Parasound has just introduced the Zdac, a 192 kHz Digital to Analog Converter that promises the highest possible sound quality when playing digital music files from computers via USB, or from a CD player, Sonos, or other digital media players via optical or coaxial digital connections. Zdac is the newest addition to Parasound’s compact ‘half-width’ Z-Series product family, and it is available in either a black finish with rack-mounting tabs or the new silver finish without rack-mount tabs.

At the core of the Zdac’s design is Clockflawless, an exceptional new method to eliminate jitter invented by Holm Acoustics in Denmark. It preserves the source signal in bit-perfect form, while completely restoring the timing information in the stream of the original recording. All timing errors introduced and accumulated during the transport phase are removed for SPDIF and Optical as well as USB.

The Parasound Zdac accepts 24 bit word lengths and all sampling rates up to 192kHz on SPIF and Optical and 96kHz on USB. Signals are reclocked and then upsampled to 422kHz for vivid and effortless reproduction.

Like all Z Series components, Zdac has a high-quality built-in power supply rather than a typical ‘wall wart.’ In the case of Zdac, an oversized toroid power transformer assures unrestrained dynamics and unparalleled bass extension and authority. All of this quality is available at both unbalanced gold-plated RCA jacks and balanced XLR outputs.

The Zdac headphone output is driven by a low-noise/high current amplifier that will drive nearly any high quality 32- to 600-ohm headphone with ease. A dedicated precision volume control for headphone listening adds to the Zdac’s convenience.

The Zdac includes fast-acting muting relays — usually found only on premium-priced DAC — to eliminate any hint of transient pops or thump noises during turn on/off and when selecting inputs.

The Parasound Zdac is available in the traditional Z-Series black rack-mount configuration and the new Z-Series silver finish without rack tabs. Both versions are one rack-space high. The black Zdac is 9-1/2 inches wide — half of a standard rack width — and the silver Zdac is 8-1/2 inches wide.

The black Zdac can be used with Parasound’s SBS side-by-side bracket to link two Z Custom units together, or Zblank for mounting across one standard rack space. Parasound also offers its half-width Zrack for mounting up to five Z Custom components.

Both versions of the Parasound Zdac Digital to Analog Converter will be available the second week of November with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $475 US.

For more info, please visit www.parasound.com

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