OPPO Sonica DAC Audiocom Signature

Power Supplies: The sound quality of any DAC is largely influenced by its power supply. Our goal is to reduce unwanted noise and losses that affect the signal, less noise = cleaner signal and purer sound. In the Sonica DAC Signature we have upgraded the digital and analogue power supplies to achieve maximum fidelity.

Discrete, Ultra-low Noise Regulators: The concept of low noise is continued on the DC power supply where conventional regulators for the analogue stage are replaced with discrete, ultra-low noise types which have 1/168 output noise and nearly 2000 times the Ripple noise rejection (PSRR). This enables a very low noise floor, while improving dynamic range and stereo separation.

Femtosecond Reference Clock: To realize the full potential of the ES9038PRO chipset we have to achieve lowest phase noise (jitter).  Clock measurements are a tricky area since many quote jitter figures but not specify the frequency. It is easy to achieve femtosecond performance at high frequencies, and ‘femto-second clock’ has become the latest buzzword in the industry. There is no mention of the jitter at low frequencies which is the area of interest for audio sound quality. Also, many low jitter clocks used in the industry are off-the-shelf clock oscillators and to achieve the manufacturers low jitter specifications require a very low noise regulated power supply. If industry standard voltage regulators are used to power the clock then lowest jitter cannot be realised.

The clock selected for the Sonica DAC Signature has an astounding 37 Femtoseconds jitter RMS (frequency measurement 100 Hz to 100 KHz) , that’s 0.037 Picoseconds, amongst the lowest in the industry and not seen in DACs costing tens of thousands of dollars. The clock utilizes ultra-low noise discrete regulator circuitry, 1.1nV/√Hz @1KHz with a PSRR of 132 db @ 6V. The implementation of this femtosecond clock fully optimises the ES9038PRO so its full potential can be realised.

RFI Reduction & Resonance Control: The operating conditions audio are much improved when they can work in quiet environment. Inside any DAC the digital processing generates its own noise as well as succumbing to external noise which can affect the players overall performance.  To achieve the quietest electrical conditions, in the Sonica DAC Signature we use materials to shield and absorb the unwanted EMI/RFI and mechanical energy to achieve constantly the best performance regardless of the surroundings.