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Review methodology  The Vitus DAC was tested with three drives: the Philips CD Pro-2 LH in the Ancient Audio Lektor Air V-edition CD player; the belt-driven B.M.C. BDCD1.1; and Esoteric’s multi-format VOSP in the EMM Labs XDS1 SE SACD player. The first coupled via coaxial RCA digital cable, the third via AES/EBU XLR cable. The B.M.C. player used both. I got the best overall results from the latter via RCA. The digital cables were Acrolink 7N-DA5100 and 7N-D2100. The Danish converter arrives with its own Andromeda power cord which I used exclusively. I fed the USB input with the Acoustic Revive USB-5.0PL USB cable from my HP Pavilion core 2 duo dv7 laptop equipped with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 750GB HDD, Windows 8 RP and JPLAY integrated with foobar2000 as GUI. The review was an A/B comparison with A and B known. Music samples were 2 minutes long and whole albums were auditioned as well. The D/A converter sat on the active Synergistic Research Tranquility Base platform which in turn was placed on the Base Solid Base IV rack with wooden shelves.


Design. Technical specifications according to the manufacturer:
Inputs: S/PDIF RCA, XLR, USB (24bit/192kHz)
Outputs: RCA, XLR
Upsampling: 24bit/792kHz
Internal wiring: Andromeda by VA
Remote control: RC-010, purchased separately
Dimensions (H x W x D): 130 x 435 x 430mm
Weight: 26kg


The Vitus DAC shares its enclosure with the company’s preamps. This allows them to reduce extremely high  manufacturing costs and unify the appearance of their products. Various models from their different lines are easily mixed and matched.

Front and rear. The MP-D201 is a 24/192 D/A converter with optional volume control. Its enclosure is characterized by extraordinary workmanship. Thick aluminium plates bolt together with multiple fasteners. The front panel is divided by a recessed vertical strip of black acrylic. It sports the company logo and features a dot-matrix display for selected source and menu contents. The read-out is amber like equivalent displays from Accuphase, TAD and Yamaha. After selecting the source, its name displays and momentarily also its sampling rate but there is no information on word length. The display can be dimmed in three steps or switched off altogether. One can also select more suitable input names from the menu's memory bank. The buttons control the device menu and digital volume if you activate it. The rear panel is very good as should be expected. Inputs and outputs are separated by an IEC power connector with integrated mechanical switch. All connectors are from Neutrik of Switzerland including the USB port. There are five inputs – USB, 2 x AES/EBU and 2 x S/DPIF on RCA. Analog outputs are a pair of XLR (the circuit is fully balanced) and RCA. We select the active output in the menu.

Inside. The interior shows an arrangement typical of Vitus by consisting of many small modules. At the USB input we have a Cypress Semiconductor transceiver and Xilinx DSP chip to receive signal up to 24 bits and 192kHz sampling rates after installing a suitable driver delivered on CD-ROM. The small USB PCB mounts not directly to its connector but a little to the side to couple with the USB port via a 10cm USB cable instead. I think it would be better connected directly. Upon activating the selected digital input, the signal is sent to the next PCB housing the ABC PCB Edel S2 upsampler with Anagram Technologies software. We have seen this before in Soulution’s 745 and the 540 players. The S2 platform combines the outstanding asynchronous Q5 upsampler and a signal algorithm separating signal between the many paralleled converters. The upsampler converts the signal to 24bits at 792kHz in a Blackfin DSP chip.

It seems the same system handles digital volume which can be activated in the menu and is always on in the Soulution players. Four mono D/A converters can connect to its output which here is fully exploited. Next to these chips is a shielded module for a precision clock designed by Vitus. The upsampled signal hits four AD1955 chips from Analog Devices which are 24/192 stereo multi-bit sigma-delta designs. Then it reaches the output modules of I/V conversion, filtering and gain. These are SMD affairs housed in small shielded cans. Just behind them are two multi-pin sockets for the optional analog attenuator with relay-switched resistors. The outputs too are switched by relays. All modules stack on a large bottom PCB for most of the voltage regulators. The remaining small modules with discrete voltage stabilizers mount next to their respective circuits. The power supply is built around three large transformers – one for digital part, two for  analog, one per channel.


Remote control. The DAC can be remotely controlled with the optional RC-010 remote, which allows input selection and volume control after activating the latter in the menu.
opinia @ highfidelity.pl
Vitus Audio website