standard "production" units in that it has four digital inputs (USB, S/PDIF via BNC or RCA, and AES/EBU via XLR and also has a switch and BNC connection for an external clock.  Also, the text on the rear of the unit is labeled rather than silk-screened and there is no silk screening on the rear of the power supply.  Retail pricing on a new unit is $17,499.   This unit differs from the description on PBN's web site because it has been upgraded to accept 24/192 data.

I purchased this unit directly from PBN Audio in November 2013 and am the original owner.  The unit is in great condition with a black powder-coating that resists scratches.  There is one paint defect in the lettering on the power supply that was there when I bought the unit, and that is the only cosmetic defect I can find.  It comes with the original (very heavy) shipping crate, the Kimber power cord, and an umbilical to connect the unit to the power supply.  There is no owner's manual but operation is very simple and straightforward.  Priced at only 27% of retail.  Buyer pays shipping.  Local pick-up is also available. No extra fees for PayPal or express checkout.