Vitus Audio SD-025 mkII DAC / Streamer

The ultimate digital product with the ultimate analogue sound!

After the phenomenal success of the SCD-025 mk2 Vitus were bombarded with requests to make a version of  the SCD but without the CD replay option, for those people who no longer use CD as a reply medium. The SD-025 is the result. It is basically an SCD-025 mk2 without the CD mechanism on the top.

Analogue outputs are available on both RCA and XLR terminations.

The external digital inputs on offer are 1 x XLR (AES/EBU), 1 x Coaxial and 1 x USB type B, this USB socket supports up to DSD 128 and 32 bit, 384KHz. There is also an ethernet socket, give the SD-025 mk2 a network connection and you can stream Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Deezer and Internet Radio via apps such as JPLAY or Mconnect, as of January 2025 the SD-025 is also a Roon Ready Endpoint.

There is also a USB socket labelled wi-fi dongle – should a hard wired network connection be difficult a dongle will allow the SD to connect wirelessly.

When Vitus developed the SCD-025 Mk2 they went back to the drawing board and started from scratch, the SD-025 has also got all of these benefits. All of the audio boards and power supply were redesigned. The digital audio section has been taken to the extreme. To minimise jitter Vitus decided to use sample rate conversion with a dedicated DSP based module, this module is programmable and upgradeable so as newer standards develop this machine can be easily updated to stay at the forefront of digital technology.

By achieving a sample rate of 384KHz the amount of bandwidth available increases, so a custom master-clock module was developed to fully support the sample rate conversion modules – this was an expensive way to do things, but when you hear it play music you’ll realise instantly why they did it this way!

The analogue output stage uses Vitus’s highly regarded topology taken directly from their amplifiers. It is a discrete coupling, which uses zero feedback with ultra linear transistors and high precession resistors. The resulting open loop bandwidth lies at 2.5MHz and gives a very linear phase response, which is one of the key elements for correct musical harmony

The best one box DAC in the world?

>As with the SCD the SD is endlessly detailed, hugely transparent, but it never sounds strident, aggressive or ‘digital’ in character, it’s tonally smooth and neutral, but don’t confuse the word smooth with being laid back. All of the detail and dynamics are front and centre but they never force themselves upon you. They creep up and once they get under your skin, there really is no going back.

The SD-025 mk2 is priced at £24,000 and is a genuinely groundbreaking and outstanding product and one which will stay will you long after the price tag has been forgotten! On permanent demonstration.

Note: As of January 2025 the SD-025 mk2 is now a Roon Ready Endpoint when using it on the Streamer input