John
The guys at Consonance have hitched their wagon to the digital audio road train with the Sovtek 6H30 tube-infused Consonance Reference7 HD tube music server. It’s a hard disk music storage device AND a network streamer with both single-ended and balanced outputs.
Here’s what Consonance refer to as “key functions”:
- Digital stream master network audio interface (24Bit/192KHz)
- Digital stream Hard Disk recorder (24Bit/96KHz)
- WI-FI/LAN Internet radio
- Upgrade operating system from USB
- 24Bit/192KHz D/A Converter with asynchronous upsampling
- Universal DAC for CD transports, The Consonance HD interface, DVD players, Blu-ray players, cable TV decoders and satellite receivers
- 6H30 tube output
- Three Group analog outputs (2*RCAs and 1*XLR Balanced ,1*RCA with tube ouput)
- Coaxial digital input for independence D/A Converter mode
“The Reference 7 High Definition digital music interface contains audio coding and decoding software that can process 24Bit/192KHz high bit rate digital master tape audio streams at very high speeds and supports the decoding output of all types of digital audio formats, such as (WAV/ FLAC/MP3). In the future, through firmware upgrading, the device will support even more audio formats.
It can also be used as a network music server center. It can support any network hard disc NAS and can share network resources through WI-FI/LAN. It can also be used as an Internet radio. With a built-in channel list, it can receive over ten thousand digital Internet radio stations from all over the world.
The Reference 7 adopts the specialized 32-bit high-performance embedded multi-media processor CPU, multimedia DSP chip solution and the reference clock system of the industrial-class digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) system, effectively reducing clock jitter in transmission of digital audio signals so as to achieve an ultra-low jitter index.
The Reference 7 has an 5 inch LCD display with a touch screen allowing the user simple operation. The screen can display the artist’s name/internet radio station information and the sampling rate. It also includes an easy to use high quality fully functioning remote control.The Reference 7 support control by computer/ipad/iphone/ipod touch and Google Android smartphone or flat computer…”
Specifications:
- DAC resolution – 24bit 192KHz multilevel sigma-delta with asynchronous upsampling
- 0dBFS signal output – 2.3V RMS (RCA,XLR)
- Output Terminals – Gold plated Tube RCA unbalanced and gold plated XLR balanced
- Frequency response – Less than +/- 0.1 dB deviation 20Hz-40kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio – More than 110dB (XLR output)
- Signal-to-noise ratio – More than 100dB (Vacuum tube RCA output)
- Distortion (XLR) – Less than 0.0025%
- Distortion (RCA) – Less than 0.003%,0.03% (Vacuum output)
- Vacuum tube – Sovtek 6H30 x1
- Digital output signal level – 0.5Vpp (RCA)
- Digital output impedance – 75ohm (RCA)
- Digital outputs – Gold plated RCA
- Digital inputs – 3 USB HOST, 1 LAN, 1 Coaxial, 1 Optical
- Dimensions – 11cm x 43cm x 33cm (HxWxD)
- Weight – 16kg(wood top panel) / 18kg(Metal top panel)
Consonance is represented in Australia by Osborn Loudspeakers, but there’s no word yet on pricing.
