Canor DAC 2.10

Canor DAC 2.10 – valve DAC with dual mono ESS Sabre and CMT board technology

The DAC 2.10 is one of the few converters at this price point that genuinely justifies the word "reference". Two ESS9038Q2M converters run in strict dual mono — separate signal paths, separate power supplies, no shared ground planes. Four 6922EH valves handle the analogue output stage, also in dual mono. The result is a DAC that measures well and sounds better than the measurements suggest.

Canor DAC 2.10 — dual mono topology and CMT board construction

Every PCB in the DAC 2.10 is machined using Canor's proprietary CMT process, which reduces dielectric losses to near-air levels. An XMOS multi-core processor handles all digital inputs and suppresses jitter before the signal reaches the converters. The mains transformer is vacuum impregnated and encapsulated in anti-vibration compound, then enclosed in a welded steel housing for electromagnetic shielding — construction decisions that directly improve the noise floor rather than merely looking impressive on a spec sheet.

Format support and digital filters

USB handles PCM up to 24-bit/768kHz and native DSD512 asynchronously. Optical, coaxial and AES/EBU inputs cover PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz. Eight digital filters are available — seven for PCM covering fast and slow roll-off characteristics, plus a proprietary minimum-phase filter for MQA. Full MQA hardware unfolding is on board. If you have a library of high-resolution files, the DAC 2.10 will handle all of it without compromise.

Output stage and system pairing

RCA outputs deliver 2.0V RMS, balanced XLR outputs 4.0V RMS, with an output impedance below 200 ohms. The natural partner is the Canor AI 2.10 — same CMT boards, same chassis dimensions, fully balanced XLR connection end to end. Together they form one of the more coherent pairings available at the combined price.

Specifications

• DAC chips: 2× ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M (dual mono)
• Valves: 4× 6922EH (analogue output stage, dual mono)
• USB: PCM up to 24-bit/768kHz, Native DSD512 (asynchronous)
• Optical: 2× up to 24-bit/192kHz
• Coaxial: 1× up to 24-bit/192kHz
• AES/EBU: 1× up to 24-bit/192kHz
• Digital filters: 8 (7× PCM + 1× MQA)
• MQA: full hardware decoding
• Outputs: RCA (2.0V RMS), balanced XLR (4.0V RMS)
• Output impedance: <200 ohms
• Display: 3.5" TFT 480×320
• Finish: black or silver

Frequently asked questions about the Canor DAC 2.10

What do the valves actually contribute in the DAC 2.10?

The four 6922EH valves operate exclusively in the analogue output stage — they shape the character of the converted signal without affecting the measured performance of the digital section. The effect is a naturalness and dimensionality that solid-state output stages rarely achieve at this price.

Does the Canor DAC 2.10 pair well with the Canor AI 2.10?

It is the obvious pairing — shared CMT board construction, identical chassis dimensions and a fully balanced XLR connection that keeps the signal path symmetrical from input to speaker terminal.

What digital inputs does the DAC 2.10 offer?

One USB input, two optical inputs, one coaxial input and one AES/EBU input — enough to connect any serious digital source without an additional switcher.