Weiss has two exhibition rooms in this year Munich High End show. Weiss German distributor WOD has a big room with new and huge rossofiorentino loudspeakers, bergmann records player (I like it – analogue source) and MAN301 (digital source). There is another small room called “Swiss team” room, which has Weiss MAN301 & Klangwerk Ella one complete sound system. We are happy that more people liking this simple, elegance and extremely transparent system.  Music files are all stored under Certon Integrita Audiophile NAS. Swiss coffee, chocolate and wine were provided. During this high end show, Weiss engineering has launched various new DSD related options & products.

NEW DAC202, Medea+ can upgrade with a brand new “Weiss DoP USB” input board and playback DSD files thru USB DoP 1.0 supported computer/software. DAC202DSD and Medea+DSD version will be shipped in June 2013. As usual, good news for all existing Weiss users, all units can be upgraded the “Weiss DoP USB” hardware DSP input card.

DSD technology from Weiss perspective.

Although Weiss is not the first company to release DSD related product in hifi market (some even think this Weiss DSD is an April fool joke), but Weiss roots under DSD/SACD professional audio productions for over a decade with the BEST offline sampling conversion tools – SaRaCon =Sampling Rate Converter. 

“Saracon is not only the world’s best audio sample rate converter. It’s also a great all-round utility tool!”  – Bob Katz, Digital Domain, USA

”Now That I’ve used it on everything I do, it is the only re-sampler I can listen to.” George Massenburg

“Again, many thanks for this great conversion software. We love it! And it is a big help for the SA-CD format.” Gus Skinas, Super Audio Center LLC, USA

Here in Hong Kong, all of my productions are generated by SaRaCon. HKFA 香港電影金像獎 Sound Design award winner Kinson Tsang (movies like Internal Affairs, Cold War), and music director Chris Babida are Weiss SRC users too.

You can expect Weiss DSD playback sound exactly as SACD DSD masters. Why? They are based on the same design.

With the help of USA Super Audio Center Gus Skinas for DSD files metadata and album artwork (who wants their DSDIFF file looks ugly and empty without artwork?), MAN301 is now built in DSD file playback FREE OF CHARGE to current MAN301 customers. A simple online update will be provided for all registered MAN301 owner in a new future. The offline professional SaRaCon software with DSD capability alone costs HKD$16,800. MAN301 software version 1.1 has already added the huge Gracenote metadata/artwork database supporting function. Your album artwork will never look such beautiful.

Digital audio world has been pushed to change so quickly. From 96kHz, 192kHz, DXD to today latest DSD256, next year maybe 768kHz PCM recording. On one hand, we disagree this is a true quality improvement, high end audio is not an iphone. On the other hand, Weiss MAN combines software computer based super DSP, customized OS, dedicated hardware digital audio board, linear power supply, internal master clock and extremely high quality D/A converter in swiss quality.

MAN301 combo will not be easily outdated. If audiophiles are looking forward to have long term usability, then computer based DSP platform becomes the most obviously choice. MAN301 simplifies this idea with full iPad wireless tablet graphic controlled interface, and get rid of the Windows/Mac OS limitations.

NEW – Weiss INT series is the most famous bridge between normal D to A converter and computer audio. INT204 is Weiss first USB interface with built in hardware DSP. It is the same Weiss DoP USB input board, plus dedicated AES/EBU, SPDIF digital input/outputs. INT204 provides top notch DSD source playback from computer for all normal DACs in the market. An optional Weiss analogue power supply will be produced for INT204 (also for multiply products) in the near future.

NEW – Weiss Medus D/A converter is an extension from flagship Medea+. (In Greek, Medus is one of Medea’s son). Both Medus and Medea+ carries the same 32bit DAC and 8pc Weiss SOTA OP1-BP gain modules. These 8pc gain modules work in fully balanced tolology for I/V conversion and output stage. The technical aspect of these gain modules can be view from this PDF. OP1-BP is arguable the best amplifier module in today market. Medus has improved power supply, front LCD display for incoming digital data rates, DSD source from computer USB connections and mastering grade digital volume control via swiss made metal enclosure remote. The look for Medus matches perfectly with flagship Jason CD Transport. Medus user can work without a preamp and drives directly to power amplifier or active loudspeakers. Medus remote can even set the 32dB/1dB steps analogue output voltage  trim on the OP1-BP board.

You also can spot the new Weiss logo identity. All of these new products and upgrade option will be started shipping from June. Please book and reserve your unit today. If you look in today hifi industry, you will not easily find another manufacturer, which provides such complete upgrade features for existing customer.

Want to hear a Weiss DSD master sample file? Try here.