Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Music Streamers

dCS Lina DAC X: The Hi-Res Digital Music Streamer That Doesn’t Cut Corners

At $15,500 the dCS Lina DAC X combines hi-res digital music streaming, proprietary Ring DAC tech, and a build quality that justifies its top-shelf status.

dCS Lina DAC X Black Front Angle Slant

There’s a growing digital divide in streaming audio. On one side, you’ve got budget-friendly workhorses like the WiiM Ultra and Bluesound NODE giving listeners an impressive bang for under a grand. On the other, you’ve got dCS casually dropping components like the Lina DAC X that cost more than a used Honda Civic — $15,500 USD. But here’s the thing: dCS doesn’t play in the same sandbox.

They build for the top shelf—the kind of audiophile who alphabetizes their power cables and hears existential truths in a hi-res piano note (which we can all agree is slightly weird but ok) The Lina DAC X isn’t just a streamer or DAC—it’s digital command central for those who demand best-in-class sound, seamless hi-res integration, and zero compromises.

The Lina DAC X is built for listeners who want the convenience of hi-res streaming without giving up even an ounce of sonic soul. It takes the already excellent Lina Network DAC and adds a few creature comforts—like a physical volume dial and IR remote—for those who still appreciate a bit of tactile control in their digital lives.

dcs-lina-dac-x-silver-angle

It’s not just a DAC, either—this is a fully loaded network player that can stream from just about anywhere: TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, QQ Music, Roon, Audirvana, JPLAY—you name it. It also plays nicely with everything from TVs and computers to CD transports and high-end dCS SACD rigs.

You can run it into a preamp, straight into power amps, or even active speakers for a minimalist but no-compromise system. And thanks to dCS’s modular thinking, the Lina DAC X has plenty of runway for future upgrades, all delivered through over-the-air updates—no shipping it back or fiddling with firmware nightmares.

Sonically, it’s unmistakably dCS. The Lina DAC X delivers excellent clarity and resolution, driven by the company’s in-house Ring DAC and digital processing platform. It’s precise and clean without drifting into clinical territory, and natural without smoothing things over too much.

dcs-lina-dac-x-rear-silver

And yes—it all fits into the same tightly packed, impeccably machined Lina stack. So tight, in fact, it makes a Blackadder-style codpiece look roomy.

The DAC X comes wrapped in a full-width chassis carved from a solid block of aluminum—because if you’re spending this kind of money, plastic just won’t cut it. That milled shell isn’t just for show, though; it helps with performance and houses flex-rigid circuit boards designed to squeeze every last ounce of reliability and fidelity out of your digital signal.

It’s low-profile enough to disappear next to the houseplants in your living room, but built like it’s ready to survive a siege in your listening bunker—whether you’re chasing Coltrane’s ghost or trying to figure out what Nigel Godrich buried in the last Radiohead mix.

dcs-lina-dac-x-front-silver

Specifications

  • Product Dimensions
    • Height: 122mm / 4.80″
    • Width: 444mm / 17.48″
    • Depth: 356mm / 14.02″ (allow extra for cable connectors)
    • Weight: 14KG / 30.86 lbs
  • Analogue Outputs
    • 1 stereo balanced pair (XLR, electronically balanced and floating)
      • Output impedance: 3Ω
      • Recommended load: 10kΩ – 100kΩ
    • 1 stereo unbalanced pair (RCA)
      • Output impedance: 52Ω
      • Recommended load: 10kΩ – 100kΩ
    • Output Levels: 0.2V, 0.6V, 2V, or 6V RMS (selectable)
  • Streaming Services & Support
    • UPnP
    • Internet Radio
    • Qobuz
    • Spotify
    • Deezer
    • TIDAL
    • Roon Ready
    • QQ Music
  • Digital Inputs
    • 2x AES/EBU (XLR), supports up to 192kS/s each; Dual AES up to 384kS/s
    • 1x S/PDIF (BNC), 44.1–192kS/s
    • 1x S/PDIF (RCA), 44.1–192kS/s
    • 1x Toslink, 44.1–96kS/s
    • 1x USB Type B, asynchronous, supports 44.1–384kS/s PCM, DSD, DSDx2
    • 1x USB Type A (for mass storage playback)
  • Audio Format Support
    • PCM: 44.1–384kHz, up to 24-bit
    • DSD: DSD/64, DSD/128 (native & DoP)
    • File Types: FLAC, WAV, AIFF, MQA
  • Upsampling
    • Multi-stage DXD oversampling
    • Switchable DSD Upsampling (1-bit 2.822MS/s or 3.07MS/s)
    • DSDx2 Upsampling (1-bit 5.644MS/s or 6.14MS/s)
  • Frequency Response (Filter 1)
    • Fs = 44.1 or 48kS/s: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz
    • Fs = 88.2 or 96kS/s: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz, -3dB @ >38kHz
    • Fs = 176.4 or 192kS/s: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz, -3dB @ >67kHz
    • Fs = 352.8 or 384kS/s: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz, -3dB @ >100kHz
    • DSD64: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz, -3dB @ >90kHz
    • DSD128: ±0.1dB, 10Hz–20kHz, -3dB @ >100kHz
  • Residual Noise (6V output setting)
    • 16-bit: Better than –96dB0 (20Hz–20kHz unweighted)
    • 24-bit: Better than –113dB0 (20Hz–20kHz unweighted)
dcs-lina-dac-x-front-black-slant

