An interesting double review was just released by Hifipig.com website about the Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC and Precision Headphone Amplifier. The reviewer Janine Elliot has hands on experience with the Rupert Neve recording desks. Janine has spent the most part of her life in recording studios, the Neve mixing desks at the BBC, the GP desks or my favorite Neve 66 (an analogue desk with digital routing of channels) . She also has had experience with the custom made Rupert Neve desks at the AIR Studios in London from George Martin.
Rupert, at the age of 94 is still working with lots of passion. He loves all things analogue, Class-A and toroidal transformers, with audio transformers on every input and output of the 5088 mixing desk and a true floating ground and high-quality capacitors and inductors. The new 24V Precision Headphone Amp is based on the headphone output circuit found in one of his smaller mixers, the 5060 ‘Centrepiece Desktop Mixer’. Headphone monitoring in the studio is often a necessity and Rupert Neve can see the importance of a reliable and accurate monitoring source.
Conclusion of Janine for both Fidelice products, of which they receive the Hifi Pig Outstanding Product award:
“Both the DAC and headphone amp continue the long line of excellence from this craftsman of fine studio equipment. The DAC was exceptional in all areas and is definitely worth an audition (All frequencies had precision and musicality and it was hard to find fault in such a masterpiece). The headphone amplifier continued to meet my expectations, and as in the original RNHP this product was very hard to put down and well worth the increase in price. As for the headphone amp in the RNDAC, that was so good that you wouldn’t ever need to buy both products if you wanted to listen exclusively on cans”
Please read the complete review on the Hifi Pig website, it is really a well worth reading.
Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision Headphone Amplifier MSRP €1.299
Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC MSRP €5.599
