Ferrum Audio Erco black

Introduction to the Ferrum Audio Erco

The Ferrum Audio Erco is a high-fidelity headphone preamplifier that promises an exceptional audio experience. Designed by Ferrum, a company renowned for its expertise in audio technology, the Erco is the result of over 20 years of experience in manufacturing digital-to-analog converters (DACs).

Audio Quality

The audio quality of the Erco is exceptional, offering a perfect synergy between the DAC and the amplifier. The sound is neutral with a slight warmth, making it pleasant to listen to. The Erco is also known for its dynamics, transparency, holographic soundstage, and ability to reproduce the details of the music. Moreover, the Erco is designed to provide a balanced and highly transparent sound signature, making listening fatigue a thing of the past.

Industrial Design and Build Quality

The Ferrum Audio Erco features an industrial design reminiscent of their OOR and HYPSOS models. The build quality of the Erco is top-notch, as expected from a high-end device. Despite the presence of numerous inputs and outputs, the Ferrum Erco remains a simple device to use.

Compatibility

The Erco is compatible with many brands and models, making it extremely versatile. It is also fully stackable with other Ferrum components, including the pure analog OOR amplifier and the DAC.

Features

The Erco is equipped with several features that enhance the audio experience. It has a balanced 4.4mm headphone output and a single-ended 6.35mm output. It also features an LED indicator, a power switch and source selector, a gain selector, and a volume knob. Additionally, the Erco is designed to excel when used with Ferrum’s HYPSOS power supply system, thanks to the Ferrum Power Link (FPL) technology.

Compatibility

The Erco is compatible with many brands and models, thanks to the compatibility list provided by Ferrum. It is also easy to use with a Mac, making it an ideal choice for Apple product users.

Benefits of the Ferrum Audio Erco

• Natural and balanced sound
• Full and perfectly balanced frequency response
• Top-notch industrial design and build quality
• Compatibility with many brands and models
• Ease of use
• Fast and dynamic performance
• Transparency and holographic soundstage
• Absence of noise with all headphones and IEMs tested.

Technical Specifications

Main Specifications

• Product Type: Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), headphone amplifier
• DAC Chip: ESS SABRE ES9028Pro
• Fully balanced ERCO headphone
• Exclusive integrated circuit (IC) power amplifier design
• Digital inputs optimized for audio
• MQA rendering and decoding optimized for ARM chip

Audio Performance

Headphone Output Gain

• Balanced: −5.8 dB, +6 dB, +17.8 dB
• Unbalanced: −11.8 dB, 0 dB, 11.8 dB

Supported Formats

• PCM up to 32-bit / 384 kHz
• DSD up to DSD256
• MQA

Audio Characteristics

• Volume Control: Analog potentiometer with bypass function
• Frequency Response:
  • 10 Hz - 30 kHz (±0.05 dB)
  • 10 Hz - > 200 kHz (±1 dB)

Power and Distortion

• Output Power:
  • Unbalanced: 300 mW at 300 Ω, 1.7 W at 50 Ω
  • Balanced: 1.2 W at 300 Ω, 6.1 W at 50 Ω
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) Output:
  • Unbalanced: < 0.00032% / −110 dB, 1 mW at 16 Ω, < 0.00057% / −105 dB, 100 mW at 16 Ω
  • Balanced: < 0.00018% / −115 dB, 1 mW at 16 Ω, < 0.00018% / −115 dB, 100 mW at 16 Ω

Electrical Characteristics

• Dynamic Range:
  • Analog: 130 dB (A-weighted)
  • Digital: 120 dB (A-weighted)
• Input Impedance: 47 kΩ
• Headphone Output Impedance: < 0.3 Ω
• Preamp Output Impedance:
  • Unbalanced: 22 Ω
  • Balanced: 44 Ω

Connectivity

Inputs

• 1 × Stereo RCA unbalanced
• 1 × USB-C
• 1 × Optical Toslink
• 1 × Digital Coaxial

Outputs

• 1 × 4.4 mm Pentaconn TRRRS balanced headphone output
• 1 × 6.35 mm TRS unbalanced headphone output
• 1 × XLR balanced line output
• 1 × RCA unbalanced line output

Physical Characteristics

• Power Supply: 22-30 V DC via 5.5/2.5 mm DC connector or proprietary 4-pin FPL cable
• Power Consumption: < 15 W
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 21.7 × 20.6 × 5 cm
• Weight: 1.8 kg

Box Contents

• 1 × Ferrum ERCO
• 1 × Power Cord
• 1 × USB Cable
• 1 × AC/DC Power Adapter