Outboard DACs

The standalone Preciso DAC is the latest offering from Florence-based Volumio, which was founded ten years ago by CEO Michelangelo Guarise. With the Preciso, the company has opted to deliver a USB DAC at an affordable, rather than more rarified, price point. And while the congenial £699 tag fits into Volumio’s broader strategy of accessible products, it could not practically be achieved without outsourcing its PCB build to China. That said, there’s no mistaking the Italian flair on offer here!

Initially, Volumio was set up to evolve the eponymous software from a hobby project to a fully-fledged product, moving into hardware seven years ago [see boxout] Since then, its devices have included the EISA Award-winning (first generation) Primo DAC/streamer and the Rivo digital transport [HFN Sep ’23]. There’s something unique about the Preciso, though, as this is the first Volumio unit not running its own-brand streaming software.

Diminutive DAC

Don’t expect conventionally shaped or sized hi-fi from Volumio. Except for the touchscreen-based Motivo DAC/headphone amplifier, which has its own distinct style, most Volumio products share a sleek design thought up by the external Design Narratives bureau. So, like the two Rivo streamers, the Primo, and the Integro networked amplifier, the hardback-sized Preciso is housed in a slender, 50mm-high case made from brushed aluminium and curved at either side.

This makes for an attractive look and gives the impression that a single piece of metal encases the whole unit. Only if you flip it over do you discover the bottom part is a separate piece joined to the rest of the chassis. The recessed front fascia is another signature design element, although on this occasion the front panel is black, a lot less extravagant than the light blue of the Rivo or the dark wood finish of the Primo.

At the back of the DAC are four digital inputs – USB-B and I²S on HDMI cater to 768kHz/32-bit PCM and DSD512, while S/PDIF optical and coaxial are good for 192kHz/24-bit PCM. These and the RCA and balanced XLR analogue outputs are also recessed, helping to hide some of the cable clutter. Overall, the Preciso displays individuality without being tacky. I like it: it possesses a premium air, standing out from the run-of-the-mill square box designs you often come across in this price segment.

Ready for a remote

The Preciso is controlled through two metal rotaries flanking a miniature dot-matrix display. There’s just one niggle, which is mainly noticeable if you pair it with the Rivo streamer: the display is not centred perfectly, showing a small offset to the right compared to the large red button of the Rivo. Depending on how obsessive you are about such things, that might get an eyelid trembling.

Above: Linear PSUs [top left and right] feed the main USB and S/PDIF digital section [bottom centre] and symmetrical ES9039Q2M DAC-based analogue stage [bottom left]. A Raspberry Pi RP2040 micro [top centre] provides the brains...

Keen eyes might also have spotted something looking like an IR sensor on the front of the unit. They aren’t mistaken, even though there’s no remote included nor does Volumio sell one now. ‘Now’ being the operative word, as the company is planning to release an optional remote which will allow the user to change inputs, gain level and DAC filters. It will also be able to control forthcoming new products from the brand.

That remote sounds like a surefire hit, as currently you must go to the Preciso if you want to select one of the eight available DAC filters, or switch between inputs. That said, if you are going to use the Preciso with a single source and a preferred digital filter, the rear trigger port allows the device to be switched on when the streamer is activated. In that case, there’s little reason to directly control the Preciso. But be aware, if you want to remain in the Volumio ‘universe’, only the Rivo+ possesses the required trigger output. The more affordable and older Rivo doesn’t.

Raspberry ripple

The heart of the Preciso is formed by two ES9039Q2M DACs in dual mono configuration driven by a single ‘high-accuracy MEMS clock’ [see PM's Lab Report], p81. The layout is very orderly, with separate power supplies for the digital and analogue stages. Although many will use the Preciso as a purist, fixed-output DAC, Volumio states that it’s made great effort to create an accurate volume control that works in steps of 0.5dB over a claimed 99dB range. This allows the Preciso to be used as a preamplifier with an active speaker or power amp of your choice.

The segregated layout of the main PCB [see boxout] not only reveals the DAC/analogue circuit but also a microcontroller chip brandishing a tell-tale raspberry icon. No surprises there, as the Volumio software was initially developed for the Raspberry Pi and in fact drives some third-party hi-fi streamers based on that hardware, including Pro-Ject’s Stream Box S2 Ultra [HFN Oct ’18] designed by John Westlake.

Precision sounds
The obvious partner for the Preciso is the Rivo or, alternatively, the upmarket Rivo+ model. Taking the former but powering it via a programmable Ferrum Hypsos PSU [HFN Mar ’21] – an improvement, and Volumio also sells the Lineo 05 linear PSU which suits the Preciso too – I ended up with a tidy, stackable system. The extruded aluminium feet on the DAC have a rubber lining, preventing the case of the Rivo underneath it from being scratched.

