Rupert Neve Designs unveils Fidelice range for hi-fi market
Audiophile product line including a headphone amp, DAC and phono preamp debuted at the 2019 CanJam London Show.
Pro audio heavyweight Rupert Neve Designs has revealed a brand new product range aimed squarely at the hi-fi market. The new Fidelice series pairs the company’s reputation for sonic excellence with a retro-futurist steel and wood construction that’s more suited to the living room than the studio.
The initial line-up comprises three American-made products: the Precision Headphone Amplifier, Precision Phono Pre-Amplifier, and Precision Digital-to-Analog Converter.
Precision Digital-to-Analog Converter
As one might expect from the master of analogue, the flagship DAC is built on a Class-A design. For the audiophiles, the DAC uses an AKM converter chip to reproduce both DSD (Direct Stream Digital) audio in its highest-quality standard, DSD512 (22.4MHz), as well as 24-bit, 384 kHz PCM audio. Output is available on transformer-balanced XLR, balanced Pentaconn, 1/4-inch unbalanced jacks and a high-powered headphone out built on the company’s RNHP headphone amp – a design that’s already found a cult following in hi-fi circles.
Precision Headphone Amplifier
Again, building upon the award-winning RNHP design, the Precision Headphone Amplifier boasts 24V operation and is calibrated, say its makers, for “optimal level and impedance” resulting in “wide-open sonic performance” and enough power to drive any headphones.
Precision Phono Pre-Amplifier
If you’re a vinyl freak, there’s one more treat for you. Taking the preamp designs that made Rupert Neve a household name, the new phono preamp is designed to “elevate your turntable setup with the classic sound of Rupert Neve,” according to the brand. With purpose-built low-noise JFET-based discrete Class-A amplifiers, an 18dB/octave rumble filter and selectable capacitance to work with a wide range of cartridges, this appears to be an impressive device for vinyl lovers.
Josh Thomas, Rupert Neve Designs’ General Manager notes: “We are extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with the Fidelice range of products, and it’s exciting to be able to provide what has become the reference in world-class studios to the audiophile and hi-fi communities. This brings Rupert’s designs full circle, as his first commercial endeavour was actually CQ Audio, a British Hi-Fi company.”
The Precision Phone Pre-Amplifier and Precision Headphone Amplifier will be shipping at the end of August, while the Precision DAC will be available by the end of September. Pricing is not yet confirmed. More information at fidelice.com.
