British company Warwick Acoustics has introduced the Gold Aperio personal audio system, consisting of over-ear headphones and an external DAC block combined with a headphone amplifier. The manufacturer positions this set as the perfect choice for professionals working with high-resolution music processing, mastering, and mixing as reference monitors.
Features:
- Ideal choice for professionals working with music processing, mastering, and mixing as reference monitors.
- The headphone DAC-amplifier features balanced and unbalanced analog inputs.
- Fullness and richness of sound, wide and three-dimensional soundstage.
- Output stages of the device work in class A and are built on field-effect transistors.
- The built-in DAC is designed in a "dual mono" concept and can process PCM signals up to 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256.
On the front panel of the device are the power button, volume control, high-resolution color LCD screen, headphone outputs, and a switch for headphone output and line output.
The headphone frequency range with amplifier extends from 10 Hz to 60 kHz. The system is capable of providing sound pressure of 104 dB when connected analogically and 106 dB when using digital switching. The ear pads and headband of the over-ear headphones are finished with soft sheepskin leather, with the surface of the ear pads perforated for better ventilation. The two-meter balanced cable made of silver-plated multi-strand copper with silicon insulation, reinforced with Kevlar, connects to both ear cups.
Key structural components of the headphones, such as ear pads, are made of die-cast magnesium - a rigid material that is lighter and significantly better at dampening than aluminum and most polymers. Die-cast magnesium allows for the production of complex and precise parts that typically require CNC machining.
The Aperio utilizes a new HPEL transducer with a balanced drive (BD-HPEL) - a variation of the High Precision Electrostatic Laminate (HPEL) transducer from Warwick Acoustics with a symmetrical drive, originally designed for the Sonoma Model One headphone system. The main technology of BD-HPEL has been improved to be resistant to environmental changes such as temperature and humidity fluctuations; stable in operation and sound quality over time; and highly durable.
The headphone DAC-amplifier features balanced and unbalanced analog inputs. The digital connectivity includes USB-B, RJ45, balanced AES/EBU input, and coaxial SPDIF. The built-in DAC is designed in a "dual mono" concept and can process PCM signals up to 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256, both in DoP and native formats. There are also analog outputs - balanced and unbalanced, allowing the device to be used as a preamplifier if needed. The device's output stages work in class A and are built on field-effect transistors.
The component's body is entirely aluminum. The device's power supply provides fully separate channel power and is reliably shielded from other amplifier blocks.
Package includes:
- Amplifier with DAC
- Headphones
- Headphone cable
- Case
- USB-A to USB-B cable
- RJ45 cable
- Documentation.
