Apogee DA-1000E-20 DAC w/ PS-1000E Power Supply & Wyde Eye Coaxial Cable

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General:
The Apogee DA-1000E-20 is one of those compact pieces of vintage digital gear with a much more interesting history than you might expect.

We even have the original Sam Ash sales receipt dated August 1, 1995, showing a purchase price of $2,325 for the DAC alone, with the complete package totaling $2,906.65. Adjusted for inflation, that's equivalent to approximately $6,400 in today's dollars! A nice reminder of just how serious this piece of digital audio equipment was back in its day.

Originally developed for professional studio monitoring, CD mastering, and digital recording applications, this is a serious piece of equipment from Apogee's pioneering years in digital audio.

There's also a fascinating connection to renowned digital audio engineer Dan Lavry, who designed the electronics for Apogee's original DA1000 before going on to establish Lavry Engineering.

Inside, the DA-1000E-20 features 20-bit digital-to-analog conversion with 8x oversampling, Apogee's proprietary digital filtering, and its C768 low-jitter clock. All impressive technology for its time, designed to deliver exceptionally clean and accurate digital playback.

Even more interesting is that Apogee manufactured a closely related DAC for Cello Music & Film Systems, marketed as the Cello Series 8.1 DAC. These are exactly the kinds of interesting pieces of audio history we love seeing come through SkyFi.

This particular unit features three digital inputs: Optical Digital (TOSLINK), coaxial S/PDIF through a BNC connector, and professional-grade balanced AES/EBU through an XLR connector. The BNC input accepts the same S/PDIF digital signal commonly found on RCA coaxial digital outputs, just using a different connector.

Analog outputs are provided through a pair of balanced male XLR connectors for the left and right channels.

Best of all, this is an unusually complete package, including the matching Apogee PS-1000E external power supply, original box, owner's manual, and connecting cables. We're also including an Apogee Wyde Eye coaxial digital cable, a nice addition from Apogee's own line of professional digital interconnects.

Compatibility Note:
During our testing, this DAC operated normally with multiple digital sources, locking onto their signals without issue. However, we have encountered a compatibility issue when pairing it with a CEC TL0 CD transport. For this reason, we do not recommend this DAC for use with CEC CD players or transports.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
The covers show cosmetic marks and wear from age and use, while the front faceplates remain in good overall condition.

Brand Background:
Apogee initially made its name with special anti-aliasing filters that solved many of the early problems associated with digital audio. Later, Apogee’s complete conversion systems pushed the envelope of digital audio quality and established Apogee as a key innovator in the field of professional digital audio. Today, Apogee converters and audio interfaces are regarded as the reference standard in the audio industry.

Products such as Symphony I/O, Big Ben, Ensemble and Duet all have set the benchmark by which digital audio recording hardware is judged.

Now with its latest products JAM and MiC, designed especially for Apple’s iPad, iPhone and GarageBand software, Apogee continues to be at the forefront of recording technology. Apogee’s mission is to build products that offer ultimate sound quality, innovative design and unparalleled value to all music creators from the aspiring artist to the discerning audio professional.

Ownership:
Second Owner

Connections:
XLR, RCA, Coaxial BNC

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested on our bench with both CD and DVD. XLR and RCA working as they should.

Included:
Exactly as pictured and described above.

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Specs:
Digital converter: 
20 bit, 8 x oversampling

Digital Inputs:
Coaxial, AES/EBU, Optical

Sampling Frequency:
20 bit, 32 Hz - 54 kHz

Frequency response:
10 Hz to 20 kHz

Signal to Noise Ratio:
106 dB

(See our images for more specifications)

Dimensions - Each Unit:
10.75" x 5.56" x 1.65"

Weight - Each Unit:
3 lbs.

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Coaxial Digital Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Optical Digital Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Digital AES/EBU Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Select Series Reference USB Cable

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Good

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect resistors and other passive components for signs of overheating. 

After the visual inspection we connect the DAC's RCA outputs to our Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates a real world input impedance and allows us to monitor the output on an oscilloscope. We are equipped to test optical, coaxial, and USB inputs at Redbook CD Quality.

We start with a test signal to verify signal lock and proper output on both channels. If the DAC has balanced outputs these are also tested at this time. If the DAC has multiple Optical and Coaxial inputs they are all checked for proper lock. USB inputs are tested with a MacBook Pro. 

After proper function is verified, we setup the DAC for a listening test to evaluate general audio reproduction quality and monitor for clicks, pops, or any other audible signs of issues related to dropped signal lock or failing audio output stages. We often connect the DAC under evaluation to our long term test rig for a long test stint to verify stability under real world operating conditions.