Digital To Analog Converters

Reference digital-to-analogue conversion, engineered for musical truth

The Luxman DA-07X is Luxman’s reference standalone DAC, created for listeners who want to extract the highest musical value from modern digital sources — without relying on an all-in-one player.

At Authentic High End, the DA-07X is positioned as a cornerstone component for systems where streaming, disc transports or digital servers are central, and where conversion quality must be absolutely trustworthy.

Positioning Within Luxman

The DA-07X sits in Luxman’s Premium Reference / Digital Players ecosystem as a dedicated conversion component.

Unlike integrated players (such as the D-07X or D-10X), the DA-07X:

• focuses exclusively on digital-to-analogue conversion

• allows freedom in choosing digital transports

• fits perfectly into modular, future-proof systems

It is designed for listeners who prefer separating digital transport and conversion, both conceptually and sonically.

Design Philosophy: Conversion Without Colouration

Luxman approached the DA-07X with the belief that a DAC should act as a translator, not an interpreter.

The design priorities are:

• linearity and low distortion

• stable clocking and signal handling

• clean power supply architecture

• analogue output stages voiced for musical continuity

Rather than emphasising resolution or sharpness, the DA-07X focuses on coherence, timing and tonal balance, allowing music to feel natural and unforced.

Digital Architecture & Input Flexibility

The DA-07X is built to integrate seamlessly with modern digital systems.

It supports a wide range of digital inputs, making it suitable for:

• network transports (such as Luxman NT-07)

• CD/SACD transports

• music servers and streamers

• professional-grade digital sources

This flexibility allows the DA-07X to remain relevant as digital front ends evolve.

Analogue Output Stage

A defining element of the DA-07X is its analogue output stage, designed with the same care as Luxman’s preamplifiers.

Luxman’s goal is to ensure that once the digital signal becomes analogue, it behaves like a true line-level music signal:

• stable

• harmonically complete

• dynamically free

This makes the DA-07X easy to integrate with both solid-state and tube amplification, without tonal imbalance.

Listening Experience

The Luxman DA-07X sounds:

• calm and composed

• detailed without edge

• rhythmically precise

• free from digital glare

Listeners often notice improved flow, better separation without fragmentation, and a stronger sense of musical intent — especially when upgrading from DACs built into source components.

It excels in long listening sessions, where fatigue is the real enemy.

Build Quality & Craftsmanship

As expected from Luxman’s reference components, the DA-07X is built to last:

• brushed silver aluminium front panel

• rigid, resonance-controlled chassis

• carefully isolated internal sections

• premium components selected for stability

The design is understated, functional and unmistakably Luxman.

System Integration

The DA-07X is ideal for:

• high-end streaming systems

• disc transports without internal DACs

• reference preamplifier / power amplifier setups

• active loudspeaker systems with analogue inputs

At Authentic High End, we often demonstrate the DA-07X in combination with the NT-07 network transport, highlighting the benefits of separating transport and conversion.

Why We Selected the DA-07X at Authentic High End

We selected the DA-07X because it embodies Luxman’s understanding that digital quality is about restraint and discipline, not feature accumulation.

It offers:

• long-term reliability

• system flexibility

• musical honesty

For listeners building a serious digital front end, the DA-07X is a natural reference point.

Discover more...

The little sister of Källa — digital streaming, distilled

The Lejonklou Tjärn was conceived as a more accessible, more distilled counterpart to the Källa. Not a compromise, but a deliberate reduction.

Priced at roughly 60% of the Källa, Tjärn retains the same musical priorities while stripping the concept down to its essentials. It is a digital streamer and DAC for listeners who want Lejonklou’s musical integrity in its most straightforward form.

At Authentic High End, we see Tjärn as the most honest expression of Lejonklou’s belief that complexity should only exist when it audibly improves the music.

Tjärn and Källa: Same Thinking, Different Scale

Functionally, Tjärn works much like the Källa — but it goes even further in simplification.

There is no web interface and nothing to configure. Setup is intentionally minimal:
connect the supplied Ethernet cable to your network, the power cord to your system, and analogue interconnects to your amplifier. Switch it on, and after about 20 seconds Tjärn appears as an output device on your Apple equipment.

The question behind Tjärn was not how much can we add, but rather:
how much can we remove while keeping the music intact?

Streaming Architecture: Built and Voiced by Ear

At the heart of Tjärn is a streaming platform based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 — but with a crucial difference: each compute module is individually selected by ear.

The Ethernet physical layer is designed and built in-house by Lejonklou. Every part in that circuit was chosen through listening, not convenience or datasheets, with the sole aim of preserving musical flow and natural timing.

Tjärn communicates using a new in-house protocol, Protokoll 2, developed to improve stability, timing and coherence throughout the digital chain.

DAC Integration: Digital That Doesn’t Sound Digital

The DAC stage in Tjärn is based on a 24-bit AKM chip, closely related to the one used in Källa. However, it has been adapted specifically to work with Tjärn’s new streaming engine.

These adaptations reinforced a core Lejonklou conviction:

a DAC cannot be treated as a standalone block — it must be tightly integrated with the digital processes feeding it.

When that integration is right, the music flows effortlessly and loses the brittle, mechanical quality often associated with digital playback.

