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| Description The DSS 30 from the Italian company Blacknote is a solid-state memory player dubbed Digital Static Source by its maker. It looks like a hi-end DAC but its somewhat different role is signaled by two USB 2.0 slots on the front panel and a small LCD display. The latter is blue with white characters, different from the company's own web photos. On the sides of the display are six operational buttons for 'start', 'pause' and 'enter' in one, return (like in MP3 players and DVDs), backward skip (within a disc as well as between discs stored as files and folders), skip forward, stop and stand-by. Sometimes it is necessary to reset the player by unplugging it from the mains with the mechanical power switch on the back panel. The front panel is made of a thick piece of black-anodized aluminum. The control buttons are very small and we have to get used to operating them. They are repeated on the remote, which adds a numeric keypad. It is a pity there was no remote display for the file lists and covers so as to forgo the unit's small display altogether. |
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The back plate is very crowded. We get two USB 2.0 inputs, a PC USB input, a digital S/PDIF input (up to 24/192!), a digital output (24/96), an RS 232 port and an Ethernet port for a computer network interface. The device is fully balanced so we have RCA and XLR analog outputs plus the IEC power inlet and a mechanical power mains switch. The enclosure is made from thick steel plates. On the top we see venting slots because this version contains two vacuum tubes. The circuits inside are split between many PCBs. Closest to the front is a double decker. On top we have the obviously licensed USB and Ethernet controllers. There is a CrystalLan chip for LAN functions and a DSP chip for file decoding. Below sits the Akamai board from Blacknote's parent company with the digital receiver and AKM 4396 DAC. The latter is also used in the SlimDevices Transporter and a splendid multi-bit delta-sigma chip dubbed 'Miracle DAC' for having a very high dynamic range of 120dB and combining the best of single-bit and multi-bit architectures. The PCB leaves room for a second similar chip, perhaps reserved for the forthcoming DSS 35 model? |
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To isolate the DAC from the digital chips ahead of it are splendid Analog Devices ADUM1401s employing their iCoupler separation technology (an equivalent to opto coupling). In the I/V section after the converter, we get two Burr-Brown OPA2226 opamps and then another one in the buffer section. On the output there are more DIR series buffers whence, over shielded cables, the signal enters the output section employing one ECC88 per channel with separate power supply. |
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We see many significantly sized capacitors and the tubes are very good CVC Premium issue coupled to the outside world by Jantzen Audio 2.2µF polypropylene Cross-Caps. The power supply runs a small EI transformer and Shottky diodes for the anode. The heater voltage is rectified and the digital output is buffered by a coupling transformer to guarantee a true 75Ω output impedance. |
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Next to that we see a PCB with the digital power supply of two transformers and a few rectifiers. In the audio section beyond the converters, we spot metalized precision resistors and polypropylene capacitors. The big amount of flying leads is worrysome as it always generates plenty of noise. The memory card was not visible and must be mounted as an optional component. |
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Technical data according to manufacturer Frequency range 20 Hz –to 20 kHz (+/- 0.3dB) THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) 0.05% max. S/N ratio 90dB Dynamic range 125dB |
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Blacknote website
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