Accuphase DAC-60: What Reviewers Say About This Digital Input Board
The DAC-60 turns a compatible Accuphase integrated amplifier or preamplifier into a full digital hub. Here is what it is, what it does, and what the reviewers who have actually heard it say about the sound.
The Accuphase DAC-60 is a digital input option board that slides into one rear expansion slot on compatible Accuphase integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers, adding USB, optical, and coaxial inputs with DSD playback up to 11.2 MHz. It is $1,495 at All Elite Audio. The two reviewers who have published listening impressions both praise it: Steve Huff says it sounds like a solid $2k DAC, and Too Loud reviewer Nebojsa Ugljesic says it buried his far pricier Classé CP-800.
What is the Accuphase DAC-60?
The DAC-60 is an option board, not a separate component. It installs into one rear expansion slot on a compatible Accuphase integrated amplifier or preamplifier, the way a card slides into a computer, and it gives that amplifier a complete set of digital inputs: USB Type B for a computer or streamer, optical for a television or disc player, and coaxial for a CD transport or streamer.
Conversion is handled by a 2MDS+ Multiple Delta Sigma converter running ESS ES9016K2M chips in parallel. Once the board is installed, the amplifier handles input selection from its front panel and shows the sampling frequency of the incoming signal on its display. There is no extra box on the rack, no extra interconnect, and no extra power cord. The amplifier simply gains digital inputs that feel like they were always part of it.
The board fits a long list of Accuphase models. Accuphase lists preamplifiers including the C-2150, C-2120, and C-2000, and integrated amplifiers including the E-800, E-480, E-380, E-280, and E-270, with newer models such as the E-3000, E-5000, E-700, and C-2300 confirmed as well.
Specifications
| Converter | 2MDS+ Multiple Delta Sigma type, ESS ES9016K2M chips in parallel |
|---|---|
| USB input | Type B connector. PCM from 32 kHz to 384 kHz at 32 bit. DSD at 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz, and 11.2 MHz, with 11.2 MHz playback over ASIO. |
| Optical input | PCM from 32 kHz to 96 kHz at 24 bit |
| Coaxial input | PCM from 32 kHz to 192 kHz at 24 bit |
| Input selection | Front panel DAC button on supported models switches between USB, optical, and coaxial. Models without the button select the active input automatically. |
| Display | The host amplifier shows the sampling frequency of the incoming signal on its front panel when the DAC-60 is selected. |
| Installation | Installs into one rear expansion slot on the host amplifier or preamplifier. |
| Compatible models | Preamplifiers: C-2150, C-2120, C-2110, C-2000, C-245, CX-260, and the newer C-2300. Integrated amplifiers: E-800, E-700, E-650, E-600, E-560, E-550, E-530, E-5000, E-480, E-470, E-460, E-450, E-408, E-407, E-406V, E-380, E-370, E-360, E-350, E-308, E-307, E-306V, E-3000, E-280, E-270, E-260, E-250, and E-213. |
Compatibility list drawn from the official Accuphase DAC-60 catalog, with newer models confirmed by the reviews and dealer pages in our sources below. Ask us to confirm your exact model before ordering.
What reviewers say it sounds like
We will be straight with you about the size of the evidence here. The DAC-60 is an option board rather than a headline product, so owners rarely write about it on its own. We searched the major forums and review outlets, and exactly two verified listening impressions exist. Both are detailed, both come from reviewers who lived with the card inside an Accuphase integrated amplifier, and both land in the same place.
Steve Huff tested the DAC-60 inside his review Accuphase E-3000, running it against the Benchmark DAC 3 B and the Imersiv D1. His summary of the card:
“It sounds nice but not ‘WOW’ vs the others and also not as punchy. It’s bringing very good detail and richness though, and sounds like a solid $2k DAC.”
Steve Huff, stevehuffphoto.com, Accuphase E-3000 review, September 2026
Huff also wrote that the card “brings some life to the warm leaning amp,” and that of the three DACs he ran with the E-3000, the DAC-60 was a close second in his room. He preferred its warmth and body to the more holographic presentation of the far pricier D1.
Nebojsa Ugljesic of the Too Loud blog heard the DAC-60 inside an Accuphase E-280 and compared it directly with his own Classé CP-800, a standalone unit that cost far more than the card. His verdict:
“The DAC, I hate to use these terms, but I don’t know how to convey the difference, simply buried my Classe CP-800. He killed it in all parameters. In addition, we are talking about a DSD DAC that will swallow all possible audio formats and turn them into a sound sensation.”
Nebojsa Ugljesic, Too Loud, Accuphase E-280 review
Two reviewers, two different amplifiers, two different reference DACs, and the same conclusion: the card performs well past what its slot inside an amplifier might suggest.
Five things reviewers praise about the DAC-60
- It beat a far pricier standalone DAC in a direct comparison. Ugljesic ran the card against his Classé CP-800 and wrote that the DAC-60 “simply buried my Classe CP-800” and “killed it in all parameters.”
- It sounds like a $2k DAC. Huff credits the card with “very good detail and richness” and says plainly that it “sounds like a solid $2k DAC.”
- It held its own in elite company. In Huff’s three way E-3000 test, the DAC-60 finished a close second to the Benchmark DAC 3 B, and Huff preferred its warmth and body over the far pricier Imersiv D1.
- It plays every format you are likely to own. Ugljesic calls it a DSD DAC that will “swallow all possible audio formats,” and the spec backs him up: PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD up to 11.2 MHz over USB.
- It adds digital inputs with nothing extra on the rack. No separate chassis, no extra interconnect, no extra power cord. The amplifier selects inputs from its front panel and shows the live sample rate on its display while the music plays.
