By a happy coincidence, Daniel Frauchiger was introduced to us in 2018, who with his company niedal audio lab had invented a digital/analogue converter under the brand name PURSON and brought it to the market for music lovers. We hi-fi IFAs seized the opportunity and were the first magazine to take a close look at the wonderfully musical high-end converter DAC1 – as its catchy name goes – and immediately took it to our hearts. It was nice to see that we were not alone in our assessment.
For the nationwide market launch in 2019, niedal changed the brand name to MERASON, and in 2022 the housing was revised with a facelift. At the beginning of 2023, the ambitious Swiss also added technology and presented the MERASON DAC1 Mk II in almost the same guise, but with a technically careful revision, for which Daniel took a year and a half. The adjustment of the price to around 8,000 euros was significantly different from the around 5,000 euros of the predecessor. We are all the more excited about the impressions of the latest work from the high-end manufacturer from the Bern region in our listening room and are taking a close look at the high-end Mark Two for you.
For the listening impression at home, the Rhinelanders also offer such test packages on their website for prospective buyers. So I can feel like a customer who takes the carefully packed DAC1 Mk II out of the transport box, makes initial contact and sets up the silver-colored device. The facelifted MERASON DAC1 of the first generation is already waiting in my hi-fi rack – also in silver. As expected, the two are like twins, because last year, as I already mentioned, MERASON introduced a new housing for the first generation DAC1, which is significantly more stable than that of the original version, that we tested in 2018. In this context, MERASON replaced the ventilation grilles with ventilation holes in the stiffer sheet metal. In addition, the front panels, which were made of extravagant white and black Plexiglas in the first edition, are now available in classic, chic, brushed aluminum in the colors silver, black and cider. The color of the front is also continued on the case.
At the High End 2023 in Munich, I asked Daniel why he hadn't changed the design of the cover of the successor model - like many competitors do. You can hardly tell the difference. His answer: "Why? The buttons are now silver and made of solid aluminum and no longer made of plexiglass.” Oh right. This is a bit reminiscent of the calm facelift strategy that watch fans of a certain Swiss watch brand appreciateOnly the Swiss with their special understatement can make a successor model with an additional price of around 50% visible on the market with only two silver buttons. Anyone who knows Daniel Frauchiger is not surprised. In his pragmatic way, he wants to convince the music lover with the core competence of a hi-fi device: the sound and not with any kind of chichi. Completely without vanities. And clean workmanship is a matter of honor, as with the predecessor, despite all objectivity.
The interested MERASON fan may now ask himself: What actually happens with the gap of around six and a half thousand euros between the entry-level model Frérot , which can be upgraded with the power supply unit pow1 , and the top model DAC1 Mk II? During the conversation, Daniel told me that he had another arrow in his quiver. Code name: Reuss . This digital/analogue converter will probably close the gap in the middle this year.
But this is about the DAC1 Mk II. In the listening room, I stack the two Swiss DACs and plug the cables. This is easy to do as the connector panel is practically identical. I digitally connect the NuPrime Stream9 via cinch via the MUTEC MC3+ USB Reclocker and MUTEC cable and via USB the LUMIN U1 mini via the innuos PhoenixUSB Reclocker via Boaacoustic Silver Digital Xeno USB cable – you want to be able to choose . The source for both players is the Internet or the innuos ZENith mk3 music server. Since all the cables from the predecessor below, including the power and analog XLR cable to the preamplifier, were already on the device, the DAC1 Mk II was, to my delight, ready to play about five minutes after opening the plastic box of the test package. It starts when you press the cylindrical, hard-separating power button - which is practical because you don't have to reach behind the device to save power.
The MERASON DAC1 Mk II also has a USB-B, a coaxial cinch, an optical TOSLINK and an AES/EBU digital input, which are switched through via a button (SELECT) on the front. Six green LEDs on the front indicate the status: four alternately the selected input, one an active, connected device (LINK) and another an active USB port (SENSE).
