The USB DAC section is based upon audiolab’s long-term partner, and multi-award-winning, pedigree. The new ESS9038 Q2M SABRE 32 Reference DAC performs D/A conversion, utilising ESS Technology’s 32-bit HypersStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range.
No company knows more about making the most of this technically excellent, but challenging, DAC technology than audiolab; the universally acclaimed M-DAC was one of the first home audio components to incorporate an ESS chip back in 2011, and the company has been honing its implementation ever since.
Via the USB DAC section, the audiolab Omnia also offers full decoding of MQA (Master Quality Authenticated). MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The Omnia includes MQA decoder technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams – received via the USB input – at the original file’s full resolution and passes the signal through its DAC and preamp stages. MQA files are available via subscription to TIDAL’s ‘HiFi’ tier (among other sources).