Swiss manufacturer Goldmund has introduced its brand-new Eidos Excellence high-end SACD player, designed for true audiophiles.
The new Goldmund Eidos Excellence doesn’t just play SACDs — it also supports DVDs and CDs, including recordable formats. In the case of DVDs, only data discs containing music tracks are supported. The same applies to CDs. In both cases, the player can handle FLAC, WAV, ALAC, AIFF, AAC, and even WMA and MP3 files.
The unit also features a USB-B input, allowing you to use it as a DAC with, for example, your computer. Windows users will need to install a dedicated driver first; macOS and Linux users can plug and play as long as they have a reasonably recent version of the OS. Via USB, the player supports PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD up to DSD512.
Analogue and digital outputs
For outputs, you can choose between balanced (XLR) and unbalanced analogue connections, with two selectable output levels available. Additionally, there are three digital outputs: SPDIF coaxial, AES/EBU XLR, and optical Toslink.
Inside, Goldmund uses a D&M transport mechanism. Much attention has been paid to the power-supply design, which incorporates custom-designed transformers. Combined with a multi-stage architecture, this should — according to the manufacturer — result in significant noise reduction. The player is also isolated from mains-borne interference.
The Goldmund Eidos Excellence is available in a grey finish, with a black version to follow soon. No retail price has been announced at the time of writing, but in this echelon of high-end audio, discussions about earthly matters like money typically don’t apply.