Founded in 1985 by Daniel Weiss, Weiss Engineering has a formidable reputation in professional audio, with their equipment used in many of the most famous mastering studios. No matter what genre of music you listen to, chances are your record was mastered using Weiss hardware.
Starting in 2000, Weiss entered the high end hi-fi market. With their expertise in the design of top quality audio equipment for the most discerning professional clientele—the mastering engineers—it seemed like a logical step to design equipment for the demanding audiophile.
All Weiss products are informed by Daniel’s profound understanding of audio electronics in both analogue and digital domains. Time and time again, they have set new industry references, not only in terms of raw measured performance but also in terms of subjective audio quality.
We have always been great fans of Weiss equipment—in both professional and home audio spheres. Daniel and his team share our passion for great music and the thrill of reproducing the sense of “live” performance. With their amazing sound quality, impeccable engineering and rock solid, pro-audio reliability, we are very proud to offer Weiss Engineering as part of our portfolio.
Brand: Weiss
Model Name/Number: Full Range
Product Information:
Weiss Medus DAC
The MEDUS is a no-compromise digital analogue converter providing the very best audio performance possible. Its origins are in Weiss’s industry-leading products for professional mastering studios. Mastering Engineers have the “golden ears” to give the music recordings the final touch before their release. So the MEDUS is as transparent as it can possibly be.
MEDUS is a stereo 24 bit/192 kHz digital to analogue converter designed with the aim of keeping an absolutely uncompromising audio signal path. Considerable research and development have been invested in the digital input as well as the analogue output stage. Both have in common the purest possible approach in audio design, aspiring for nothing less than excellence.
Weiss has even made its own discrete operational amplifier modules, the Weiss OP1-BP, for the analogue processing. The OP1-BP is arguably the best audio operational amplifier currently available.
Studio-grade algorithms up-sample the input signal to about 1.5 MHz. Four D/A conversion channels are then used per audio channel, resulting in exceptional performance specifications.
This is coupled with an ergonomic design that gives the user immediate access to all necessary functions, while keeping an uncluttered and thus easy-to-use front panel. This combination makes a truly professional DAC catering to the highest expectations.
The MEDUS works with AES/EBU, S/DIF, USB and FireWire (optional) inputs and handles PCM as well as DSD signals. An IR remote unit controls all functions.
“This is without any doubt the best D/A so far.”
Goran Finnberg, The Mastering Room, Sweden
“Interestingly, my clients in the past week have all commented on ‘how good’ the speakers sounded, including some folks who had previous projects mastered here. The difference is the MEDUS.”
Barry Corliss, Master Works, Seattle
“For the first time in my digital mastering career I have the distinct feeling I am finally hearing what is really on the tapes and CD’s delivered to me.”
Maarten de Boer, The Masters, Netherlands
MEDUS black or silver £21,000
MEDUS Firewire option £1,550
MEDUS Glass Fiber input option (ST) £780
MEDUS Ethernet option £2,100
Weiss Jason Transport
The JASON CD transport was conceived with the goal to play the music from a CD in a most transparent way possible, with flexible support for any DAC.
The JASON uses a no-compromise top-loader transport system. A heavy-duty motor driven lid protects the CD and also safely puts the puck onto the CD upon closure: the motor is of the same Swiss brand as NASA is using for their Mars mobiles. An internal high precision and low jitter clock generator generates all clocking signals, including those necessary for the CDPRO2M transport. A fully-features 40 bit, studio-grade up-sampler supports up-sampling of the 44.1kHz signal to 88.2 kHz or 176.4 kHz. A digital level control via the remote control unit is also built-in.
While it has the flexibility to work with just about any DAC, Weiss’s renowned MEDUS DAC complements the JASON CD Transport for a truly state of the art CD playback system.
“I was a bit skeptical initially about the importance of a good transport, but no more! The Jason made a believer out of me. I can now safely state that the even the best of DACs can benefit from a world-class transport. The Jason’s blend of design excellence, useful features, purity of tone, and intrinsic boogie factor catapults it to the head of the class. Coupled with the Medea DAC, this is a digital front end that will recalibrate your expectations of CD sound quality. Bottom line: I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to rediscover one’s CD collection.”
The Absolute Sound
Weiss MAN301 Music Server
The MAN301 network player is a powerhouse in terms of features, versatility and sonic quality.
It is an extremely versatile music server and network player with an Apple iPad remote control unit. To provide ultimate flexibility, music storage can be through a NAS (network attached storage accessed by wireless or Ethernet), or DAS (direct attached storage connected to the MAN301 by USB). With the option to include a reference Weiss DAC, it can double as a world-class audio player.
It is a system for music archiving, music library maintenance, music playback, CD ripping and playback, Internet radio streaming and more.
For ripping your music onto its internal storage, it uses the professionally-maintained Gracenote database for metadata and cover art fetching, giving the MAN301 has a substantial advantage competing devices.
“So what makes the Weiss MAN301 so special? For one it marries flexibility with effectiveness; which should come as no surprise considering Weiss is Swiss designed and built. Like all Weiss products, it is an embodiment of Daniel Weiss’ engineering approach.”