The USB input is based on Amanero technology, two precise oscillators in this setup should receive and pass on a music signal with little jitter. This is supported by capacitively working isolator modules, which ensure galvanic isolation. At the other inputs, the incoming signals are electrically isolated and jitter is suppressed by means of transformers. The aim of this is to keep external interference away from the sensitive signal.
As in the predecessor, the digital-to-analog conversion of the signal is carried out using two Burr Brown 1794A converter modules, each with two DAC channels. Using a separate chip for each channel increases the dynamic range by 5 dB. The 1794A is a proven converter chip that has been on the market for some time. He specializes in PCM and converts it up to 192kHz and 24bit. For comparison: Modern chips support PCM up to 384kHz and 32bit and also offer DSD and MQA conversion. The owner of the MERASON has to do without that. Why? Because the 1794A, Daniel Frauchiger is convinced, simply sounds wonderful and the digital playback for the vast majority of music fans takes place in exactly the bandwidth up to 192kHz/24bit. The widespread CD format is known to be 44, 1kHz and 16bit and many professional devices, for example, process digital signals internally at 96kHz. The question of the technical necessity of certain formats has to be answered by each prospective customer himself and is one thing, the other is the resulting sound, which cannot be measured in kilohertz and bits.
In every D/A converter - just like the conversion itself - the careful processing of the analog output signal after the chips is of fundamental importance. In the DAC1 Mk II, the resulting analog current signal is converted into a voltage signal in a discrete structure. Class A technology is used to buffer it before it is sent to the device output. The structure is fully symmetrical, so that in the case of a stereo signal, four independent channels (right and left each normal and inverted) are routed from the two converter modules to the output.
Each functional unit has its own power supply, of which there are twelve in all. The focus is on the two output channels, each of which is powered by a separate linear supply with an oversized transformer. When developing the Mk II, Daniel Frauchiger not only relied on electrotechnical theory, but also on extensive and intensive sessions with experienced listeners. All components and circuit variants as well as different layouts were thoroughly examined with regard to their influence on the sound. Capacitors, voltage regulators, converter components, transistors, resistors, signal processing, I/V converters and output stages are representative.
When it comes to manufacturing his treasure, Daniel relies on "Made in Switzerland". The housing, the front panel and control buttons as well as the printing, component assembly, assembly, commissioning and control are carried out exclusively in Switzerland.
So much for the theory, which can also be read on the manufacturer's website. During the conversation, Daniel told me his motivation for developing the Mk II and I got the obvious answer that he simply wanted to make the DAC1, which he put a lot of heart and soul into, even better. The project took about a year and a half.
Daniel summarizes the main modifications of the Mk II as follows. Modified are the significantly more complex and expensive main print with six instead of two layers, a thoroughly revised layout and, above all, the routing has been changed to minimize signal paths. In the Mk II, more and more SMD components are used because, according to MERASON's experience, they ensure a better sound in this constellation. With the new layout comes the use of polystyrene capacitors for the low-pass filter. The power transistors are mounted in pairs on the heat sinks with disc springs, which guarantee a clearly defined contact pressure. All this is accompanied by many detailed improvements that have found their way into the Mk II with a lot of time and patience.
