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Offered is „Syrah“ by Playback Designs as exhibit from the category „Digital Streamer“ on audio-markt.de - the online market place for high-end. The advert with the number 1402900036 ends on 23.10.2026 at 06:09 o'clock.
€3,800 is a fair ask, just a touch above the median for this piece: it sits slightly over the €3,743 midpoint, well above the €3,698 25th percentile, and comfortably below the €4,443 75th percentile. In other words, this is not a bargain-bin price, but it is solidly within normal used-market territory and not ambitious.
That makes it worth a look if the unit is clean, since this is the sort of digital source that earns its reputation through refinement rather than flash: low noise, excellent timing, and a very “sorted” presentation when paired well. If condition is genuinely good, the key upside is simple—paying near-market for a respected, high-end digital front end without stretching into the top quartile.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Playback Designs emerged in 2008, founded by Andreas Koch, a pioneering digital audio engineer with roots tracing back to the early days of the format. Beginning his career at Studer ReVox in Switzerland in 1982, where he built the world's first fully asynchronous digital sample rate converter, Koch later honed his expertise at Dolby Labs, Studer Editech in California—creating the enduring Dyaxis hard disc recorder—and EMM Labs, developing revolutionary sample rate conversion algorithms, discrete D/A converters, and clock management architectures. Blending Swiss-German engineering precision with American entrepreneurial drive, the California-based brand launched with an integrated SACD/CD player incorporating 25 years of Koch's innovations.
The company specializes in high-performance digital playback systems, focusing on DACs, network players, and integrated processors like the MPD-6, MPS-X, MPD-8, and series such as Edelweiss and Dream. eschewing off-the-shelf D/A chips, Playback Designs employs custom Xilinx FPGA-based designs programmed with Koch's proprietary code for jitter-free, ultra-high-resolution conversion. Their expandable architectures unite digital signal processing with meticulously crafted analog output stages, often designed in collaboration with engineers like Bert Vogt or Bert Gerlach, prioritizing sonic purity over conventional components.
Positioned firmly in the high-end audiophile market, Playback Designs commands respect among discerning listeners for delivering reference-level transparency and musicality in digital sources. Known for from-the-ground-up innovations that outperform mass-market rivals, the brand appeals to buyers seeking no-compromise performance in a niche boutique realm, where proprietary algorithms and modular platforms ensure future-proof excellence.
See all Playback Designs listings on RADAR.