Features reviewers and owners name by name
- USB input, Type B. Both reviewers used a computer as the source, and USB carries the highest rates the card supports: PCM up to 384 kHz and DSD up to 11.2 MHz.
- Optical input. The natural home for a television or a disc player, accepting PCM up to 96 kHz.
- Coaxial input. Built for CD transports and streamers, accepting PCM up to 192 kHz.
- Sample rate display. With the DAC-60 installed, the amplifier shows the sampling frequency of the incoming signal on its front panel display.
- Front panel input selection. Amplifiers with a DAC selector button switch between USB, optical, and coaxial from the front panel. Models without the button select the active input on their own.
- Slot installation. The board fits one rear expansion slot on the host unit. No extra cables and no separate power supply are involved.
- DSD playback. Native DSD support at 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz, and 11.2 MHz, called out by both reviewers.
YouTube reviews
One verified video review covers the DAC-60 directly. Steve Huff’s video review of the Accuphase E-3000 tests the DAC-60 card installed in that amplifier against the Benchmark DAC 3 B. No other YouTube review of this specific board could be verified, and we would rather list one real review than pad this section.
Accuphase E-3000 Integrated Amp Review. Oh My Soul!
Huff’s video review of the E-3000, published with his written review at stevehuffphoto.com. The DAC-60 card is part of the test, compared against the Benchmark DAC 3 B and the Imersiv D1.
Watch on YouTubeHonest criticisms
The card is not the final word in digital playback, and Huff says so directly. He found the DAC-60 not as punchy as the Benchmark DAC 3 B in his system, and he writes that he is certain a dedicated external Accuphase DAC sounds nicer, more refined, and more beautiful. If your only goal is the best digital playback Accuphase knows how to build regardless of cost or rack space, a standalone Accuphase DAC is the step beyond this board.
The other fair criticism is arithmetic. Option boards add up: Too Loud noted that an E-280 fitted with its option modules carried a total price that put it out of reach for most buyers. The DAC-60 is a meaningful addition on top of the amplifier itself, and it is worth deciding up front whether you want your digital source inside the amp or in a separate box you can upgrade on its own schedule.
Finally, the thin review footprint cuts both ways. With only two verified listening impressions in print, there is less owner chatter to lean on than there is for a standalone DAC. That is part of why hearing the card in a real system matters, and it is exactly what our showroom is for.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Accuphase DAC-60 cost?
The Accuphase DAC-60 is $1,495 at All Elite Audio, an authorized Accuphase dealer in Timonium, Maryland.
What does the Accuphase DAC-60 do?
The DAC-60 is a digital input option board that slides into one rear expansion slot on compatible Accuphase integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers. It adds USB, optical, and coaxial digital inputs plus DSD playback, with no separate chassis, no extra cables, and no extra power supply.
Which Accuphase models does the DAC-60 fit?
The DAC-60 fits many Accuphase integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers, including the E-3000, E-5000, E-700, E-800, E-480, E-380, and E-280 integrated amplifiers and the C-2300 and C-2150 preamplifiers. Accuphase lists a long run of earlier models as well, going back to the E-213 and the C-2000.
What formats and sample rates does the DAC-60 support?
Over USB the DAC-60 accepts PCM from 32 kHz to 384 kHz at 32 bit and DSD at 2.8 MHz, 5.6 MHz, and 11.2 MHz. The coaxial input accepts PCM up to 192 kHz and the optical input accepts PCM up to 96 kHz.
Does the DAC-60 show the sample rate of the music playing?
Yes. With the DAC-60 installed, the host amplifier shows the sampling frequency of the incoming signal on its front panel display, and models with a DAC selector button switch between USB, optical, and coaxial from the front panel.
How does the DAC-60 compare with a separate external DAC?
Reviewer Steve Huff placed the DAC-60 a close second to the Benchmark DAC 3 B in his E-3000 test and said it sounds like a solid $2k DAC. He also found it less punchy than the Benchmark and expects a dedicated external Accuphase DAC to sound nicer still. The card wins on integration: it lives inside the amplifier with nothing extra on the rack.
Where can I hear the Accuphase DAC-60?
All Elite Audio is an authorized Accuphase dealer with a showroom in Timonium, Maryland. Call 443-402-5055 or visit alleliteaudio.com to ask about hearing the DAC-60 in a system.
Hear the DAC-60 at All Elite Audio
All Elite Audio is an authorized Accuphase dealer. Our showroom in Timonium, Maryland has multiple listening rooms, and walk ins are welcome during showroom hours. If you own a compatible Accuphase amplifier or preamplifier and want to hear what the DAC-60 adds to it, come listen before you decide.
Accuphase DAC-60: $1,495
Sources
- Steve Huff, “Accuphase E-3000 Integrated Amp Review. Oh My Soul!” stevehuffphoto.com, September 1, 2026. https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2026/09/01/accuphase-e-3000-integrated-amp-review-oh-my-soul/
- Steve Huff video review of the Accuphase E-3000, YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYQaNXp68vE
- Nebojsa Ugljesic, “REVIEW: Accuphase E-280 integrated amplifier,” Too Loud. https://tooloud.co/review-accuphase-e-280-integrated-amplifier/
- Accuphase DAC-60 and AD-50 official catalog, specifications and compatible models. http://www.accuphase.fr/index_htm_files/dac-60_ad-50_e.pdf
- Audiogon forum, “Reference DACs, an overall perspective,” where an E-380 owner asks about the DAC-60 card. https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/reference-dacs-an-overall-perspective?sort_order=desc