Merason has released the Frérot, the little brother of the DAC-1 from the same brand. But make no mistake about the possibilities!
The word Frérot means ‘little brother’ in the mother tongue. A small wink from manufacturer Merason to the DAC-1, their top model. The Merason Frérot can indeed be considered as such, it is a more compact and also more affordable variant. Just like with the DAC-1, the manufacturer has chosen the 1794A DAC chip from Burr/Brown. However: where the DAC-1 uses two of these converters – one for each channel – the Frérot has one. Where this part functions as a stereo DAC. The signal path is mostly symmetrical and the analog output amplifier is in class A and completely discrete.
Symmetrical output via XLR
On the input side of the Merason Frérot you will find two optical and coaxial S/PDIF inputs, as well as a USB-B connection. The analog output signal is offered symmetrically via XLR, or you can opt for asymmetrical via cinch. The maximum quality achieved by the Frérot is 24 bit / 192 kHz. Finally, the regular retail price of the silver device is €999. In short: a capable DAC with a price tag that is still interesting. A great way to boost the sound quality of your hi-fi system, perhaps.