Aavik SD-188 DAC Streamer

Aavik SD-188 DAC Streamer

The Aavik SD-188 DAC Streamer is the gateway into Aavik’s highly acclaimed SD-x88 series. While it is the entry model, it carries the same uncompromising commitment to sound quality, precision engineering, and refined design that define the higher-tier models. By merging DAC and streaming functions into one cohesive system, the SD-188 ensures that music is delivered with authenticity, warmth, and remarkable detail. It is a true showcase of how advanced digital conversion can meet elegant simplicity in a single high-performance component.

The Aavik SD-188 DAC Streamer is available for demonstration in our Hull store by request.

Contact us today to arrange your private listening session and experience the SD-188 for yourself.

Continuum DAC – A Chipless Digital Revolution

At the heart of the Aavik SD-188 lies the Continuum DAC, a design that eliminates the need for conventional DAC chips. Instead, a custom-programmed FPGA processes all incoming signals, converting them into high-resolution DSD512. This approach is closer to the fluidity of analog, avoiding the harshness often associated with digital conversion. A finely tuned filter smooths the signal path without introducing switching distortion, and a simple analog filter completes the process. The result is an organic, lifelike presentation that captures every nuance of a recording.

Resonant Mode Power Supply – Silent Strength

The SD-188 employs a highly advanced resonant mode power supply designed to deliver speed and stability. Unlike traditional linear power designs, this supply is both low-noise and power-factor-corrected, ensuring a consistently clean sine wave. When extra current is needed during dynamic peaks, the supply adapts its operating frequency to provide the necessary power density. This means that the SD-188 can maintain an exceptionally low noise floor, giving listeners a darker background, greater dynamics, and more precise control over connected components.

Active Tesla Coils – Superior Noise Elimination

Noise control is a defining feature of Aavik’s philosophy, and the SD-188 makes use of active Tesla coil technology to achieve this. Unlike passive coils, which offer limited suppression, the active design is far more effective at reducing unwanted interference. The inclusion of square Tesla coils embedded directly into the circuit boards further enhances this effect by neutralizing noise from both sides of the circuitry. The result is a much cleaner signal path, which translates into greater transparency and improved dynamic range in the final sound.

Third-Generation Analog Dither Technology

Aavik has also incorporated its third generation of analog dither technology into the SD-188. Borrowed from radar engineering, dither was originally developed to extend range and clarity by strengthening the signal-to-noise ratio. In the SD-188, active Tesla coils emit pulsating signals at carefully chosen frequencies, which are sent in anti-phase to cancel noise. This refined third-generation design is the product of extensive research and listening tests, creating a more open soundscape, richer tonal textures, and finer micro-detail retrieval across recordings.

A Collaboration of Two Masters

The design of the SD-188 is not only technical but also deeply artistic. Aavik brought together two of the audio industry’s most respected minds: Flemming Erik Rasmussen, the visionary founder of Gryphon Audio, and Michael Børresen, Aavik’s chief engineer and innovator. Rasmussen contributed a sculptural aesthetic that is both minimalist and striking, while Børresen focused on the internal architecture to push sonic performance to new heights. Their combined efforts resulted in a device that is as beautiful to behold as it is powerful to hear.

Aavik SD-188 DAC Streamer Specification:

• Inputs:
  • 1 x USB fully isolated, UAC 2, asynchronous PCM 44–384 k-samples, 32-bit, DSD 64-256 native, DSD 64-128 in DoP mode
  • 2 x BNC S/P-DIF (11 – 768 k-samples, 32-bit)
  • 2 x TOSLINK optical (11 – 192 k-samples, 32-bit)
• Streaming: DLNA 1.5, UPnP AV 1.0
• Outputs:
  • 1 x BNC S/P-DIF (11 – 768 k-samples, 32-bit)
  • 1 pair of RCA line outputs
• Aavik Noise Reduction:
  • Active Tesla Coils: 36
  • Active Square Tesla Coils: 72
  • Dither circuitry: 3
• Power Consumption:
  • Standby: <1W
  • On: <30W
• Mains Voltage and Current:
  • 100-240V AC – 50-60 Hz max 3.15A
• Dimensions and Weight:
  • Dimensions: 440 x 430 x 116mm / 17.3 x 16.9 x 4.6 inches
  • Weight: 21kg / 46lbs
• Enclosure Classification: IP10