Not all wizards wear robes

Tom of House Apos speaketh now with tidings most welcome. A DAC long in the crafting hath at last taken form: the Apos x Geshelli Merlin DAC. Though it be clad in modest garb of arcylic, it is a work of true technomancy.

When first we did unveil the Gremlin, many a learned listener spake thus: “Pair it with the gear of Geshelli, and thou shalt know true harmony.” So we heeded the call, and sent word to Geno and Sherri, the master-makers of the Florida forge. Together, through fire, solder, and spell, we summoned forth the Merlin: a conjurer of clarity, made to serve alongside the Gremlin’s analog mischief.

The Spellbook—AK4493

Clutched close to his chest, the Merlin keepeth his treasured spellbook—the AK4493, a grimoire of great renown. Within its tarnished pages lie incantations most potent, capable of transmuting cold numerals into living sound. This 32-bit manuscript readeth the sacred tongues of PCM up to 768,000 cycles per second and the deep-scripted dialects of native DSD512.

The Gatekeeper—Amanero 768

To guide thine audio from the digital realm, the Merlin wieldeth the Amanero 768, a module known far and wide for its purity of passage. It speaketh fluently in the tongues of PCM and DSD, and through its galvanic warding, it keepeth at bay the hum and curse of ground loops. It drinketh no power from thy device and requireth no driver—only union through the sacred port of USB-C.

The Voice—an analog stage discrete

Once transformed, thy signal passeth through the OPA1652 op amp—a quiet steward, whose hands mar not the detail nor breadth of sound. It addeth no color, nor masketh the truth.

The Rite of the old ways—SPDIF with DIX9211

Shouldst thou cling to the talismans of yore—CD players, consoles, and other coaxial-casting devices—fear not. The Merlin heedeth thy ways. Governed by the TI DIX9211, it supporteth coaxial input up to 192kHz at 24-bit depth, delivering thy signal with low jitter and great precision.

Stack thy party

If thou seekest to bind the Merlin and the Gremlin into one mighty adventuring party, procure the Stacker—a platform of translucent crystal, cut to cradle the Gremlin upon the Merlin’s back. 

Product highlights

• AK4493 DAC chip with 32-bit, 768kHz PCM support
  
• Native DSD512 playback via USB
  
• Amanero 768 USB module with galvanic isolation
  
• TI OPA1652 op amp
  
• TI DIX9211 SPDIF decoder with coaxial input
  
• RCA and XLR analog outputs
  
• USB Type-C input (driver-free)
  
• Coaxial SPDIF input (192kHz/24-bit max)

Let's talk numbers

Tom at Apos here dropping the wizard schtick for a bit to talk about the price of the Merlin. From the beginning of this project, we had our eyes set on an MSRP under $200, but during the prototyping we realized that that number wasn't going to be possible. For one, the Amanero USB module, which we absolutely wanted as part of this unit, is both expensive on a unit-by-unit basis and also requires a licensing fee to Amanero to use. Additionally, we added some safety features like a voltage protector on the power input that'll prevent you from blowing up your Merlin like a dangerous alchemical mixture in a test tube should you plug in the wrong power cord. We ended up having to push the MSRP to $225, but in order to meet our initial dream of a <$200 DAC, we're launching pre-orders at a special introductory price of $195.