the absolute sound
NEXT-GEN
W
hat constitutes a mid-priced DAC? There’s a
ton of room between the least expensive high-
performance external USB DAC, such as the
$169 HRT MusicStreamer II, and the most expensive, such
as an $80,000 dCS combo stack. Almost any DAC that falls
between $1000 and $10,000 could be considered “mid-
priced” by some audiophile’s standards. So, while the $3200
April Music Eximus DP1 might be on the low side of mid-
priced for anyone looking at $10,000 DACs, it’s too pricey
for someone on a $2000 DAC budget. But for $3200 the
Eximus DP1 delivers a near state-of-the art DAC, robust
USB implementation, low-noise multi-input digital preamp,
excellent headphone amp, and a stylish looking retro/
modern custom enclosure.
Before we dive under its hood, let’s take a moment to
admire the Eximus DP1’s enclosure. If its carved aluminum
chassis reminds you of designs from Resolution Audio
and Constellation Audio, that’s because they were created
by the same industrial designer—Alex Rasmussen at Neal
Feay Design in Santa Barbara, CA. The DP1’s overall
look is modern and clean without being too sterile or self-
consciously retro. The gure-eight-shaped volume knob
reminds me of my rst Nagra eld tape recorder, and besides
being a nod to the past, the knob’s shape makes it easy to see
your current volume level from across the room.
Other niceties that I consider necessities include
provisions for simultaneously active balanced XLR and
Digital
April Music Eximus DP1
DAC, Preamplifier, and
Headphone Amplifier
Steven Stone
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