Audio Aficionado
“The Weiss Engineering MAN301 is a full featured music server appliance with obvious traits from its pro music lineage.
The built-in music server, DAC, and preamp may be just what many users are looking for to maximize space and reduce clutter. The quality of Weiss Engineering’s DACs with stellar fine digital and coarse analog attenuation has been proven time and again.”
Computer Audiophile
Network Players:
MAN301SERVER basic version, black or silver £7800
MAN301DAC version w/ DAC, black or silver £10,500
MAN301DAC-B version w/ new DAC, black or silver £11,500
MAN301DAC-A version w/ new DAC, golden 30th anniversary version £15,000
MAN301SERVER to MAN301DAC upgrade £2,750
MAN301SERVER to MAN301DAC-B upgrade £3,500
MAN301DAC to MAN301DAC-B upgrade £1,550
Weiss DAC501/DAC502 DAC
The DAC501 and DAC502 are the new state-of-the-art DACs from Weiss, offering an unprecedented level of sophistication and versatility. The DAC501 comes in the compact chassis format familiar to users of the DAC202, while the DAC502 offers a full width chassis and an additional 4 pin headphone socket at the back of the unit; otherwise, the units are identical.
With the DAC50x Weiss is creating a new paradigm for a digital replay device. As well as offering one of the best conventional DACs available on the market, these components include a class-leading discrete headphone amplifier, exceptionally capable UPnP ethernet streaming capability, high precision USB interface and a wide range of powerful DSP features.
The digital signal chain is optimised at every point for accuracy and minimal jitter, with the built-in streaming interface in particular offering an exceptionally low jitter feed. A wide range of data formats is accepted, covering PCM 44.1kHz up to 384 kHz and DSD 64x / 128x. Two of the latest 32-bit DAC chips are used with two D/A conversion channels per audio channel, resulting in exceptional performance specifications.
The analogue signal chain benefits from Daniel’s expertise in audio design, using the renowned Weiss discrete amplifier expertise. Overall technical performance is truly exceptional, with THD+N of better than -125dBr and spurious components at less than -120dBr.
Viewed by itself, the headphone output outperforms almost every dedicated headphone amplifier on the market, capable of driving even the most demanding headphones and offering an end-to-end THD+N of better than -122dBr!
Meanwhile, the UPnP streamer works effortlessly for network audio, offering track information display on the front screen as well as full network volume control.
Everything is controlled from the elegant touch screen interface on the front of the device, where inputs can be selected and settings controlled. Usefully, output levels can be set in -10dB steps between 0dB and -30dB from this screen, making it ideal for implementations where the DAC drives power amplifiers directly, without an intervening preamp.
Finally, the DSP features include room equalisation as well as headphone crosstalk cancellation and other specialist listening modes. Mode advanced aspects of these settings are controlled from a website offered by the device, which also supports firmware updates over the Internet.
“This is one of the best DACs I have heard. I bought the first DAC501 for my studio system but it so clearly outperformed my dCS Rossini that the second one is going to displace this in my main system. Not only is it superb with hi-res audio but it is a revelation with Red Book, 16/44 audio. I have already starting saving up for a Medus! Please pass on my congratulations to Daniel Weiss.”
Recording engineer, London
D/A Converters:
DAC 501 black or silver £7,300
DAC 502 black or silver £8,200
Weiss INT204 USB/DSD Interface
Your favourite DAC may not be the latest but you like its sound, appearance and features. So you don’t want to buy another expensive DAC just to connect a computer.
This is where Weiss’s interfaces come in. The INT204 allows any DAC to be connected to a USB ported computer. This is done, optimally, by slaving the computer’s clock to the INT204’s internally generated clock.
The INT204 is a USB to AES/EBU (unidirectional) interface which also handles DSD to PCM conversion. DSD files played to the INT204 result in conversion to PCM at a, selectable, sampling frequency and word-length. So your trusted D/A Converter becomes a DSD capable DAC.
USB and Firewire interfaces:
INT202 silver, Firewire -> AES/EBU and S/PDIF £1,050
INT203 silver, Firewire <-> AES/EBU and S/PDIF £1,050
Remote Control for INT202 or INT203 £260
INT204 silver, USB -> AES/EBU and S/PDIF w/ DSD £1,550
Weiss Chiron Cables
Your favourite DAC may not be the latest but you like its sound, appearance and features. So you don’t want to buy another expensive DAC just to connect a computer.
This is where Weiss’s interfaces come in. The INT202 / INT203 allow any DAC to be connected to a FireWire or Thunderbolt ported computer. This is done, optimally, by slaving to the computer’s internally generated clock with absolute bit transparency.
The INT202 is a stereo FireWire to AES/EBU (unidirectional) interface with infrared remote control for volume and absolute polarity. The INT203 is for bidirectional interfacing between AES/EBU and Firewire and also includes an infrared remote control for volume and absolute polarity. The INT203 can serve as an input to the computer, e.g. to connect an A/D Converter for transferring vinyl records.
Age: NEW
Condition: New
Voltage: 220/240/50Hz
Finish/Colour: Black or Silver
Packaging? Yes
Accessories? Yes
Item Location: In Stock
Status: New
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