Meet the Lina DAC X: The audio streamer that redefines high-end sound

The post Meet the Lina DAC X: The audio streamer that redefines high-end sound appeared first on Android Headlines.

May 8, 2025 - 23:03

For nearly 40 years, dCS has been crafting high-quality audio devices, and the company continues its legacy with its latest audio streamer. The dCS Lina DAC X comes with all of the tools and features you need for an all-in-one music streaming experience. Bringing together the best that it has to offer, dCS has developed an award-winning device that should be in your audio setup.

The name “DAC X” makes it sound like it’s just a DAC, but that’s not the case. It’s an audio streamer, so you can use it as the central hub for your audio devices. It’ll pull music in through the internet and push it through your speakers. So, if you want to relax with some music or you want to have a party, this is the perfect device to use.

What makes the Lina DAC X great?

Starting off with the design, dCS made a pretty handsome device. When it comes to audio streamers, there’s not much to experiment with the design, so the result is usually a big boxy… well box. However, dCS managed to inject its product with a certain elegance that makes it stand out. Audio streamers aren’t meant to be the centerpiece of the living room, but the Lina DAC X reverses that notion.

It has an expertly crafted design with a minimalist feel. The front of the device has a small screen with a large knob on the opposite end. Other than that, the front of the streamer is clean. The casing is made from a textured metal that adds to the overall look.

Sound quality

As you can guess, the dCS Lina DAC X delivers some amazing audio quality. The company’s slogan is “Only the music”, and that mentality shines through, as we see dCS’ dedication to the music. Using the company’s proprietary Ring DAC, it can reproduce audio with astounding clarity and detail. No matter what device you’re listening to, everything you hear will sound amazing.

It can stream audio at 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.3kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, and 192kHz. Also, you will get up to 24-bit audio. This means that your music will sound extremely crisp. Just know that it won’t magically add detail to compressed music. If you listen to MP3s, then it won’t sound as good as if you were listening to FLAC, MQA, or other uncompressed files.

Speaking of the content, you can use your favorite high-definition music streaming services with the Lina DAC X. This includes services like Tidal, QQ Music, Deezer, Spotify, and QOBUZ. So, you won’t be starved of options.

The screen and interface

As stated before, there’s a screen on the front of the dCS Lina DAC X. This shows you the relevant information. It shows you the title of the song you’re listening to, the progress, the refresh rate, the bit depth, and the streaming service you’re listening to.

Along with that, there’s a large volume knob. While you can control the volume using the remote, it’s more convenient to adjust it physically.

You can connect the Lina DAC X to your computer, CD transports, TV (through TOSLINK), dCS SACD transports, and servers. This is truly a one-stop shop for all of your streaming needs.

Specs

Product Dimensions

122mm / 4.80″ (H) x 444mm / 17.48″ (W) x 356mm / 14.02″ (D). Allow extra depth for cable connectors.

Weight

14KG / 30.86lbs

Analogue Outputs

1 stereo balanced pair on 2x 3-pin male XLR connectors (pin 2 = hot, pin 3 = cold). These outputs are electronically balanced and floating; the signal balance ratio at 1 kHz is better than 40dB. Output impedance is 3Ω, maximum load is 600Ω (a 10kΩ – 100kΩ load is recommended)
1 stereo unbalanced pair on 2x RCA Phono connectors. Output impedance is 52Ω, maximum load is 600Ω (a 10kΩ – 100kΩ load is recommended)
Output levels are 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, or 6V rms for a full-scale input, set in the menu.

L-R Crosstalk

Better than –115dB0, 20Hz-20kHz

Streaming

Supports the following platforms and services:

UPnP
Internet Radio
Qobuz
Spotify
Deezer
Tidal
Roon Ready
QQ Music

Upsampling

Multi-stage DXD oversampling with switchable DSD Upsampling (1-bit 2.822 or 3.07MS/s) and DSDx2 Upsampling (1-bit 5.644 or 6.14MS/s).

Digital Inputs

2 x AES/EBU on 3-pin XLR 44.1-192kS/s
Used as a Dual AES pair (1+2), supports sample rates up to 384kS/s
1 x S/PDIF BNC Coax 44.1-192kS/s
1 x S/PDIF on RCA 44.1-192kS/s
1 x Toslink 44.1-96kS/s
1 x USB Type B 44.1-384kS/s PCM and DSD, DSDx2 in Asynchronous Mode
1 x USB Type A connector for mass storage devices (navigated using Mosaic)

Frequency Response
(set to filter 1)

Fs = 44.1 or 48kS/s +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz
Fs = 88.2 or 96kS/s +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz -3dB @ >38kHz
Fs = 176.4 or 192kS/s +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz -3dB @ >67kHz
Fs = 352.8 or 384kS/s +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz -3dB @ >100kHz
DSD64 +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz -3dB @ >90kHz
DSD128 +/-0.1dB, 10Hz-20kHz -3dB @ >100kHz

Residual Noise
(6v output setting)

16-bit data: Better than –96dB0, 20Hz-20kHz unweighted
24-bit data: Better than –113dB0, 20Hz-20kHz unweighted

Sample frequencies and formats

Supports the following audio formats and sample rates:

44.1-384kS/s up to 24 bits
DSD/64, DSD/128
Native DSD + DoP (input dependent)
FLAC, WAV, AIFF, MQA

Power Requirements

90-127V / 220-240V, 50/60Hz
Power consumption 30W

If you’re interested, you can order a unit from one of dCS’s certified dealers. Just know that they won’t start shipping until June

The post Meet the Lina DAC X: The audio streamer that redefines high-end sound appeared first on Android Headlines.