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Counterpoint DA-10 DAC, vintage 90sAnother cool component if you are into vintage high end audio. This DAC is very flexible and sounds great. It has an upgraded Burr Brown BB69 Dac Card installed. I should have the original AD1862 card as well, and possibly there was a receiver chip upgrade as well. Has BNC SPDIF outputs, so you will need BNC - RCA cables or an adapter, if I have one around I will include it. They aren't hard to get though. I will add some internal pics shortly.If you are looking you probably are familiar with this unit. It is working great and sounds excellent tbh. Very nice condition with just some minor scuffs and scratches. Original manuals included.Any questions please let me know, and thanks for looking--
At US$700, this Counterpoint DA-10 is a genuine bargain, sitting well below the typical used market of US$850–US$950 for a rack-ready vintage 20-bit R-2R DAC. While US$900 listings for excellent-condition units (like the 1990 DA-10A) confirm the median sits near US$900, US$700 is a strong deal, especially for a model originally priced at an absurd US$1,950 with the AD1862 chip.
The DA-10 is well-regarded for its unique switchable DAC cards, allowing users to swap between UltraAnalog, Analog Devices, Crystal, and Burr-Brown chips without buying a new unit. Its solid rack-size build, 20-bit R-2R performance, and original-owner pedigree (mid-2000s use) make this a timely buying opportunity for vintage hi-fi enthusiasts. With no material caveats at this price, it’s a clean, well-loved product worth owning.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Counterpoint was a U.S. hi-fi brand founded in California in 1977, best associated with designer Michael Elliott, who joined the company in 1979 and became closely linked with its tube-era identity. The brand’s early history is tied to the rise of high-performance American audio in the late 1970s and 1980s, and its name still turns up often in discussions of classic tube gear. Counterpoint later filed for Chapter 11 in 1996, and the brand’s active era is generally described as running into the late 1990s.
Counterpoint was primarily known for preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and phono head amps, with a strong emphasis on vacuum-tube and hybrid designs. Its early products included the SA-1 tube preamp and SA-2 moving-coil head amp, and later models expanded into more elaborate preamps and amplifiers. While the company is sometimes mentioned alongside loudspeakers in historical summaries, its real reputation rests on amplification rather than speakers, turntables, DACs, headphones, or cables.
In the market, Counterpoint sits in the vintage high-end category rather than current mainstream hi-fi. It is a niche name today, valued mainly by collectors and enthusiasts who seek well-made American tube electronics from a period when the brand had a strong reputation for ambitious, hand-built sound. Used-market interest remains tied to model, condition, and whether the unit has been serviced, which is typical for older specialist audio brands.
See all Counterpoint listings on RADAR.
