Accuphase DAC-60 Digital Input Board

Accuphase DAC-60 Digital Input Board for PCM & DSD Playback

The Accuphase DAC-60 Digital Input Board is a great upgrade that slots straight into compatible Accuphase preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers, turning them into genuinely high-grade digital hubs. As a sixth-generation design, it reflects years of refinement, offering USB, optical and coaxial inputs to cover everything from computers and streamers to traditional digital sources. The idea is elegant simplicity: bring the digital signal directly into the amplifier and handle conversion with the same care Accuphase applies to its analogue circuitry.

At the heart of the DAC-60 is Accuphase’s “2MDS+” (Multiple Delta Sigma) conversion system, built around the ESS ES9016K2M DAC. Each ES9016K2M contains two DACs, and Accuphase runs two of them in parallel per channel, a configuration chosen to improve linearity, lower noise and preserve fine musical detail. The result is a sound that stays remarkably faithful to the original recording, with a natural flow and tonal balance that never feels forced or clinical.

The USB Type-B input is particularly capable, supporting PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit and native DSD up to 11.2896 MHz. Both DoP and ASIO 2.1 are supported, along with Melco’s markerless DSD playback, making the DAC-60 a strong match for serious high-resolution libraries. Optical and coaxial inputs round things out neatly, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of digital transports and legacy sources.

Beyond the raw specifications, much of the DAC-60’s appeal lies in its meticulous analogue output stage. A fully balanced post-filter suppresses high-frequency image noise, while the I-V converter doubles as a first-order low-pass filter, followed by a second-order stage to create a carefully tuned third-order filter overall. Accuphase’s proprietary ANCC (Accuphase Noise and distortion Cancelling Circuit) further reduces noise and distortion using a feedforward approach, cancelling unwanted artefacts before they can intrude on the music. The end result is a digital input board that feels less like an add-on and more like a natural extension of Accuphase’s core design philosophy.

Why Choose The Accuphase DAC 60

The Accuphase DAC-60 Digital Input Board is one of those upgrades that doesn’t shout for attention, but quietly transforms a compatible Accuphase amp into a seriously classy digital nerve centre. Slot it in and everything just feels more resolved and more composed, thanks to its sixth-generation design and a smart spread of USB, optical and coaxial inputs that cover modern hi-res libraries and old-school digital transports alike. Under the hood, Accuphase’s 2MDS+ architecture runs dual ESS ES9016K2M DACs per channel in parallel, a no-nonsense approach that pays off with lower noise, better linearity and a sound that’s smooth, natural and effortlessly musical rather than showy or clinical. USB support stretches right up to 384kHz PCM and native DSD, while the beautifully engineered analogue stage and ANCC noise-cancelling circuitry ensure the DAC-60 feels less like a bolt-on and more like a seamless extension of Accuphase’s design DNA.