DAC Audio Converter Audiobyte Hydra ZAP + VOX

Hydra VOX: DAC and Headphone Amp

The VOX is a unique D/A converter with a headphone amplifier and external power supply. Its entire architecture is built from the ground up using Audiobyte’s proprietary technologies. Every feature has been developed through extensive research to deliver a natural audio experience.

FPGA DAC

The VOX is built around a Xilinx 7-series FPGA device. FPGA = Field Programmable Gate Array - a piece of silicon that allows the development of custom hardware. All the main functions of the device are specifically created inside the Xilinx device which can be updated, meaning new software will upgrade the DAC at the hardware level.

Processing

Achieving a high-performance 1-bit converter requires advanced digital processing. In order to maintain impeccable sound quality, processing must be done at a resolution higher than the music itself. Using 80 DSP cores running at 200 MHz and 68-bit processing, VOX has enough computing power to preserve the transparency required by the most demanding audiophiles.

Hydra ZAP: External Power Supply

The VOX is entirely powered by the dedicated Hydra.ZAP power supply, which provides analog power for the headphone amplifier, digital voltage, and ultra-low noise reference voltage.