The Bottom Line

Like everything from dCS, the Lina DAC X is hand-assembled and tested in Cambridgeshire, because robots aren’t quite good enough to meet their standards yet. It’s part of a modular system that lets you mix and match components in the Lina series—build a full stack, go solo with just the DAC, or slowly piece together your dream setup like a medieval armor set from Blackadder II.

Shipping kicks off in June 2025 at $15,500 USD, assuming the world doesn’t melt first. Check with your local dCS dealer, and maybe start clearing some shelf space. And buy some lottery tickets. 10% tariffs still apply regardless of what they announced this morning on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

For more information: lina.dcsaudio.com

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Advance Paris APEX Series Components

CD Players

Advance Paris’ APEX line brings hybrid power, modern connectivity, and refined musicality—French hi-fi with subtle sophistication.

JBL 4369 Studio Monitors at Tokyo International Audio Show JBL 4369 Studio Monitors at Tokyo International Audio Show

Floorstanding Speakers

JBL unveils its new flagship 4369 Studio Monitors at the Tokyo International Audio Show for audiophiles and studios alike. Available Q1 2026, price TBA.

Panasonic ZBBA 77-inch OLED TV Promo Image Panasonic ZBBA 77-inch OLED TV Promo Image

New Products

Panasonic Z8BA OLED delivers a 77-inch cinema-size picture, advanced HDR, True Game Mode, Dolby Atmos sound, and full Fire TV integration. But is it...

Loewe x Jacob & Co. Wireless Headphones Iced Diamond and Noir Rainbow Loewe x Jacob & Co. Wireless Headphones Iced Diamond and Noir Rainbow

New Products

Loewe x Jacob & Co. unveil two limited-edition wireless headphones encrusted with sapphires or diamonds based on the Loewe Leo for either $115K or...

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 Headphones Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 Headphones

New Products

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX7000 handcrafted Japanese open-back headphones with HXDT drivers, 275g lightweight design, and flagship sound. Sennheiser who?

Audio-Technica AT33x Phono Cartridges Audio-Technica AT33x Phono Cartridges

New Products

Priced from $449 to $899, the Audio-Technica AT33x Series stereo and mono MC phono cartridges feature die-cast zinc, hybrid bodies and refined suspension for...

Gift Ideas?

Hi-Fi Audio Gifts Under 500 in 2025

Gift Guides

Affordable audio for a lot less than you'd think from trusted brands that will payback dividends all year with sonic enjoyment.

You May Also Like

Blu-ray, DVD & 4K Media Players

Tired of paying through the nose for subscription-based TV services? ZapperBox may be your salvation.

News

While consumer advocates complain about NextGen TV's restrictive DRM viewing and copy restrictions, one company figured out how to make it work for whole...

New Products

Some of our favorite over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphones are getting a major update. But will tariffs make these practically unaffordable in the United...

Articles

Our favorite products for audiophiles and studio professionals from NAMM 2025, including headphones, speakers, and some surprises.

A/V Receivers & Preamp/Processors

The Denon AVR-A1H and A10H AVRs have everything you could possibly need for a high-end home theater setup, but which top-of-the-line model is right...

Hi-Fi Components

Harman set to acquire iconic premium audio brands including Marantz, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Polk Audio, and more.

CD Players

Only for Varèse owners: dCS’s new Transport delivers reference-level CD and SACD playback with ultra-low vibration and ACTUS bit-perfect transmission.

In-Wall Speakers

Theory Audio Design shows that you can put together a fine-sounding home theater system - or whole home music system - for a whole...

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers