Pathos Converto MkII DAC / Preamp / Headphone Amp

A fully balanced DAC built around SABRE chips with a headphone amp, and entirely handmade in Italy

“Musical.” That’s the word that comes to mind as soon as music starts playing through the Converto. What does that mean though? With “unmusical” DACs, think about the banding in the sky in low-res digital photos–the inability to smoothly run through subtle shades of the same hue. That’s what happens in noisier, less optimized digital products; there’s an inability to present the subtle shading that makes music human and real. All those little echoes, instrument decays, and minute resonances are buried under the noise floor of lesser DACs, and hence the use of “digital’ as a pejorative.

But “digital” isn’t and shouldn’t be a bad word. When done right, it has tremendous inner detail and life. High-resolution streams and recordings are commonplace, and these offer air and spaciousness just like good vinyl does. The Converto is no exception. The innate detail orientedness of the SABRE chip is implemented in a supremely, yes, musical circuit, that instantly draws you into the emotion and intention of the music. 

The Converto MkII does not have a remote control. The Converto MkII RR is the same DAC but with remote control capability.

Specifications

Digital input sample rate
S/PDIF: 32 bit up to 384 KHz
USB: PCM 32 bit up to 384 kHz, DSD64, DSD128
Analog stage: Fully balanced, Class A, zero feedback
Dynamic range: 120 dB
S/N ratio: -110 dB
THD: <0.01%
Analog line output: 1 x balanced XLR, one x RCA
Output impedance: <30 Ohm
Max FIX output level: 3.2 V RMS
Variable output level: 0 – 6.3 V RMS 

Inputs
2 x USB B
1 x S/PDIF RCA
1 xS/PDIF Toslink
1 x analog line RCA (only for headphone)

Headphone specifications
Output power: 1 W @ 16 ohm
Output impedance: <0.2 ohm
Output level: 7 V RMS
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 100 KHz
THD: < 0.02%
Main voltage: 90-250V 50/60Hz
Power consumption: 10W
Dimensions: 7.87″ x 8.9″ x 2.75″ mm
Weight: 5.5 lb (2.5 kg)