{"product_id":"apos-certified-d-a-alpha-pro-hi-res-dac-headphone-amp","title":"D\u0026A Alpha Pro Hi-Res DAC \u0026 Headphone Amp (Apos Certified)","description":"\u003ch1\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it all, from phono to planar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Alpha Pro by D\u0026amp;A is a fully balanced DAC and headphone amp that straddles two worlds: modern digital precision and old-school analog soul. Featuring the ES9039MSPRO DAC chip, 4-channel discrete amplification, and a real analog preamp stage, it’s built for listeners who care about detail, dynamics, and driving just about any headphone. Whether you’re feeding vinyl into planar magnetics or decoding DSD512 over USB, Alpha Pro’s architecture keeps your signal clean, your volume steady, and your background silent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEngineered around ESS’s flagship DAC chip\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe ES9039MSPRO is ESS’s most advanced DAC chip to date, and the Alpha Pro takes full advantage. By summing eight differential signals per channel, the SIGMA DAC topology lowers output impedance and noise, giving you deeper dynamics and cleaner transients. With MQA hardware decoding, HyperStream architecture, and a 32-bit noise-shaping engine, your digital audio gets processed at maximum clarity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003e4C-FBDA: Discrete power with grip\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Alpha Pro uses four fully-balanced channels of discrete transistor amplification—8 transistors per channel, 32 total. The result is 6000mW per channel into 32Ω, \u0026lt;0.1Ω output impedance, and near-total absence of distortion (0.0001% THD). \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eTrue preamp functionality\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA lot of DAC\/amps slap on a volume knob and call it a day. The Alpha Pro uses the NJU72315, one of the highest-performance analog volume chips available. It retains detail at whisper levels, cuts noise, and offers a real analog volume taper—no stepping, no smearing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTurntables and cassette decks welcome\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eConnect a phono preamp-enabled turntable or tape deck and route your analog signal to powered monitors or straight into headphones. No conversion, no digital artifacts, no latency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eDesigned for digital, ready for everything\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA 16-core XMOS XU-316 chip handles USB duties, decoding PCM up to 768kHz\/32bit, DSD512, and full MQA. Bluetooth 5.1 (QCC5125) supports LDAC 24bit\/96kHz along with aptX HD, AAC, and SBC. There’s also coaxial and optical with a 2nd PLL that matches USB jitter specs (15ps typical), keeping the entire digital path in lockstep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eIsolation built into every layer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe analog and digital sections live on different zones of a multi-layer PCB, with dedicated grounds, guarded traces, and star-quad routing. Even the power rails are isolated. This means no crosstalk, no digital bleed, and no interference sneaking in from the USB controller to the output stage. In a word: clean. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eIt’s got timing down to a science\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWith three femtosecond-grade oscillators and a VCXO-driven second PLL clock, the Alpha Pro holds jitter below 15ps. That’s about ten times tighter than the average DAC and a huge boost for microdetail, spatial placement, and realism.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003ePerformance that won’t break a sweat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThermal zoning distributes heat to avoid performance drift. Adaptive compensation circuitry keeps internal temps within 2°C even when outputting at full throttle. No fans, no drama—just steady performance when your listening session runs long.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eProtected at every stage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFour independent DC monitoring circuits protect your headphones against rogue voltage. The power stage features silent relay switching, zero-pop startup, and overload detection. Even if something goes sideways, your ears (and gear) stay safe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003ePremium components throughout\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePrecision capacitors, MELF resistors with ±1% tolerance and ±25ppm\/°C TCR, and dual-stage Mean Well linear power modules keep the Alpha Pro running clean and quiet. These are lab-grade components chosen for consistency, stability, and sonic transparency.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eSubtle design, serious hardware\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTranslucent front panels, anodized aluminum bodies, and hidden antennas give the Alpha Pro a minimal aesthetic. But under the surface, you’ll find a 4-layer PCB, gold-plated ports, and a multi-mode output matrix that can drive headphones, act as a preamp, or just decode and hand off a digital signal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003ch3\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eProduct highlights\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h3\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eES9039MSPRO DAC chip with SIGMA DAC topology\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e4-channel fully balanced discrete amplifier (4C-FBDA)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e6000mW+6000mW output at 32Ω\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eNJU72315 analog volume control\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSupports PCM 768kHz\/32bit, DSD512, MQA\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e16-core XMOS XU-316 USB receiver\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBluetooth 5.1 with LDAC, aptX HD, AAC, SBC\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAnalog input with true preamp functionality\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOptical, coaxial, USB, Bluetooth, and