Power Supply: Simpler, Smarter

Compared to Källa, Tjärn uses a less elaborate power supply and regulation stage. This is not a downgrade, but a strategic choice.

All regulation components are individually pre-measured and selected, removing the need for extensive manual fine-tuning. Where a Källa can require up to three days of final tuning, Tjärn achieves consistency through careful design and repeatable processes.

The result is a product that is easier to build, more predictable to finalise, and still fully aligned with Lejonklou’s musical standards.

Built in Sweden, Controlled In-House

Each Lejonklou Tjärn is built and tested in-house in Lejonklou’s lab in Uppsala, Sweden.

Over the past year, Lejonklou has brought as many production steps as possible under direct control, increasing consistency and quality.
Exceptions are limited to:

• the enclosures

• machine soldering of circuit boards (done to Lejonklou specifications by two Swedish partners)

• printed circuit boards manufactured in Germany to the same standards used for Källa and Tundra Mono 3

This balance ensures precision without losing control over what matters most.

Listening Experience

Tjärn does not try to impress with immediacy or fireworks.

Instead, it presents music with calm authority. Timing feels stable, phrasing makes sense, and performances hold together naturally. Compared to Källa, the presentation is slightly more compact and intimate, but unmistakably Lejonklou in character.

It is a streamer you stop noticing — because the music takes over.

Why We Selected Tjärn at Authentic High End

Not every system needs a digital flagship.

Tjärn earns its place by offering the essence of Lejonklou’s digital philosophy in a form that fits more systems, more rooms, and more listening habits. It is ideal in vinyl-led systems, integrated amplifier setups, or anywhere digital playback should feel natural rather than dominant.

In our Brussels listening rooms, Tjärn proves that restraint, when executed with precision, is a virtue.

Technical Overview

• Product type: Network streamer with integrated DAC

• Positioning: Compact sister model to Källa (~60% of the price)

• Streaming platform: Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (individually selected)

• Protocol: Protokoll 2

• DAC: 24-bit AKM, adapted for Tjärn architecture

• Network: Ethernet (RJ45)

• Outputs: Analogue RCA

• Control: Appears as an output device on Apple systems (AirPlay)

• Build: Hand-built and tested in Uppsala, Sweden

Who Is the Tjärn For?

The Lejonklou Tjärn is ideal for listeners who:

• Want Lejonklou’s musical integrity at a more accessible level

• Prefer simplicity over interfaces and settings

• Value timing, coherence and natural flow

• Believe digital should serve the music — not announce itself

• Live by the principle: if it sounds better, it is better

Discover more...

Digital streaming, refined through listening

The Lejonklou Källa is not a streamer designed to showcase technology. It is designed to remove it from the experience.

At Authentic High End, we chose the Källa because it follows the same discipline that defines all Lejonklou products: careful evaluation through listening, elimination of anything that distracts, and absolute focus on musical coherence. Källa is a digital source for listeners who value flow, timing and emotional credibility over features and interfaces.

Design Philosophy

Källa means “source” in Swedish — and that is exactly how Lejonklou approaches it. Not as a computer with audio functions, but as a true musical source component.

Designed by Fredrik Lejonklou, Källa was developed through long listening sessions and systematic comparison. Every design choice — from circuitry to component selection — was validated by ear. If a change did not improve the musical result, it was discarded.

The result is a streamer that does not seek attention. It simply allows music to unfold naturally, with stable timing, tonal honesty and long-term listening comfort.

Listening Experience

What stands out immediately with the Lejonklou Källa is not resolution or spectacle, but coherence.

Music feels connected. Rhythms make sense. Musicians sound like they are playing together, not assembled digitally. Källa excels in preserving intent — whether you are listening casually in the background or fully engaged during an evening session.

This is a digital source you stop thinking about after a few minutes — because the system stops reminding you that it is digital at all.

Operation & Use

True to Lejonklou’s philosophy, Källa avoids unnecessary complexity.

• Network streamer with integrated DAC

• Ethernet connection for stable, consistent performance

• Analogue RCA outputs for seamless integration with high-end amplifiers

• Controlled via AirPlay-compatible devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV)

No displays. No menus. No endless configuration. Källa is designed to be used, not managed.

Why We Selected Källa at Authentic High End

We don’t look for digital products that impress quickly. We look for components that invite longer listening.

Källa earned its place because it behaves like a mature source component: calm, stable and musically convincing. It aligns perfectly with systems built around musical timing and coherence — including vinyl-led setups where digital must meet the same standards.

In our listening rooms in Brussels, Källa consistently proves that restraint and precision lead to the most rewarding results.

Technical Overview

• Product type: Network streamer with integrated DAC

• Digital architecture: Music-first, listening-validated design

• Outputs: Analogue RCA

• Network: Ethernet (RJ45)

• Control: AirPlay-compatible devices / Roon

• Design: Minimalist Scandinavian enclosure

• Origin: Designed and built in Sweden

Who Is the Källa For?

The Lejonklou Källa is ideal for listeners who:

• Value musical coherence over technical features

• Prefer long listening sessions without fatigue

• Want a digital source that integrates naturally into a high-end system

• Believe that if it sounds better, it is better

Discover more...