{"product_id":"d-and-a-alpha-pro-hi-res-dac-and-headphone-amp","title":"D\u0026A Alpha Pro Hi-Res DAC \u0026 Headphone Amp","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe D\u0026amp;A Alpha Pro is a fully balanced DAC and headphone amp that straddles two worlds: modern digital precision and old-school analog soul. Featuring the ES9039MSPRO DAC chip, 4-channel discrete amplification, and a real analog preamp stage, it’s built for listeners who care about detail, dynamics, and driving just about any headphone. Whether you’re feeding vinyl into planar magnetics or decoding DSD512 over USB, Alpha Pro’s architecture keeps your signal clean, your volume steady, and your background silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEngineered around ESS’s flagship DAC chip\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ES9039MSPRO is ESS’s most advanced DAC chip to date, and the Alpha Pro takes full advantage. By summing eight differential signals per channel, the SIGMA DAC topology lowers output impedance and noise, giving you deeper dynamics and cleaner transients. With MQA hardware decoding, HyperStream architecture, and a 32-bit noise-shaping engine, your digital audio gets processed at maximum clarity. 4C-FBDA: Discrete power with grip The Alpha Pro uses four fully-balanced channels of discrete transistor amplification—8 transistors per channel, 32 total. The result is 6000mW per channel into 32Ω, \u0026lt;0.1Ω output impedance, and near-total absence of distortion (0.0001% THD).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTrue preamp functionality\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lot of DAC\/amps slap on a volume knob and call it a day. The Alpha Pro uses the NJU72315, one of the highest-performance analog volume chips available. It retains detail at whisper levels, cuts noise, and offers a real analog volume taper—no stepping, no smearing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTurntables and cassette decks welcome\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConnect a phono preamp-enabled turntable or tape deck and route your analog signal to powered monitors or straight into headphones. No conversion, no digital artifacts, no latency. Designed for digital, ready for everythingA 16-core XMOS XU-316 chip handles USB duties, decoding PCM up to 768kHz\/32bit, DSD512, and full MQA. Bluetooth 5.1 (QCC5125) supports LDAC 24bit\/96kHz along with aptX HD, AAC, and SBC. There’s also coaxial and optical with a 2nd PLL that matches USB jitter specs (15ps typical), keeping the entire digital path in lockstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIsolation built into every layer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe analog and digital sections live on different zones of a multi-layer PCB, with dedicated grounds, guarded traces, and star-quad routing. Even the power rails are isolated. This means no crosstalk, no digital bleed, and no interference sneaking in from the USB controller to the output stage. In a word: clean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIt’s got timing down to a science\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith three femtosecond-grade oscillators and a VCXO-driven second PLL clock, the Alpha Pro holds jitter below 15ps. That’s about ten times tighter than the average DAC and a huge boost for microdetail, spatial placement, and realism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePerformance that won’t break a sweat\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThermal zoning distributes heat to avoid performance drift. Adaptive compensation circuitry keeps internal temps within 2°C even when outputting at full throttle. No fans, no drama—just steady performance when your listening session runs long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProtected at every stage\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFour independent DC monitoring circuits protect your headphones against rogue voltage. The power stage features silent relay switching, zero-pop startup, and overload detection. Even if something goes sideways, your ears (and gear) stay safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePremium components throughout\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrecision capacitors, MELF resistors with ±1% tolerance and ±25ppm\/°C TCR, and dual-stage Mean Well linear power modules keep the Alpha Pro running clean and quiet. These are lab-grade components chosen for consistency, stability, and sonic transparency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSubtle design, serious hardware\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTranslucent front panels, anodized aluminum bodies, and hidden antennas give the Alpha Pro a minimal aesthetic. But under the surface, you’ll find a 4-layer PCB, gold-plated ports, and a multi-mode output matrix that can drive headphones, act as a preamp, or just decode and hand off a digital signal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct highlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eES9039MSPRO DAC chip with SIGMA DAC topology 4-channel fully balanced discrete amplifier (4C-FBDA) 6000mW+6000mW output at 32Ω NJU72315 analog volume control Supports PCM 768kHz\/32bit, DSD512, MQA 16-core XMOS XU-316 USB receiver Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, AAC, SBC Analog input with true preamp functionality Optical, coaxial, USB, Bluetooth, and analog I\/O 2nd PLL clock + 3 femtosecond oscillators (15ps jitter) Discrete regulated power supply with dual Mean Well modules Quad-phase DC protection and overload immunity Multi-layer PCB with dual-domain isolation Premium capacitors and MELF resistors Gold-plated connectors and concealed antenna\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"6\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eInputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUSB \/ Optical \/ Coaxial \/ Bluetooth \/ RCA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOutputs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXLR \/ RCA \/ XLR headphones \/ 4.4mm headphones \/ 6.35mm headphones\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLine Output Voltage\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXLR: 5.2 Vrms RCA: 2.5 Vrms\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeadphone Output Level\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4000 mW × 2 (16Ω) 6000 mW × 2 (32Ω) 1400 mW × 2 (150Ω) 700 mW × 2 (300Ω) 350 mW × 2 (600Ω)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTHD+N\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXLR: 0.00006% (−124 dB) (UN-WTD) RCA: 0.00007% (−122 dB) (UN-WTD) HP: 0.0001% (−115 dB) (UN-WTD)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDynamic Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXLR: 133 dB RCA: 128 dB HP: 125 dB\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSNR\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXLR: 133 dB RCA: 128 dB HP: 125 dB\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOutput Impedance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLine out: 100 Ω Headphone out: Near 0 Ω\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeadphone Amplifier Gain\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalanced: +15.8 dB Unbalanced: +9.8 dB\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUSB\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTransmission: USB 2.0 (Asynchronous) Compatibility: Windows 7\/8\/8.1\/10\/11 (Driver), Mac OSX, iOS, Linux, Android\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMQA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDecoder: USB \/ Optical \/ Coaxial MQA-CD: Optical \/ Coaxial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMax Sampling Rate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUSB: Up to 768 kHz\/32-bit, DSD512 (Native) Coaxial: Up to 192 kHz\/24-bit, DoP64 Optical: Up to 192 kHz\/24-bit, DoP64\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBluetooth\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVersion: 5.1 Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC LDAC: 24-bit\/96 kHz @ 990\/660\/330 kbps aptX HD: 24-bit\/48 kHz @ 576 kbps aptX: 16-bit\/44.1 kHz @ 352 kbps SBC: 16-bit\/44.1 kHz @ 328 kbps AAC: 16-bit\/44.1 kHz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePower\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eConsumption: \u0026lt;50 W Standby: \u0026lt;0.5 W\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSize\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e225 × 55 × 199.3 mm (W × H × D)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1.76 kg \/ 3.88 lb\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"D\u0026A","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42185723314251,"sku":"6978099180009","price":799.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0659\/7790\/9323\/files\/da1.png?v=1776951769","url":"https:\/\/the-soundkitchen.com\/products\/d-and-a-alpha-pro-hi-res-dac-and-headphone-amp","provider":"Sound Kitchen","version":"1.0","type":"link"}