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Crane Song

Crane Song Avocet IIA

Stereo/surround monitor controller with integrated Quantum DAC

Monitor Controller

$3,149Manufacturer list price

Specifications

Type
Monitor Controller
Description
Stereo/surround monitor controller with integrated Quantum DAC
Topology
discrete Class A analog output stages, relay-switched stepped attenuator, 32-bit DAC with proprietary ASRC upsampling to 211kHz, sub-picosecond 'Quantum' clocking
Signal path
Hybrid (recallable / digitally controlled)
Channels
2
Channel format
stereo, expandable to surround
Form factor
2U rackmount mainframe + separate desktop remote control
Rack units
2
Connection
AES/EBU, S/PDIF, Optical (TOSLink), analog XLR
Sample rate (kHz)
up to 192 (internally upsamples to 211)
Bit depth
32-bit (DAC)
Powered
yes
Introduced
2016
Country of manufacture
USA

Details

Controls: Input select (6), speaker/output select (3), mono, phase, dim, mute, talkback, headphone level, main volume (stepped, 1dB steps), 16-bit truncation check button, per-input gain trim (+/-10dB)

I/O: 3 stereo analog inputs (XLR), 3 stereo digital inputs (AES/S-PDIF/Optical), 3 stereo monitor outputs (XLR) with sub outputs, headphone output and talkback mic input on remote

Notable use: Predecessor Avocet used by mastering engineer Bob Katz at his Digital Domain mastering studio, per a 2004 Pro Audio Review review

Notes: Current model is the Avocet IIA (5th-generation Quantum DAC); the cranesong.com page itself is generically named 'avocet.html'. Price ($3,149) is an aggregated street/retail figure found via web search (not an official cranesong.com MSRP — the manufacturer site lists no prices). year_intro reflects the Avocet IIA/Quantum DAC revision per manual version note (dated 20160204); the original Avocet line dates to ~2004. Rack-unit count and notable-use anecdote are drawn from a 2004 review of the earlier (non-IIA) Avocet and may not describe the current IIA precisely.

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