Technical data
Digital inputs (one each):
USB-B, Cinch (unbalanced), Toslink (optical) and AES/EBU (balanced)Outputs: 1 pair of RCA (unbalanced), 1 pair of XLR (balanced)
Output voltage: max. 1.5 V RMS (unbalanced), max. 3 V RMS (balanced)
Construction output: discrete structure
Frequency: 20Hz to 20kHz +/- 0.3dB
Crest Factor/Distortion Factor (THD+N): < 0.006%
Signal to noise ratio (SNR): > 120 dB
DAC: two BurrBrown 1794A, discrete I/V stage
Power supply: 230V AC/50 to 60 Hz, 30 W
Audio formats
44.1kHz@16bit / 24bit
48kHz@16bit / 24bit
88.2kHz@24bit
96kHz@24bit
176.4kHz@24bit (USB)
192kHz@24bit
sound
To start the listening session, I go back to the very first track that I heard after unpacking and connecting the MERASON DAC1 Mk II. The spontaneous first impression emphatically burned itself into my mind. On a whim I chose the Red Hot Chili Peppers with their recent album Return Of The Dream Canteen out of. With a tap of your finger in the NuPrime app, the RHCP can get off to a flying start with “Tippa My Tongue”. The drum roll at the beginning appears, accompanied by the funky bass, well dosed on the loudspeaker stage. The little witty but not surprising "ya-ya-ya-yaya" of the choral voices enters there - and then the electric bass kicks off really crisply. The impulsiveness that the DAC1 Mk II gives to this passage grabs me. It's clear to me that the piece is hearty, but here the Swiss DAC gives the piece a special touch.
This continues in title 2 "Peace And Love" almost even more impressively. The bass drum hits as hard as it can - but not just fat, but the Mark Two gives the impression of the skin stretched over the shell, which is being worked on by the drumstick of the foot pedal. The whole thing appears between the speakers in a plausible size. Then again the funky bass. Wow. I have the feeling that the electronics are getting the best out of the Diapason Adamantes V. Although the rhythm section already dynamically challenges the speaker, the voice of frontman Anthony Kiedis sounds just as natural and full of character as it does live on stage.
This becomes even clearer with the follow-up title “Reach Out”, which starts more calmly and illuminates the voice even better. The pronunciation of the words is wonderfully traced, with the singer seeming to lisp the "s" slightly. The Mk II reproduces this in a completely calm manner without overemphasizing it. After the recitative it starts. Anthony Kiedis shouts out what he has to say or sing, the guitars scream, the shooting gallery fires whatever they can and the stage seems to descend into chaos. The MERASON DAC1 Mk II doesn't mind the boys - okay, they're also around sixty now - and sorts it all out with great composure. The image remains stable and stretches seamlessly between and around the loudspeakers. And, very important, all this happens without annoying tonal inconsistencies. great too, how the D/A converter brings out the funky guitar in "Fake As Fu@k" or "Bella", transfers the power of the drums and puts the voice in the center of the action. Rarely heard a studio recording that sounds so vital and live. RHCP at its best.
And while we're on the subject of live, stylistically I make a clear shift to Kari Bremnes' phenomenal concert album Reise. A personal experience still impresses me when I was allowed to sit in the third row directly in front of Helge Norbakken's drum set and watch him work. Therefore, my favorite track on this album is “Sovngjengersken” (Sleepwalker), which features a brilliant solo from the drummer. The song starts again with a stage that stretches far in front of me and in which the charismatic voice of Kari Bremnes, which always seems a bit lost, is wonderfully embedded. And then the Norwegian drummer, who until then had been doing his duty in the musical scene, really took off. bam! As if he would push his implement a meter towards me and fill the room. He bangs his drums like there's no tomorrow.
As with RHCP, all of this acquires a power that does not displace the objectivity of the instrument. The MERASON DAC1 Mk II finely works out the body of the large drums, the ringing of the skin, reproduces the smaller, hard-tensioned drums impulsively in attack and tightly in the decay, giving the impression that drumsticks are at work here. All of this is mixed with the wonderful sense of rhythm and tension in the music, which is made by a human and not created in a computer. You can also hear Helge Norbakken's hissing, which probably substitutes for the hihats in the rhythm section. The man only has two hands and two feet. I feel like I was in row three again.
The following “A Riddle Beside Another Riddle” is quieter. Here comes the hour of the singer from Lofoten again. The stage belongs to her voice, to which the mk2 sensitively mixes Bengt E. Hanssen's singing in the chorus, which is easily differentiated. Before my eyes and ears there is a correct balance between the electric piano - the Mark Two leaves no doubt that it is one -, the drums and the vocals stepping half a step forward. Just like the overall musical events take place confidently in a nice width, height and depth in the loudspeaker level. So it neither imposes itself nor withdraws shamefully. This is also the case with the more dramatic "Skriek", which is inspired by Edvard Munch's painting. The song is already very demanding at its climax with the distorted guitar, but is repeatedly contrasted by the forgiving voice of Kari Bremne and then erupts in the brilliant finale. The MERASON DAC1 Mk II does its part with a steady hand.
