DAC Atoll DAC200 Signature

The Atoll DAC200 Signature is the French manufacturer's mid-range DAC. It has the same look and finish as Atoll's Signature products.

Atoll DAC200 Signature: front panel

The DAC200 Signature has a black or natural brushed aluminium front panel with rounded edges.

In the middle is a low-power OLED display. It gives information about the source, as well as the sample rate of the track being listened to.

To the right and left of the front panel are an on/off selector, a source selector, menu access and volume control.

Atoll DAC200 Signature: rear panel

The rear of the DAC200 Signature is very similar to that of its big brother, the Atoll DAC300.

The range of connections is impressive for a device of this size! There are a total of 9 digital inputs: three SPDIF in RCA format, three Toslink optical, one USB, one AES/EBU in XLR and one Bluetooth.

The unbalanced RCA outputs are doubled by balanced XLRs.

Atoll has also added 2 digital coaxial and optical outputs! We think it's hard to miss an input!

Atoll DAC200 Signature: technology

Once the cover is removed, this DAC contains a professional D/A conversion chip: the SABRE ES9028 (32 bits/768kHz). This is the version just below the one used in the DAC300, and its technical characteristics are very similar to those of the Sabre ES9038. It is also capable of processing PCM data at up to 768 kHz! Atoll has combined it with an ultra-high-precision, low-jitter clock.

The SPDIF inputs can handle PCM up to 192kHz and the USB-B can convert PCM up to 768kHz and DSD 64, 128, 256 and 512!

The power supply uses 12 independent voltage regulators and class ‘A’ polarised output stages with discrete components and no feedback.

The link capacitors are all MKP technology and the high-frequency capacitors are silver-plated mica technology.

Atoll DAC200 Signature: testing and listening

We connected it to the manufacturer's CD transport, the Atoll DR200 Signature, and to the small Bluesound Node 2i network player.

As we might have expected, the sound reproduction is relatively close to that of the Atoll DAC300, with the same transparency and definition, albeit with a little less clarity in the background and in certain complex passages.

The dynamics are also very convincing, even if the lower end of the spectrum, although remarkable, does not reach the articulation obtained with the big ‘brother’!

To be honest, it does more or less the same thing as the DAC300, but a little less well everywhere... Or if you prefer, the Atoll DAC300 does the same thing as the DAC200 Signature, but better!

In short, this Atoll DAC200 Signature DAC is an excellent surprise. At the price on offer, it comes highly recommended!