DACS wanted to offer something exceptional for mastering and mixing on headphones, to develop their outstanding lineage into something that would become the new standard.

The DACS Clarity HeadLite is renowned for its power and accuracy and has been driving studio headphones for more than 20 years. The HeadLite3+ with its +Power modules was developed to cater for the growth in high-power, high-fidelity headphones. The next step up was Purity.

DACS set to work designing an amplifier that would drive any set of headphones to their optimum performance. After two years of an intense R&D journey the Purity Headphone Amplifier has left the drawing board. It’s Pure Class A output and huge transient loving headroom make any pair of headphones sound their very best.

Follow their journey below to see how they approached the different elements distilled to create the Purity Headphone Amplifier.

Drive Topology

Listening tests with a big mix of headphones confirm DACS’ Pure Class A topology excels for all types of headphones and listening levels. To run in Class A the Purity Headphone Amplifier and Purity BDZ^© Power Supply generate a lot of heat. The case and inaudible ultra-quiet Noctua fan provide plenty of airflow to keep the temperature stable whatever the load.

Differential Input

DACS’ balanced input uses an instrumentation format, with hand trimmed CMRR [1] to give the most accurate interference free signal.

Differential Output

Then we looked at ‘balanced’ headphones. The Purity Headphone Amplifier provides remarkably low cross talk [2] between the two independent amplifier channels; using balanced output connections, that channel independence is maintained without compromise from the Purity BDZ^© Power Supply all the way to the ears.

[1] Common Mode Rejection Ratio, a measure of the circuits ability to reject interference

[2] through its super steady Zero Ohm output impedance and a star earth scheme

Purity Power Supply

The new Purity BDZ^© Power Supply uses a super stable, super low noise op-amp-based design, with Zero Ohm output impedance. When driven hard headphones produce back EMF, ie current flowing back towards the voltage regulator causing instability. In conventional PSU designs, this back EMF significantly reduces the PSU’s performance, with the amplifier losing control of the headphones, and generating distortion. DACS’ unique Purity BDZ^© Power Supply design sinks that current away ensuring zero Ohm impedance and total output voltage stability, whatever is happening at the headphones.

The Listening Experience

You hear everything. Every spatial nuance, every timbral detail, every element of the musical spectrum, every fine adjustment. Poor mixes will be revealed, but great mixes will stand out in all their glory. Your headphones will give you more than you thought they could. Enjoy.

 

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