Poland’s Ferrum – part of HEM – has released the Erco DAC and headphone amplifier.
The Erco from Ferrum has taken its name from the Esperanto language. Erco means ore. There is a reason for the fact that a word from Esperanto was chosen. The creator of this universal world language Zamenhof lived in Warsaw, where Ferrum is located today. Zamenhof’s goal was to bring humanity together via one language. And that philosophy is what the manufacturer wants to convey with Erco (which, by the way, should be pronounced as ‘ertso‘).
Truly balanced
On the Ferrum Erco you will find three digital and one analogue input. All digital ports can handle MQA, using the built-in ARM CPU. Headphones can be connected to a 6.35 mm unbalanced jack or the equally available 4.4 mm jack for balanced ones. Or use the XLR or RCA outputs to control (for example) an active speaker. The balanced signal is really balanced, already from the first steps in the D/A-conversion. The price for the Erco is €2395.