British company Warwick Acoustics has introduced the personal audio system Gold Aperio, 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 as reference monitors for processing, mastering, and mixing high-resolution music.
Features:
- Choice of professionals for processing, mastering, and mixing music as reference monitors;
- DAC-amplifier for headphones equipped with balanced and unbalanced analog inputs;
- richness and fullness of sound, wide and three-dimensional soundstage;
- output stages of the device operate in Class A and are built on field-effect transistors;
- built-in DAC is designed in a "dual-mono" concept and capable of processing PCM signals up to 32-bit / 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256.
On the front panel of the device, there are a power button, volume control, high-resolution color LCD screen, headphone outputs, and a switch for headphone output mode and linear output.
The frequency response range of the headphones with the 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 earpads and headband of the over-ear headphones are finished with soft sheepskin, with the surface of the earpads 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 elements of the headphones, such as the earpads, are made of die-cast magnesium - a rigid material that is lighter and significantly better at damping than aluminum and most polymers. Die-cast magnesium allows for the manufacture of complex and precise parts that usually require CNC machining.
The Aperio uses a new HPEL transducer with a balanced drive (BD-HPEL) - a variant of Warwick Acoustics' High Precision Electrostatic Laminate (HPEL) transducer with a symmetrical drive, originally developed for the Sonoma Model One headphone system. The main BD-HPEL technology has been improved to be resistant to environmental changes, such as temperature and humidity fluctuations; stable in operation and sound quality over time; and very durable.
The DAC-amplifier for headphones is equipped with balanced and unbalanced analog inputs. There is also digital connectivity - USB-B port, RJ45, balanced AES/EBU input, and coaxial SPDIF. The built-in DAC is designed in a "dual-mono" concept and is capable of processing PCM signals up to 32-bit / 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD256, both in DoP format and native. There are analog outputs - both balanced and unbalanced, allowing the component to be used as a preamplifier if needed. The device's output stages operate in Class A and are built on field-effect transistors.
The housing of the component is fully aluminum. The device's power supply provides completely separate power supply for channels and is reliably shielded from other amplifier blocks.
Package includes:
- amplifier with DAC;
- headphones;
- case;
- headphone cable;
- USB-A - USB-B cable;
- RJ45 cable;
- documentation.
