A rock na hard place – It's the new Wavedream Reference [€17K] from Romania's Rockna which combines proprietary discrete R2R with 32-bit digital volume and four FPGA for true balanced processing. All incoming signal over Toslink, coax, AES/EBU, USB and menu-configurable I²S undergoes 705.6/768kHz upsampling but the user decides between linear, minimum-phase and hybrid-phase filters. A network module integrates to support LAN signal over Roon, UPnP, OpenHome, Airplay and Spotify Connect. The PCB is a complex 10-layer build and the toroidal transformers shield in copper cages. The analog class A output stage uses both Jfet and bipolar transistors and exits RCA or XLR. There's a touchscreen, remote control and iOS/Android app to control all features. The special edition adds €6'500 and ups the performance specs with still more ambitious parts.
