dCS Lina

During its more than 35-year history, the UK-based dCS Lina has pioneered many cutting-edge digital audio technologies. Upsampling, oversampling, clocking, and PCM-to-DSD conversion are just a few of the areas where the company has made history, with several digital audio world firsts along the way.

DCS is constantly measuring, refining, and improving. Recognizing the ever-changing nature of technology, dCS has created a flexible and modular product architecture that enables the company to constantly invent new features and develop new capabilities.

dCS products can be easily reprogrammed, from the digital processing platform and Ring DACTM circuits at the heart of dCS technology to the control and user interface systems. This acts as “future-proofing,” allowing owners to continue improving the performance of their system for the duration of the product’s lifespan.

The dCS philosophy is to develop products that are unrivaled in terms of sonic and technical performance – products that deliver consistency, reliability, and performance like no other. 

It all starts with in-house hardware and software development. Every component is carefully selected from the best suppliers, the majority of whom are based in the United Kingdom.

dCS manufactures and tests products that exceed even the most stringent industry standards. The company employs an automated testing system that was originally designed to meet stringent military specifications.

 

Aesthetic Design and Build Quality 

When you invest in high-end audio, you naturally expect superior build quality and aesthetic pleasure. In these areas, the LINA does not disappoint. It appears to be elegant, understated, and appropriately sized.

The depth and weight of the three pieces vary slightly, with the headphone amp being the “largest,” measuring 4.8 inches (H) by 8.7 inches (W) by 14 inches (D) and weighing 16.5 pounds. The units are deceptively heavy for their size, but they contain a lot of premium technology.

The unit’s slim, modular form factor and sleek lines will appeal to you. The three parts are made of solid aluminum. The sides of each unit have a tactile black paint finish that is both pleasing to the touch and durable.

The master clock and headphone amp have a smooth matte black finish on the front, while the DAC has a glossy finish with a crystal LED display and touchscreen interface.

The LINA DAC is a behemoth in a small package. It includes the patented Ring DAC system, digital processing platform, and Expanse technology from dCS. It’s fully balanced, works with all digital audio formats, and is Roon compatible.

The completely smooth front panel includes dCS’ first touchscreen UI with a customizable menu that allows listeners to control playback and adjust system settings with ease. The display screen measures just under 2 x 3 inches. Underneath are four lighted buttons; these are the ones you press, not the screen icons.

 

dCS Lina Headphone Amplifier 

The LINA headphone amplifier is the company’s first standalone amplifier. They wanted this amp to have the most transparent sound possible, with no coloration. They want the amp to respect the personality of whatever headphones you use. The class AB solid-state design produces 2 watts per channel into 30 ohms.

The LINA headphone amp was created specifically to provide the right amount of voltage and current to a variety of headphones. This is accomplished through an ultra-low output impedance of 0.090 ohms. 

a low noise floor, a wide dynamic range, and an adjustable gain switch, which eliminates the risk of hiss when using high-sensitivity headphones or IEMs.

 

Audio Quality of dCS Lina

The LINA DAC has an extremely low noise performance, as well as vanishingly low distortion, ultra-wide resolution, and soundstage. The DAC adds or subtracts no coloration to the sound. The headphone amp is true, clear, and only slightly interferes with the music. 

Lina reproduces each aspect of a recording – from the most subtle sonic details to the sense of rhythm, movement, and harmonic flow – with absolute integrity, displaying technical precision, transparency, and musicality in equal measure. 

Whatever track you choose, the performance is vividly detailed, effortlessly natural, emotionally compelling, and always faithful to the music. Simply put, it elevates headphone playback to a new level of realism and purity.

 

Last Thought about dCS Lina

While the Bartók is considered an entry-level product by dCS, it incorporates all of the company’s proprietary technologies into its well-constructed aluminum casework. It’s well-specified, easy to use, and one of the best-sounding digital sources at this price point. Strongly recommended.

Specification

Power Link (synchronizing on/off state with other products)	2 x RJ45
Electronics	Pure analog design
	Automatic voltage switching
Analog Inputs	1 x stereo pair unbalanced RCA, input impedance 48kΩ
	1 x stereo pair unbuffered balanced XLR, input impedance 16kΩ
	1 x stereo pair buffered balanced XLR, input impedance 96kΩ
Power	90-120v & 230-240v, 50/60Hz nominal
Frequency Response	1Hz-100kHz better than +0/-3dB
THD+N	<0.005% @ 1kHz 6V RMS balanced output into 30Ω (80kHz bandwidth)
Channel Separation	Balanced input to balanced output into 30Ω. Better than 100dB @ 1kHz. Better than 80dB, 20Hz–20kHz.
Signal to Noise Ratio	110dB 20Hz-20kHz A-weighted(referenced to 6V RMS balanced input and output)
Headphone Outputs	1 x dual 3-pin balanced XLR, right and left channel
	1 x single 4-pin balanced XLR
	1 x single .” (6.35mm) headphone jack
Power Output	Balanced 2W into 30Ω
	Balanced 0.48W into 300Ω
	Unbalanced 1.6W into 30Ω
	Unbalanced 0.2W into 300Ω
Certification	CE / EMC
	CCC
	KC
	FCC
Included with your Lina Headphone Amplifier	Headphone Amplifier
	Headphone Amplifier