I have reviewed a CAD 1543 DAC in all three versions. At first glance, it looks very similar to the first example, which I tested back in Issue 95 in 2012. Like its predecessors, the CAD 1543 MkIII is a purist streaming digital-to-analogue converter with a single input and one pair of single-ended outputs. CAD stands for ‘Computer Audio Design’, but it might as well be ‘Compromise Avoidance Design.’
While computers remain a popular source for file streaming, there has been a revolution in the audioverse in the last dozen years, with all manner of music platforms coming into existence, followed by hardware of great variety. None of these developments change CAD or the way it makes converters.
Maximum performance
Scott Berry is the man behind CAD. He is passionate about getting the best sound possible from digital audio, maximising the performance from a USB signal. He is also committed to the Philips TDA 1543 multibit chipset, an example of 1990s technology that limits sample frequency to 176.4kHz (4x CD’s 44.1kHz). It can convert 192kHz with some sources, but that is not a given across the board, and it is not compatible with DSD. CAD recommends that the server convert 192KHz and DSD files to 176.4KHz or less.
In 2016, I wrote about the 1543 MkII, which was an evolution of the original converter with the same captive power lead and matte acrylic case. During the intervening period, Scott started working on grounding devices and created the Ground Control GC1, which has spawned larger and smaller versions. There is a USB Ground Control and another for ethernet; these are inline filters that reduce noise in digital audio connections and, like the GC1 and its follow-up, the GC1.1 works very well.
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