Today’s New York Audio and AV Show will have a little gem on display that’s worthy of its Waldorf-Astoria surroundings. Light Harmonic is at the event, showing off its Da Vinci 384K USB Digital-to-Analog Converter.

Promising to be “the world’s first bit-perfect 384K asynchronous USB 2.0 DAC,” the component has a unique rotating chassis that can spin up to 45 degrees to isolate the power circuitry. That little twist (literally) boasts pure, exceptional sound that’s as unique as its namesake. 

Featuring a non-upsampling, non-oversampling design that’s free of negative feedback, the Da Vinci has three dedicated R-Core transformers: one for digital, one for analog, and one for conversions. Other features include automatic LSB correction, 3-L buffering and three -166dB phase-error clocks.

The Da Vinci’s two-piece chassis isolates the power, with an upper module taking on AC-to-DC conversions, control functions, the display and the clocks. The base plate is where the digital and balanced analog circuits hang, with gear-shaped heat sinks.

It may be the first rotating DAC, and don’t expect that privilege to come cheap. At a hearty 61 pounds, the Da Vinci 384K USB Digital-to-Analog Converter is selling now with a $20,000 price tag.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.