The Merason story

Daniel Frauchiger is a passionate music lover. Even as a child, he was fascinated by the world of music. Born in 1965, he was initially interested in the charts, later in classical music and jazz. But one thing always bothered him: the poor sound quality coming from loudspeakers and headphones.

When Daniel bought his first record player, he made sure that all the parts – the drive, tone arm and needle – fit together perfectly, even on a limited budget. It was clear to him that the source of the music was the most important link in the playback chain. No loudspeaker in the world could save a poor starting point.

The digitisation of music changed a lot, but our ears remained analogue. Modern amplifiers and loudspeakers need a process that converts digital music into analogue. Daniel realised early on that this process, known as digital-to-analogue conversion, deserves the utmost attention. It is a fine art to design this conversion in such a way that the music remains lively and emotional.

At the end of the 1980s, Daniel bought his first CD player. But after only ten days, he returned it. The music sounded lifeless and annoying. So he stuck with records and cassette tapes and didn't take a closer look at digital playback technology again until 2010.

The search for a good digital-to-analogue converter was not easy. The devices often cost five-figure sums – too much for Daniel. So he converted his own computer so that it could provide music files unchanged at the digital output. He forwarded these to a studio converter. The result was better, but still not good enough.

Daniel was faced with a decision: either stick with vinyl and analogue tape, or create something of his own. He opted for the latter. He found DIY projects and kits on the internet, which he ordered from Asia.

After six months of persuasion, he managed to convince a manufacturer in Hong Kong to collaborate with him on developing an outstanding converter - the DAC 1.