Rockna Wavedream NET/DAC digital audio platform

REVIEW
Alan Sircom
Jun 28, 2022

Consequently, pulling out musical examples to highlight aspects of performance is almost academic, because it’s universally good. I played graunchy rock, phat-bass electronica, small jazz combos, string quartets, large orchestral pieces, and everything from bel canto to hand-wringing stabby ‘she dies at the end’ opera. All of which were played with grace when called up and rock-throwing power and energy when required. Unless given very close scrutiny up against the Anointed Ones of digital (all of which cost many, many times more than this Rockna combo), the limits of the Rockna are upstream (poor recordings) or downstream (whatever idiosyncrasies your system introduces). And often, even when compared to those Anointed Ones, they are often more about making the best technical discovery of digits than unlocking the music that drives us to explore more. To get a bit Zen in all this; a lot of digital front ends are simply fingers pointing at the Moon, and while many systems make us look at the finger, the Rockna shows us how we should be looking at the Moon.

Pretentious psychobabble aside, Rockna’s Wavedream NET and Wavedream DAC is that rare thing in audio; a universal good. Whether the duo is your gateway from CD to streaming or used as your digital one-stop shop, it makes a strong case for being all you may ever need.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Wavedream NET

Type: Solid-state music server memory playback and CD player
Storage: optional from 1TB SSD hard drive
Network connection: RJ45 Ethernet
Digital Outputs: HD Link (I²S over HDMI), AES/EBU, S/PDIF via coaxial & BNC
Back up & expansion: 2× USB
Disc drive: CD, DVD, Blu-ray
Formats supported: WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC, MP3, DoP (DSD over PCM)
Streaming services supported: Tidal
Playback software supplied: Roon
User Interface: Web browser, Roon control application
Dimensions (H×W×D): 70 × 420 × 320mm
Weight: 10kg
Price: Wavedream Net 1TB SSD £8,495 (2TB SSD £8,995, 4TB SSD £9,795)

Wavedream DAC 

Type: Solid-state high-resolution PCM and DSD-capable digital-to-analogue converter/preamplifier
Digital Inputs: AES/EBU, coaxial, 2× HD-Link (I²S over HDMI), USB 2.0
Analogue Outputs: Single-ended on RCA phono, balanced on XLR
DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: PCM from 44.1KHz to 384KHz with word lengths up to 24-bit, DSD64 (2.8224MHz) and DSD128 (5.6448MHz), DSD256 (11.2896MHz), DSD512 (22.5792Mhz). 384KHz and DSD above 2.8224MHz via USB and HDMI only
Distortion (THD + Noise at -6dB): < 0.003% or -90dB
Output Voltage (max): 6.6Vpp single ended, 13.2Vpp XLR
User Interface: 128×64 yellow OLED display, dimmable in 8 steps
Dimensions (H×W×D): 90 × 440 × 360mm
Weight: 7.8kg
Price: Wavedream Edition DAC (balanced) £8,195, Signature (single-ended) £10,495, Signature (balanced) £14,795