Romulus

 

Aesthetix is proud to introduce the Pandora and Romulus. They join our Saturn Series, recognized around the world for outstanding performance, build quality, and user interface. High quality construction techniques include an all-aluminum chassis, stainless steel faraday cage to isolate digital sections, multiple power transformers in a stainless steel enclosure, and multiple regulation stages. These components raise the bar for all digital products and are the ideal match for our Janus and Calypso preamps, and Atlas power amplifiers.

Ultra Low Jitter USB and SPDIF 
The Pandora is a vacuum tube based digital-to-analog converter with USB and three SPDIF inputs. USB runs in asynchronous mode, with an ultra-low jitter fixed-frequency crystal clock immediately adjacent to the DAC. It runs in user-selectable class 1 audio, up to 96KHz / 24 bit or class 2, up to 192KHz / 24 bit. SPDIF/AES inputs use unique technology that offers jitter performance on par with asynchronous USB and are also capable of up to 192KHz / 24 bit.

Vacuum Tube Analog Stages 
The Aesthetix reputation for state-of-the-art analog stages is continued in the Pandora, which features a current-sourced differential vacuum tube amplifier (12AX7) being fed from the DAC. Differential amplifiers have the unique ability of rejecting ”common mode” signals, particularly useful in digital audio products, where high speed clocks and other digital noise can disrupt the delicate analog circuitry. Following the first differential amplifier, the audio signal is fed to the output stage, another differential amplifier based on the 6DJ8 vacuum tube. Both Pandora and Romulus feature Rel-Cap polypropylene coupling capacitors and Roederstein metal film resistors.
Dedicated and Isolated CD Transport 
Romulus builds upon the Pandora’s unique feature set and performance by adding a dedicated Red Book CD transport, also running from the low jitter master clock. Completely enclosed in its own faraday cage, it is electrically, mechanically and magnetically isolated from the rest of the DAC. Two separate transformers and three regulation stages are added to further isolate the transport mechanism from the DAC power supplies.

High Resolution Volume Control 
An optional high resolution relay-based volume control may be added to either Pandora or Romulus, allowing them to directly drive a power amplifier, ideal for many systems. This special volume control operates partially in the digital domain (for small 1dB steps) and partially in the analog domain (6dB large steps), assuring uncompromising performance.

Test av Aesthetix Romulus

HiFi Review Product of the Year(2011): ROMULUS CD Player

”Klanglich einer der musikalischsten Player überhaupt… harmonisch, farbig, schnell und kraftvoll… vom Computer gelieferte Files habe ich persönlich in dieser Qualität noch nicht gehört.” -Michael Lang

”Tonally one of the most musical players there is… harmonious, colorful, fast and powerful… I have never heard computer audio of this quality.” -Michael Lang

 

”…vivid dynamic contrast… vibrant sound… excellent analytics… with a taste of vinyl texture…” -Sam Ho

HiFi Review (Hong Kong, 2012): PANDORA digital-to-analog converter and ROMULUS cd player

PANDORA VACUUM TUBE USB AND SPDIF DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER

  • Card-based DAC with three digital input slots.
  • AES/EBU, RCA Coax, Toslink standard on digital input 1 slot.
  • AES/EBU and RCA Coax SPDIF capable of 192KHz / 24 bit.
  • Digital section capable of the following frequencies: 32KHz, 44.1KHz, 48KHz, 88.2KHz, 96KHz, 176.4KHz, 192KHz, all with 24 bit resolution.
  • USB standard on digital input 2 slot.
  • USB capable of class 1 audio (96KHz, 24bit) and class 2 audio (192KHz, 24bit).
  • 2nd USB input optional.
  • Asynchronous transfer mode for USB input, licensed from Gordon Rankin / Wavelength Technologies. This technology allows for jitter levels over a hundred times lower than previous USB solutions.
  • DSP based digital section using Motorola DSP56362 for digital filters.
  • DAC section based on Burr-Brown PCM1792A.
  • Analog section featuring four vacuum tubes in differential configuration (2x 12AX7, 2x 6DJ8/6922).
  • Zero feedback analog circuitry.
  • Balanced and single-ended outputs.
  • Volume control optional, allows DAC to drive a power amplifier directly. Relay-based switched resistor analog/digital design.
  • Remote control of all functions.
  • Multiple stainless steel faraday cages isolate critical digital, analog and power supply sections.
  • Three transformers, one for critical digital circuits, one for analog circuits and one for control functions.
  • All aluminum chassis construction.
  • RS232 control.
  • 12v trigger.
  • Available in black or silver faceplate.
  • Unit Weight: 35 Lbs
  • Dimensions: 18″ width x 4 3/8″ height x 18″ depth

 

 

ROMULUS VACUUM TUBE USB AND SPDIF DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER AND CD PLAYER

The Romulus includes the same features and construction as Pandora, but adds a CD transport mechanism:

  • CD mechanism is a Teac drive specially designed for audio, Red Book only.
  • Two-transformer based power supply dedicated only to drive.
  • CD clock source is ultra high quality crystal oscillator located at the DAC chip, for lowest possible jitter.
  • Available in black or silver faceplate.
  • Unit Weight: 40 Lbs
  • Dimensions: 18″ width x 4 3/8″ height x 18″ depth

 

 

Specifications subject to improvement or change without notice.