The confirmation from AKM follows the announcement at the end of 2021, that the company's famed Velvet Sound DACs and ADCs would soon resume production and that the company was planning to introduce completely new models. As the relaunched AKM website confirms, the first 13 new DAC and ADC ICs are now available for sampling and the company is accepting orders from manufacturers for delivery later in 2022. audioXpress received confirmation that the new products will not yet be produced in the Nobeoka semiconductor factory, which was destroyed in the October 2020 fire, and are being produced in an external factory instead.
The AKM announcement details the following Velvet Sound DAC/ADC converters:
AK4452, AK4454, AK4456, and AK4458 - 115dB 768kHz / 32-bit 2-/4-/6-/8-ch DAC
AK5534, AK5538 - 111dB 768kHz / 32-bit 4-/8-ch ADC
AK5552, AK5554, AK5558 - 115dB 768kHz / 32-bit 2-/4-/8-ch ADC
AK5572, AK5574, AK5578 - 121dB 768kHz / 32-bit 2-/4-/8-ch ADC
And the new AK5522 differential input stereo 32-bit ADC, ideal for USB-powered applications.
For general applications in AV Receivers, USB DACs, Headphones, Soundbars, Audio Interfaces, Car Audio, and even Measurement Equipment and Control Systems, the new AK4452, AK4454, AK4456, and AK4458 are a new generation of premium 32-bit DACs, with 2 to 8 channels of AKM’s Velvet Sound architecture that has been widely adopted by high-end audio companies. Its low-distortion architecture in addition to 32-bit resolution digital filter processing technology now supports up to 768kHz PCM and 11.2 MHz DSD (Direct Stream Digital) digital inputs, suitable for high-resolution audio source playback. Five types of 32-bit digital filters allow simple and flexible adjustments in a wide range of applications. And the automotive grade Premium DAC family adopts a new “OSR-Doubler” technology, making it capable of supporting a wide range signals and achieving low out-of-band noise while realizing low power consumption. This premium multi-channel DAC series provides a simple solution to a wide range of applications with a TDM interface and Daisy Chain configurations.
The expanded and totally renewed range of AKM's 32-bit ΔΣ modulation ADCs offers a range of options for all high-quality applications. Starting with the AK5534/38 4/8-channel differential input 32-bit A/D converter series, with 768 kHz sampling, achieving 111dB dynamic range and 103dB S/(N+D) while maintaining low power consumption performance. Suitable for mixers and multichannel recorders, these two models offer four types of digital filters and can be easily connected to a DSP by supporting TDM audio formats. Additionally, the ADCs support DSD output up to 11.2MHz. The channel summation mode improves the dynamic range performance by summing-up multiple channel A/D data and averaging. The AK5534 dynamic range is improved to 114 dB in 4-to-2 mode and to 117 dB in 4-to-1 mode. The AK5538 improves the dynamic range to 114 dB in 8-to-4 channel summation mode, to 117 dB in 8-to-2 mode and to 120 dB in 8-to-1 mode.
Improving the specs, the AK5552, AK5554, and AK5558 differential input 32-bit 2-/4-/8-channel ADCs also support 768 kHz sampling. The AK5552 2-channel A/D converter achieves 115 dB dynamic range and 106 dB S/(N+D) while maintaining low power consumption performance. The dynamic range is improved to 118 dB in 2-to-1 summation mode. The AK5558 integrates a 8-channel A/D converter, and achieves 115 dB dynamic range and 106 dB S/(N+D), improving the dynamic range to 118 dB in 8-to-4 summation mode, to 121 dB in 8-to-2 mode and to 124 dB in 8-to-1 mode.
Improving the specifications even further, the AK557x series is a 32-bit, 768 kHz sampling, differential input A/D converter for digital audio systems. It achieves 121 dB dynamic range and 112 dB S/(N+D) while maintaining low power consumption performance. Again, four types of digital filters are integrated and selectable according to the sound quality preference, and all converters can be easily connected to a DSP by supporting TDM audio formats. Additionally, the series supports DSD output up to 11.2MHz.
The AK5572 integrates a 2-channel A/D converter improves the dynamic range performance by summing-up multiple channel A/D data and averaging, with a dynamic range improved to 124 dB in 2-to-1 mode. The AK5574 4-channel A/D converter shows a dynamic range improvement to 124 dB in 4-to-2 summation mode and to 127 dB in 4-to-1 mode. The AK5578 8-channel A/D converter delivers a dynamic range to 124 dB in 8-to-4 summation mode, to 127 dB in 8-to-2 mode and to 130 dB in 8-to-1 mode.
Finally there's the new AK5522 A/D differential input 32-bit converter, supporting sampling frequencies from 8kHz to 192kHz, developed for line and microphone conversion in digital audio designs. It achieves 108dB of dynamic range and 98dB S / (N + D) with low power consumption and includes four types of digital filters that can be selected according to the application. The AK5522VN has excellent power supply rejection ratio (PSRR), and high input common mode rejections (CMRR), delivering a great performance even with USB bus power, making it ideal for USB audio interfaces, wireless speakers, and automotive audio.
The AK5522VN has a built-in voltage regulator output with high PSRR and can be used with the AK4432VT or AK4452VN DACs to maximize DAC performance with poor quality power supplies. In addition, an internal low jitter PLL generates a master clock output for the DAC and other system components from LRCK or BICK. Thus, low EMI solutions can be achieved by the reduction of unnecessary high frequency master clock traces on the printed circuit board.
Since the late 1980s, when digital audio became more widespread, Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) has introduced numerous audio ICs to the world by using ΔΣ modulation technology as the basis. The total number of products shipped has exceeded 3.5 billion, and more than 2500 manufacturers have adopted the technology and products from AKM in all sound-related fields. Velvet Sound reflects AKM's sound philosophy for next-generation audio devices, featuring new chip architectures and core technologies.
The new circuitry found in Velvet Sound devices is designed to maximize dynamics and ensure pure, unaltered audio data, prioritizing the accurate capture and reproduction of the source material in order to achieve high performance and rich musicality. These devices were designed specifically for the high-resolution digital audio era, used not only in high-end and consumer audio applications, but also in the most demanding recording and mixing environments and electronic musical instruments.
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