SPL Director Mk2 Dac Preamplifier

The unit is not designed to fit in a rack as it is not very wide and has no rack ears available. It comes in three different finishes: black (like my review sample), silver, and red. It has two analog VU meters that can be adjusted based on the input signals gain (+10dB). It also has a tape loop should you want to run a graphic equalizer or tape deck with it. This is a rare item in this brave new digital world we live in, but it’s a nice option. Otherwise, the front has a large volume knob in the middle that has a silky-smooth feel to it and a selector knob that clicks through the ten inputs. Six are for analog sources and the other four are digital (including USB, Coaxial, optical, and AES). When a digital source is selected, the small bright red LED dot matrix display shows the selected source and sample rate. An example would be U768, which means USB at 768kHz.In the back, the SPL Director Mk2 has two sets of XLR connectors as well as four gold-plated analog RCA connectors. The OEM power cord is detachable should you want to swap it out with one of your choice. The instructions that came with the unit were very concise and well labeled. Setting up the Director Mk2 took less than 15 minutes from unboxing to listening. After spending long periods of time setting up AVRs, this product was a refreshing snap to install.