analog I\/O\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e2nd PLL clock + 3 femtosecond oscillators (15ps jitter)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDiscrete regulated power supply with dual Mean Well modules\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eQuad-phase DC protection and overload immunity\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMulti-layer PCB with dual-domain isolation\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePremium capacitors and MELF resistors\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGold-plated connectors and concealed antenna\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003ch3\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eSpecs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h3\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eInputs: USB \/ Optical \/ Coaxial \/ Bluetooth \/ RCA\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOutputs: XLR \/ RCA \/ XLR headphones \/ 4.4mm headphones \/ 6.35mm headphones\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLine output voltage:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXLR: 5.2Vrms\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRCA: 2.5Vrms\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHeadphone output level:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e4000mW x 2 (16Ω)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e6000mW x 2 (32Ω)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e1400mW x 2 (150Ω)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e700mW x 2 (300Ω)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e350mW x 2 (600Ω)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eTHD+N:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXLR: 0.00006% (−124dB) (UN-WTD)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRCA: 0.00007% (−122dB) (UN-WTD)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHP: 0.0001% (−115dB) (UN-WTD)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDynamic range:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXLR: 133dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRCA: 128dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHP: 125dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSNR:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXLR: 133dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRCA: 128dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHP: 125dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOutput impedance:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLine out: 100Ω\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHeadphone out: Near 0Ω\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eHeadphone amplifier gain:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eBalanced: +15.8dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUnbalanced: +9.8dB\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUSB transmission: USB 2.0 (Asynchronous)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUSB compatibility: Windows 7 \/ 8 \/ 8.1 \/ 10 \/ 11 (Needs driver), Mac OSX, iOS, Linux, Android\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMQA decoder: USB \/ Optical \/ Coaxial\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMQA-CD decoder: Optical \/ Coaxial\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMax supported sampling rate:\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUSB decoding: Up to 768kHz\/32bit, DSD512 (Native)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCoaxial input decoding: Up to 192kHz\/24bit, DoP64\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOptical input decoding: Up to 192kHz\/24bit, DoP64\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\n \u003cdiv\u003eBluetooth 5.1\u003c\/div\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCodecs supported: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLDAC: 24-bit\/96kHz at 990\/660\/330kbps\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eaptX HD: 24-bit\/48kHz at 576kbps\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eaptX: 16-bit\/44.1kHz at 352kbps\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSBC: 16-bit\/44.1kHz at 328kbps\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAAC: 16-bit\/44.1kHz (bitrate not specified)\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePower consumption: \u0026lt;50W\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eStandby power: \u0026lt;0.5W\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSize: 225 x 55 x 199.3mm (WxHxD)\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWeight: 1.76kg \/ 3.88lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003ch3\u003e\n \u003cstrong\u003eWhat’s included\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/h3\u003e\n \u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAlpha Pro DAC\/amp\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003ePower cable\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUSB cable\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUser manual\u003c\/li\u003e\n \u003c\/ul\u003e\n \u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeatured reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Wow, I did not expect such excellent performance! The Alpha Pro comfortably ranks in our top tier of all DACs tested.\" -\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.audiosciencereview.com\/forum\/index.php?threads\/d-a-alpha-pro-dac-headphone-amp-review.62862\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAudio Science Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3b8FEC4VzZU?si=MFHQoL8E1GKIFGxw\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Super impressed with this being their first product.\" -Joshua Valour\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"D\u0026A","offers":[{"title":"Open Box - Like New","offer_id":46866215764143,"sku":"APS-AC-1031-1-LN","price":525.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0734\/6415\/2239\/files\/apos-audio-d-a-headphone-dac-amp-d-a-alpha-pro-hi-res-dac-headphone-amp-apos-certified-like-new-1199474209.jpg?v=1777716276","url":"https:\/\/freshized.com\/products\/apos-certified-d-a-alpha-pro-hi-res-dac-headphone-amp","provider":"Freshized","version":"1.0","type":"link"}