DC4 / ARC6 DC4 psu for Chord DAVE DAC

SPECIFICATIONS:

Full width all-aluminium casework, 450mm wide by 290mm deep. Case height is approximately 155mm including the IsoAcoustics Gaia feet - this is a relatively tall unit, which is required in order to fit the custom transformer. 135mm height is an option if we fit our lower-profile feet, just ask.

IsoAcoustics Gaia feet are used to reduce chassis vibration from external sources. These are superb units that really improve the sound of equipment, if bought separately they are around 200 GBP for a set but we feel that the improvement that they make is well worth it at this level of equipment.

Furutech gold-plated IEC inlet for mains AC supply (as with all of our PSUs, an IEC cable is not supplied with the DC4), a rear panel mains power switch can also be included for convenience if desired at no additional cost.

Custom-made ultimate specification toroidal transformer (600VA for a DAVE DC4) with multiple shielding layers, fully enclosed in a stainless steel shell for additional shielding and noise suppression. Vibration isolation mounting system is used to eliminate chassis vibration which can affect the regulator circuitry. 

An all-new module design is used for the DC4 rectification and reservoir capacitor arrays. The new PCB is 2.4mm thick for additional rigidity and is gold-plated. Low-noise Schottky diodes are used for rectification, and the reservoir capacitors used are our usual Mundorf capacitors - twice the number of capacitors are fitted in comparison to the equivalent DC3 PSU. Additional noise filtering is provided by a new higher-spec set of parts than the DC3 design, with a lower impedance and higher current handling capability. The PCB uses vibration isolation mountings in order to isolate the components and the DC wiring loom from chassis vibration.

The entire DC wiring loom is made using Neotech OCC wiring with PTFE insulation - all expertly routed and bound with our usual high levels of attention to detail. A neatly bound cable loom reduces noise due to current loop areas as well, so it brings a sonic benefit as well as looking nice!

The DC4 regulator module also contains our new "CX" module - this acts to drastically reduce incoming DC noise from the reservoir capacitors, by factors of up to around 1,000 at low currents. The module has an approximate limit of 2A though, at which the noise reduction factor becomes close to 1, and so the DC4 regulator module has a link which allows the CX module to be manually bypassed if the output is supplying more than 2A of current. This link can be set at time of manufacture to your requirements, and can be changed by the user in the future as well (involves removing the top cover and moving some small link plugs). 

DC4 regulator modules can supply up to 5A continuous current as standard, unlike the DC3 design which required a separate boost module.

The DC4 regulator PCB, like the rectification/capacitor PCB, is also gold-plated, and the circuit layout is completely optimised for performance, low noise and low impedance. This is due in part to using different components that allow shorter circuit paths to be created, with lower parasitic inductances/capacitances.

The new DC4 regulator design uses the very best components - we use a full set of Vishay Z-foil "naked" resistors for the regulator section, and extremely low noise resistors for the (non-critical) CX section and for one filter network of the regulator itself. We also now use Vishay bulk film capacitors for all decoupling duties, as well as some very special Audio Note KAISEI capacitors for all the important regulator module capacitors. These are a relatively new capacitor, designed by the same team behind the legendary Black Gate capacitors. The CX module section uses the same Nichicon FG "Fine Gold" capacitors as the DC3 design, as we found that the KAISEI capacitors made no noticeable difference here.

The DC4 is supplied with a dedicated output cable to suit the Chord DAVE DAC. All DC4 output cables are made from Neotech OCC wire with PTFE insulation just like the internal wiring, and are fitted with a 4-way Molex connector to mate with the DAVE internal power connector. Mundorf silver-gold wire is also available on request as an upgrade. The cable assembly is made up of 2 separate cables (to keep digital and analogue section rails separate and avoid noise cross-talk) with a customised clamp assembly to fit the DAVE rear panel.

Full installation instructions are sent as a PDF file - the modification is FULLY REVERSIBLE if required in the future, and it only requires basic tools (allen keys, screwdriver, maybe pliers too). No soldering is required. No client has ever had any issues with the installation, we're confident that almost anybody can easily do it for themselves.