Cantico J-DAC DAC
CANTICO J-DAC ANNOUNCED BY ITALIAN HiFi BRAND
Italian audio manufacturer Cantico has announced the Cantico J-DAC, a new standalone digital-to-analogue converter designed and manufactured in Ponderano, Italy.
Cantico was founded by Silvio Germano Ricci and produces a range of handcrafted audio electronics and loudspeakers in Italy.
CANTICO J-DAC
The company says the J-DAC has been developed around a simplified signal-path architecture, with an emphasis on galvanic isolation and separate power supply stages. The DAC is housed in a 13kg unibody aluminium chassis machined from a single block and includes a 5mm bottom plate.
At the centre of the Cantico J-DAC is a transformer-coupled output stage using a single JFET per DAC channel positioned between the conversion resistors and custom output transformers. According to Cantico, the design provides galvanic isolation and identical performance from both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs. A physical selector switch allows only one output to operate at a time.
The DAC also employs three isolated toroidal transformers, each assigned to separate sections for digital processing, DAC and analogue stages, and the output stage.
CANTICO J-DAC CONSTRUCTION
Cantico says all analogue circuit boards are designed and manufactured in-house using a proprietary copper milling process rather than conventional photochemical PCB production.
The J-DAC also incorporates 3D-printed conductive carbon shielding, which the company says is used to improve electromagnetic isolation throughout the signal path.
CONNECTIVITY
Inputs on the J-DAC include USB, AES/EBU, coaxial S/PDIF and Toslink optical. Supported formats include DSD 2X and PCM up to 384kHz/24-bit via USB, with PCM up to 192kHz/24-bit available through the remaining digital inputs. Outputs are available on balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connections.
TECH SPECS
Construction: Unibody aluminium chassis — 13 kg
Power Supply: Three isolated toroidal transformers (digital / analogue / output)
Output Stage: Single JFET per channel, transformer-coupled
Inputs: USB, S/PDIF coaxial, Toslink optical
Formats: DSD 2X & PCM 384/24 via USB · PCM 192/24 on S/PDIF & Toslink
Outputs: Balanced XLR · Unbalanced RCA (physical selector, one active at a time)
Shielding: 3D-printed conductive carbon — proprietary geometry
PCB: In-house design & high-precision copper milling (no photochemical process)
MSRP: € 12,000 (22% VAT incl.)
CANTICO J-DAC PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The Cantico J-DAC is available now with an MSRP of €12,000 excluding VAT.
HiFi PiG says: A solid looking DAC from Italy with a minimal and understated design.
