I first encountered the Imersiv D-1 DAC at Capital Audiofest 2025 in the Now Listen Here room, paired with amplification from Ayre powering Vandersteen Quatro CT Evo speakers. A system that made my Favorites of the show.
I also included the D1-DAC as a Notable New Product where I included this quote from the Imersiv:
Multi-path HDR-A (High Dynamic Range) offers two major advantages over traditional single-path methods. First, it significantly reduces noise and distortion (THD+N). The imersiv D-1 achieves a remarkable 40 nanovolts of broadband noise, which is around 40 dB lower — 100 times quieter — than today’s best DAC designs. In fact, the D-1’s self-noise is 25dB below the measurement capability of today’s leading test equipment, such as the APx555B (see FAQ).
The second advantage is untethered headroom. HDR-A technology allows us to boost high-path headroom to any level without affecting our quiescent self-noise. The D-1 provides +22dBu (10 volts) of ISO-free* headroom while maintaining its profoundly low 40nV self-noise floor. This results in a true broadband, unweighted linearity and dynamic range of 28 bits or 168dB. (*inter-sample overs or inter-sample peak.
There’s much more to say about the tech behind the D-1 DAC but I’ll save that for the review proper and point you to Imersiv’s wesbite where you can, as they used to say in the newspaper business, read all about it. For now I’ll share that Millennia Music & Media Systems is Imersiv’s parent company which was founded 1990 to serve the pro audio market (see Imersiv’s Our Story page for details). The D-1 DAC is Imersiv’s first consumer/pro product.
Beyond the usual front panel function buttons and volume control/function knob, we find an uncommon addition inside the Set Up menu called “Calibrate”. From the D-1 DAC manual:
Calibrate optimizes the sensitive output stages of the D-1 to the electrical characteristics of the device it is connected to. If your destination device, headphones or cables are changed, run a new Calibrate cycle.
Pressing “Filter” allows you to scroll through and select one of six digital filters which include:
F0 – Fast Lin – Fast Roll-off Linear Phase (default)
F1 – Slow Lin – Slow Roll-off Linear Phase
F2 – Apod Fast Lin – Apodizing Fast Roll-off Linear Phase
F3 – Fast Min – Fast Roll-off Minimum Phase
F4 – Slow Min – Slow Roll-off Minimum Phase
F5 – Hybrid Min – Hybrid Fast Roll-off Minimum Phase
One more kinda hidden (and fun) feature lives in the “Pro Menu” which does not appear on the main menu, accessed by pressing the Setup & Select buttons:
Harmonic Distortion (3 settings)
Various “flavors” of harmonic coloration, for adding “warmth” and “richness” and “body” to pop music program. Select a harmonic pre-set (“A”, “B”, etc.) then use the front-panel encoder knob to dial-in the effect amount desired (0-10). See FAQ for a lengthy discussion on harmonic coloration setup and use.
Two indications of the D-1 DAC’s pro audio roots appear on its rear panel and include the logo for the Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) Audio over IP protocol which the D-1 DAC supports and three BNC S/PDIF inputs. You need to use the D-1 DAC’s XLR outputs connected to “a true differential-balanced receiver” to fully benefit from its high dynamic range technology, which the company refers to as HDR-A. The RCA outputs “exhibit reduced performance relative to the differential-balanced XLR outputs.” Luckily the review Gryphon Diablo 333 (more info) is one such integrated amplifier.
To further whet your curiosity, here’s a short video from Imersiv that offers more on their multi-path HDR-A tech:
As is the case with everything that comes into the Barn for review I look forward to listening through the Imersiv D-1 DAC and its marketing material to see how well it serves the music. Stay tuned!
imersiv D-1 DAC
Price: $12,000
Company Website: Imersiv
Specifications
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/-0.1dB
THD+N at 1kHz (22kHz BW): 0.0002% at +22dBu
THD+N at 20kHz (80kHz BW): 0.0005% at +22dBu
Self-Noise 20Hz-22kHz bandwidth: -146dBu unweighted (calculated)
Dynamic Range: 168dB (28-bits)
Signal-to- Noise Ratio: 168dB (28-bits)
Linearity: 168dB (28-bits)
Crosstalk: Better than -120dB at 1kHz
Headphone Output: 32ohm to 600ohm 2.8W max
DC Offset: 20uV max quiescent
Digital Filter: 6 selectable variations, see user guide
Polarity Flip: 180 degrees
Mute: Output Relay
Resampling: 192kHz
Calibration: See user guide
Supported Input Format: 32kHz to 384kHz up to 32-bits, 1xDSD, 2xDSD, 4xDSD, Dante
Digital Inputs: 1x USB (B) 32-bit, 1x AES XLR, 3x SPDIF BNC, 1x Toslink, 1x Dante (option)
XLR Analog Outputs: +22dBu diff-bal (9.75Vrms) max. Zero Inter-sample overs. 1.8 ohms Z
Level Control: 0.1dB or 1.0dB per step, selectable, 154dB range (-130 to +24dB)
Manual Alignment: to 0.01dB left + right matching
Display: Monochrome OLED: 256 x 64
Front Panel Switches: Input, Setup, Select, Filter, Mute
Remote Control: IR, 27 functions, 4 reserved, 2 AA batteries required
Powering: 90-240V 50-60Hz
Power Use: 15 Watts nominal
Chassis Dimensions: 8.6”W x 16.3”D x 3.2”H (218W x 414D x 81H mm)
Weight: 7 pounds 7 oz (3.4kg)
Shipping Dimensions: 21” x 21” x 8”H (53 x 53 x 20 cm)
Shipping Weight: 13 pounds (5.5kg)
Included Accessories: Power Adapter, IEC Power Cable, Remote Control, 2 AA Batteries, Quick Start Guide, BNC to RCA Adapters (3)
Temperature Range: 32°F to 104°F (0°C to 40°C)
Humidity Range: 35% to 85% RH, non-condensing