Black Lion Audio Sparrow DAC



 

There's a debate in our industry: which is more important, a good A/D or a good D/A?  We're of the opinion that both are equally important but for different reasons.  When it comes to tracking, it's difficult to make up for the sonic influences of poor A/D conversion.  Certainly a good D/A will help with instrument placement within a mix, but it can't alleviate the bloated, grainy, and wooly qualities inherent in poor A/D conversion.  But a good D/A can make your source come alive.  Whether you're simply listening to program material or mixing a project, a good D/A will help prevent listening fatigue and make editing and mixdown decisions much easier.

Black Lion Audio proudly offers the Sparrow D/A converter. Designed around the 32 bit capable ESS9012 chip, the Sparrow D/A features wide dynamic range and detailed, musical conversion that's as functional in the project studio as it is in the mastering facility.  The Sparrow D/A converter is available in two platforms: red and white. The red model offers similar performance to our FM192 converter's D/A, although it features wider dynamic range than the FM192. The white Sparrow D/A features our most advanced clocking architecture to date, a stunning 128dB unweighted 20-20kHz dynamic range into 600 ohms.  There are few D/A converters that can meet or exceed this kind of dynamic range, or provide you with similar clarity and musicality no matter how much you're willing to spend!  There's a reason why engineers like Tom Lord-Alge, Tony Maserati, and Mike Shipley use Black Lion Audio converters. 

The Sparrow D/A features user selectable AES, coax SPDIF, and optical SPDIF for input connectivity. Output connections include both balanced XLR for pro studio, consumer level RCA for home stereo, and a high current Walt Jung-inspired headphone output. Two mute buttons allow for independent control of line or headphone signals. Front panel volume control governs headphone outputs, and line output level is fixed.

THD+N: 0.0005% (20kHz BW, 20-20kHz, @-10dBFS)
IMD: < 0.0015% SMPTE (1:1) 60Hz + 2k~20kHz typical
Crosstalk : < 100dB (@20kHz all gain settings)
Frequency Response: (@ 192kHz Sample Rate) +/-.5dBu 10Hz ~ 80kHz
Size: 10.25” x 8” x 1.75”
Weight: 5lbs
Shipping Weight: 6.5lbs
Power Consumption: 14W
Recommended operating temperature: 0 ~ 40°C
Storage Temperature: -25 ~ 50°C
Output Impedance: < 10 Ohms
DNR: 125dB for the Red Sparrow, 128dB for the White Sparrow unweighted 20-20kHz bandwidth using AES-17 standard.