Using both balanced and RCA cables, the Preciso was dual connected to a Hegel Röst amplifier [HFN Jul ’17], allowing for comparisons between the two connection types (no major differences detected), and a pair of Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G floorstanders [HFN Oct ’24]. I also took the time to confirm the left and right channels were delivered in the right order, as they were swapped on our sample [see PM's Lab Report]. And no, the Röst wasn’t a random selection. It does possess its own DAC and streaming board, but as things have moved on in the ten years since it launched, it’s not unreasonable to want to upgrade those possibilities with an outboard streamer/DAC combination.

Go with the flow

The Rivo streamer, connected here to the Preciso via USB, is one of many products which recently received an update to support Qobuz Connect, making the hi-res streaming option a very suitable way to stream BADBADNOTGOOD’s Mid Spiral: Growth [XL Recordings; 96kHz/24-bit] directly from the Qobuz app. The first notes of the album’s opening track, ‘First Love’, are produced by a harp repeating a little melody. I have heard this sound rather harsh, but the Preciso portrayed it with a natural ‘flow’, devoid of artificiality.

Further listening was rewarding, as the Volumio DAC dug out lots of the subtle details that give the recordings of this Canadian contemporary jazz band their ‘live’ mood. The very understated tapping of the hi-hat and cymbals, or the secondary conga percussion on ‘Celestial Hands’, appeared with a feather-light touch, discretely positioned on a relatively spacious soundstage.

Both the Hegel Röst amplifier and MA Gold 300 6G speakers shy away from imparting too much of their own flavour, so it would have been noticeable if the Preciso strayed far from transparency. On the contrary, it merged well with the rest of the system, contributing to an overall sound that was clear and revealing, whether with this mellow album or the more robust Mozart: Wind Concertos featuring Jaime Martin conducting the London Symphony Orchestra [LSO0855; 96kHz/24-bit].

Above: Digital inputs include USB-B and I²S on HDMI (to 768kHz/32-bit PCM and DSD512), optical and coaxial (to 192kHz/24-bit PCM). Single-ended analogue outputs are on RCA, and balanced on XLR. Trigger ports service basic automation

Streaming this somewhat traditionalist interpretation via Roon through the Rivo, I was struck by the rendition of the main French horn in the first movement of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No.2 in E flat major. Compared to, say, my T+A DAC200 [HFN May ’22], the orchestra backing up the soloist was slightly more recessed and a little more dense, but the emphasis on Timothy Jones’ horn playing still made for an engaging listen. The Volumio DAC brought out a lot of the rich textures that make the horn – especially played to this level – a fascinating instrument. Some might not anticipate this level of nuance given the Preciso’s wallet-friendly pricing, but a sense of increased resolution was unquestionably always there.

Angel delight

There’s a flip side to this, of course, which is that inferior source material can be left feeling ‘exposed’. Some lossy AAC files of the soundtrack to A Throw Of Dice [0184102RAF; 256kbps], featuring Nitin Sawhney and – again – the LSO, did reveal imperfections, such as jagged edges to the stringed instruments on ‘King Sohat & Sunita And The Kiss’.

No such worries with ‘The Angels Laid Him Away’, from Freedom Highway [Nonesuch 558805-1; 88.2kHz/24-bit] – this is Rhiannon Giddens at her purest. Just her and an acoustic guitar, singing a classic Mississippi John Hurt tune, with the Preciso – driven here by an Eversolo DMP-A8 [HFN May ’24] via I²S over HDMI – delivering the goods in terms of detail and clarity. It’s very easy to be swept up completely by Giddens’ fabulous singing with this minimalistic composition, but with the Preciso the natural delivery of the acoustic guitar was equally enticing. Not at all thin or stringy, but realistic, just like the snappy banjo which Giddens plays on ‘Julie’, and which also possessed an agreeably sparkly character.

Up in the air

Given its affordability, Volumio’s DAC might not find service with a dedicated streamer, instead used with a CD player or as a bridge between a TV and amplifier. Connecting a Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T transport [HFN Sep ’19] via optical to the Preciso, I was happy to hear Air’s ‘Kelly Watches The Sky’ sounding as sweeping as intended.

This is just one of the signature tunes on the band’s Moon Safari album, recently re-released in a 25th Anniversary edition [Parlophone 5054197906770; 88.2kHz/24-bit]. It might ‘merely’ be pop music, but the Preciso brought the dreamy atmosphere and use of delicate synthesiser phrases and spacey samples together into an organic, enticing whole. Preciso is Italian for precise, which might evoke images of sterile musical dissection. Yet Volumio’s unit delivers an alluring listen which should enthral first time buyers of a standalone DAC.

Hi-Fi News Verdict

Notwithstanding its minor cosmetic flaws and (temporary?) bugs in implementation, the Preciso is already a capable DAC that certainly gets the job done. Boasting several inputs and ease of use, it’s both a cost-effective upgrade and a solid foundation for a hi-fi or head-fi system. The ‘built (assembled) in Europe’ label is unlikely to be a decisive factor, but it is impressive considering what Volumio offers for the price

Sound Quality: 85%