A quick jump to Tori Amos' album The Beekeeper shows with the first track "Parasol" that the DAC1 Mk II has not bought the gain in dynamics, which can be easily understood in the bass, with a loss in musicality. The album is quite voluminous, but the D/A converter transports a lot of charm through the singing of the American singer-songwriter. Great is “The Power Of Orange Knickers” which features Damien Rice as a duet. I think I see both of them standing at a microphone in front of me. "Winter" from the album Tales Of A Librarian can also be experienced in a new way, which reveals new facets. "When you're gonna make up your mind, when you're gonna love you as much as I do. When you're gonna make up your mind, 'cause things are gonna change so almost...'. Tori Amos doesn't just sing these lines, he celebrates them. Even if the recording is certainly not the best, the intense performance touches the listener.
Actually, everything has already been said that, in my opinion, makes the MERASON DAC1 Mk II stand out and that can be applied to practically any genre of music. The dynamics in the fine and in the rough, when it matters; the gripping and at the same time the feeling for musical flow - mixed with an authentic spatial representation. At the end I would like to understand all this again in a smaller cast. My choice falls on the Lisa Bassenge Trio from Berlin, on my favorite album Three from 2004, which has accompanied me through half my hi-fi life. I find the cover alone incredibly likeable.
The Swiss high-end D/A converter cleverly manages to put a bracket around the three protagonists - vocals, piano and double bass - and the guest musicians on the Berlin's third longplayer, but at the same time leaves everyone enough freedom to listen to the easily share the stage. This atmosphere forms a good basis for the youthful, self-confident voice of the then 30-year-old Lisa Bassenge. The Mk II gives her a pleasing presence and positioning. The opening track "I got you" is a good starting point, as it is a surprising reinterpretation of James Brown's catchy tune "I feel good". The singing of Lisa Bassenge of thoughtful sensuality, accompanied by the gnarly double bass, whose strings like to hit the fretboard and the casually accompanying piano, livens up the Mk II atmospherically.
"Everything I Love" shines with a wonderfully casual brush on the drums and a pearly piano sound and catapults me to one of the capital's jazz clubs at once. But actually, I admit it, I only wanted to end the listening session with "We make music", which Lisa Bassenge recorded together with the unforgettable Ilse Werner. The old lady's singing is so touching, her whistling is so familiar – at least to those of us with experience of life – and Lisa Bassenge's voice is so refreshing that it's a joy. In addition, hardly any other title can describe the character of the MERASON DAC1 Mk II more aptly: it makes music.
Daniel Frauchiger has conscientiously further developed his highly acclaimed debut, the MERASON DAC1. Modest as he is, he added a simple Mk II to the name and only minimally revised the functional and chic case, as is otherwise known from the model update of Swiss luxury watches. But please don't let the looks fool you! With the DAC1 Mk II, which now costs around 8,000 euros, the music plays inside. A lot has happened there, which as a result makes the heart of the music fan beat faster. The high-end digital/analogue converter captivates the listener with impulsiveness and sensitivity at the same time from the very first beat. The dynamic and joy of playing takes the listener along without the musicality of the predecessor suffering - no, it is even more vitalized by it. He presents these character traits with an authentic three-dimensionality. The MERASON DAC1 Mk II, which specializes in PCM signals up to 192kHz/24bit, is musically worth every single cent, because it offers the finest enjoyment and creates an atmosphere at the fair of vanity that music lovers don't want to leave again enter it first. Equipped with these merits, it replaces its predecessor as a reference in the listening room.
Full review link can be found here