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The electronic engineer is constantly striving to make improvements to his well-established (and critically lauded) ladder DAC/streamer designs and recently unveiled his d150 two-way horn loudspeaker at High End in Munich.

I’ve spent considerable time with Brient’s creations, having started my streaming-audio journey years ago with his d1-integral DAC/streamer/headamp ($9,000 USD at the time) and currently have a d1-direct ($20,000 USD) in for review, plus I’ve had the chance to listen to his d1-tube and d1-twelve several times in the context of systems at shows.

The totaldac models are all centered around Brient’s proprietary ladder (R2R) matched-resistor DAC design and circuit topology. Models range from the d1-core utilizing 100 closely-matched 0.01 per cent VAR Bulk Metal® foil resistors from Vishay foil resistors to today’s topic – the $34,560 USD d1-twelve-mk2 – which jumps the box count from one to three (two mono bloc DACs and a reclocker) and the R2R count to 600 Vishay foil resistors.

The d1-twelve-mk2 is equipped with two separate user-selectable outputs (one pair of unbalanced RCA and one pair of XLR) which Brient has directly linked to the R2R ladders, “without the use of an active output stage,” because according to Brient “so many DACs in parallel allow to lower the noise and the impedance, so much that an output stage is not mandatory.”

I spoke with Brient and was told that the new version came about due to improvements from research and development at his laboratory/factory and listening facility in France near Mont Saint-Michel.

Rafe Arnott: The d1-twelve is the totaldac flagship, why did you feel that now was the time for a MK2 version?

Vincent Brient: “Research at Totaldac is constantly going on. There was no need for a mk2 version, but ideas had been found, some of them taken from the new d1-seven and d1-direct DAC, others are completely new, so they have been implemented in the d1-twelve-mk2.”

RA: Can you talk about what specifically was improved in the circuit for the twelve? You do extensive listening tests with all your designs, what were the most noticeable improvements?

VB: “The clocking system has been improved, the output offset-management and the filtering have been improved in the direct output of the d1-twelve-mk2. The transistor output stage and the filtering have been improved in the amplified output of the d1-twelve-mk2.”

RA: Can owners of the existing d1-twelve send their units to you for MK2 upgrades?

VB: Yes upgrades are possible, as they are possible for all other DACs in the d1 family of totaldac DACs.