In this article, I review the Apos x Geshelli Merlin desktop DAC. The Merlin features an AK4493 DAC and an Amanero 768 USB controller. Oh, and it’s an open design that lays itself bare for your viewing pleasure. At the time of writing, the price is $225 USD.
Disclaimer: This sample was provided by APOS for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own, based on my experience with the product.
Apos x Geshelli Merlin
Build and Features
The Apos x Geshelli Merlin has an open build. The top and bottom are clear Perspex panels, giving you a clear view of the PCB in between. It’s definitely different from the plain black boxes we’re used to seeing.
Internally, the Merlin uses an AK4493 DAC chip and supports up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512. Interestingly, it uses an Amanero Combo768 USB interface instead of the more common XMOS XU316 solution you see everywhere else. Amanero is a bit of a niche choice, but it’s popular in audiophile and DIY circles. That doesn’t guarantee better sound, of course, but it does make the Merlin stand out from the crowd.
The op-amp stage uses the Texas Instruments OPA1652, which is widely considered as being clean, neutral and low-noise.
The Merlin is almost aggressively simple. On the front, there are only two switches: one for power and one for input selection between USB-C and optical/SPDIF. Around the back, you get balanced XLR outputs, single-ended RCA outputs, the digital inputs, and the power connection.
That’s it. No display, volume control or digital filters. No app. No Bluetooth. No endless settings to fiddle with.
When I first found out I was getting this DAC, I wasn’t particularly excited. I thought it would just be another forgettable desktop DAC. Instead, I ended up really enjoying it, specifically because of how straightforward it is; It takes a digital signal, and it gives you analogue output. Simple.
The Merlin was designed with the matching Apos Gremlin tube amplifier in mind, and they pair beautifully. That said, you can pair this DAC with any amp or active speakers. I also used it with my much more expensive Burson Soloist GT4 and it turned out to be a great combo.
Sound
Describing DAC sound is always awkward because, ideally, a DAC shouldn’t really impose too much character onto the sound in the first place. The final result depends heavily on the amplifier, headphones or IEMs, or speakers, and overall synergy.
Compared to some of my other DACs, Merlin sounds a little calmer. Not softer or less detailed, because the detail retrieval is excellent, but there’s a sort of smoothness and ease to the presentation that reminds me a little of certain iFi Audio products. I suspect that has more to do with the analogue output stage than the Amanero USB controller, but whatever it is, it works.
The staging is excellent. It has a good sense of width and precise imaging. Dynamics are strong, and the tonal balance just sounds right to my ears. It’s clean without sounding sterile, and highly detailed without sounding harsh.
It’s the kind of DAC that stays out of the way and lets you enjoy your music. It delivers everything with transparency and lets the downstream audio components shape the sound.
Conclusion
The Apos x Geshelli Merlin is a refreshing desktop DAC that forgoes the usual display, menus and filters and just focuses on sounding good. It’s just an open box with a power switch, an input selector, and really enjoyable sound.