The soon-to-be-released Canor Crius H5S is a three-in-one device, combining a DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier.
The brand-new Canor Crius H5S will be available from next month. It could be an ideal accessory for headphone enthusiasts, as it offers an all-in-one solution for their listening needs. Internally, the device combines a dual-mono DAC, a preamplifier (meaning you can also use it in a conventional hi-fi setup) and a headphone amplifier. The latter features a Class A/A-B output stage delivering a substantial maximum power output of 4 watts. According to the Slovakian manufacturer, this should be sufficient to drive even more power-hungry planar magnetic headphones, as well as, of course, dynamic models of all shapes and sizes.
As for headphone connections, you can choose between a four-pin XLR output, a balanced 4.4mm connection and conventional unbalanced 6.3mm and 3.5mm headphone sockets. On the rear of the Crius H5S, you’ll find both XLR and RCA inputs and outputs, along with digital inputs. The latter include USB-C, optical and coaxial connections. An XLR bypass function is also provided. When using USB-C as the input source, the maximum supported PCM resolution is 32-bit/768 kHz, while DoP DSD is supported up to DSD256 and native DSD up to DSD512. Meanwhile, the optical and coaxial digital inputs support resolutions of up to 24-bit/192 kHz. The actual digital-to-analogue conversion is handled by a pair of ESS ES9038Q2M chips in a dual-mono configuration.
Furthermore, according to the manufacturer, the signal path contains neither operational amplifiers nor coupling capacitors. Canor has also opted for local rather than global feedback, which is intended to achieve an exceptionally high degree of linearity.
The Canor Crius H5S will be available from November this year, priced at €1,899. Buyers can choose between copper, black and silver finishes.