Amazing Grace

摘要

Because the chasm between audiophiles and professionals seems as wide as ever - they think we're freaks and we know they're deaf - those rare 'crossover' moments are all the more delicious. For instance, they've given us Nagra, the LS3/5a and myriad headphones, while we've given (some of) them superior cables, Wilson speakers and various valve amps. The latest gem to escape the clutches of studio denizens is so utterly captivating that you can only grin stupidly when you try it. Quite how Stateside manufacturer Grace Design came up with the idea of a combination miniature headphone amplifier/D-to-A converter/pre-amp isn't clear, but apparently the topology is familiar to and useful for studio personnel. What's clear is that there are no domestic audio equivalents that spring to mind unless you qualify any full-size pre-amp with onboard DAC and headphone outputs as a direct rival. Or, conversely, any overkill DAC with a non-digital line input and headphone output. But it's the 'pro-ness' of the Grace m902 - construction, facilities, seriousness - as well as its diminutive size that make it more than a basic DAC-cum-pre-amp variant.