The British company dCS has announced the availability of a system software update for the DAC unit of its ultimate Lina headphone system . Lina in version 2.0 received new features, including new Mapper settings, filter options and the ability to control balance.
The Lina Network DAC 2.0 update brings several new features designed to improve performance, ease of use and give listeners greater control over playback. A free system software update adds two new Mapper settings to the Lina Network DAC. These settings, first implemented in the Vivaldi, Rossini and Bartók dCS lines, allow the Ring DAC to operate at double the speed (5.6 or 6.14 MS/s). After the update, you will be able to choose dual speed settings or the original dCS Mapper.
In addition, Lina in version 2.0 received a new DSD128 upsampling function, allowing the Lina Network DAC to convert PCM audio to DSD at a faster rate, pushing noise into the region above 40 kHz. This, in turn, allows the use of softer filters. A similar solution is also used in DACs and dCS players by Vivaldi, Rossini and Bartók.
As a reminder, Lina Network DAC was released in 2022 with two filters, F1 and F2. The 2.0 update includes four new PCM filters, as well as an additional DSD filter (F5) with smooth roll-off and smoother phase response. This brings the number of filters available in the Lina Network DAC to match Rossini and Bartók DACs.
Available in Lina 2.0, the Balance Control function allows you to adjust the balance of the left and right channels when listening through headphones or speakers, allowing you to adjust the volume of each channel individually, compensating for differences in level between the left and right channels – be it due to system problems, such as non-ideal placement of speakers or individual hearing characteristics. Additionally, a user interface setting has been added that provides the ability to change the text size on the Lina Network DAC display. Finally, the update provides the ability to control the Lina Network DAC using a dCS remote control or a universal remote control.
More information about the software update to version 2.0 and the features included will be published very soon. New Lina Network DAC 2.0 firmware available via dCS Mosaic Control app for iOS and Android
