Shanling has unveiled a new (SA)CD transport. The company states that the Zenith XST20 will be launched under the Onix brand, providing a distinctive solution for playing any SACD in its authentic DSD quality through any external DAC that supports DSD. Shipments are anticipated to commence in April.
Onix is a British brand located in London. The company has established a long-standing partnership with the Chinese manufacturer Shanling, and their latest offering is the Onix Zenith XST20, a (SA)CD transport that does not include a built-in digital-to-analog converter. The Zenith XST20 marks the beginning of a new product series, which will soon feature three complementary desktop components targeted at the high-end market. As the inaugural model, the XST20 functions as the conventional (SA)CD transport for digital systems, with plans to introduce a digital-to-analog converter and a Linux-based streamer transport in the near future.
Engineered to fully harness the capabilities of SACD discs, the Zenith XST20 presents a distinctive solution for playing any SACD in its authentic DSD quality through any external DSD-compatible DAC. The I2S output of the Zenith XST20 is equipped with FPGA technology, offering 10 different pinout configurations to ensure maximum compatibility with various external DACs that accept I2S input. Users can easily access these settings via a 3.4” touch screen located on the front panel.
The XST20 is capable of reading both single-layer and multi-layer SACDs, as well as MQA-CDs, and it also features support for gapless playback.
Shipping is set to commence in April.
