High-End Hi-Fi

NOTHING BETWEEN YOU AND THE MUSIC

PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL digital-to-analog converter

Originating in Weiss Engineering’s product line for professional mastering studios, the MEDUS is truly a zero-compromise DAC. For those seeking the same representation of their music as mastering engineers hear when fine-tuning the audio in the studio, the MEDUS is the unit to get.

Weiss - Highend-Hifi - Medus - White Front
High-End Hi-Fi

Main Features

Weiss MEDUS

professional level at home

Weiss Engineering’s professional clients work in the world’s top-tier studios, fine-tuning the sound of the biggest artists on the planet. It is not an option for them to use anything but the best monitoring chains in existence. This is why they use Weiss Engineering’s professional DACs.

The MEDUS maintains that same quality level, with design and features that better suit the high-end hi-fi market. With the MEDUS, you are hearing what the professionals are hearing.

FOUR DIGITAL INPUTS

The MEDUS has four digital stereo inputs, allowing up to four different input sources to be connected. The user can easily switch between the input sources from the front panel or by using the MEDUS wireless remote control.

All the digital inputs are AES/EBU. The three first use XLR or RCA connectors, while the fourth uses TOSLINK or RCA connectors. The unit can be custom equipped with USB, Ethernet, Firewire, or ST type glass fiber connectors upon request.

upsampling and conversion

Signals at 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling frequency are up-sampled in the MEDUS’ DSP chip, using Weiss’ own up-sampling algorithms. 

The 32 Bit DAC chip up-samples the input signal to about 1.5 MHz. Four D/A conversion channels are used per audio channel, resulting in exceptional performance specifications.

analog perfection

All analog processing is done with our own discrete operational amplifier modules, the Weiss OP2-BP — arguably the best audio operational amplifier currently available.

Four OP2-BP are used per channel, two for current to voltage (I/V) conversion and two for the balanced and unbalanced output stages. The OP2-BPs run in class A mode for all common loads.

synchronization

The MEDUS is synchronized by the input signal present at the selected input. Several signal re-clocking schemes are combined for extremely high jitter attenuation down to subsonic frequencies, making the MEDUS virtually immune to jitter.

With the USB, Ethernet or Firewire inputs the master clock is generated by the MEDUS. 

power supply

A powerful non-switching power supply is used. All sensitive voltages have their own regulators which are separated between left and right channels. The result is an analog output free of “digital noise” and channel crosstalk.

The power switch activates a semiconductor relay which only switches on or off at zero crossings of the mains voltage. This assures a glitch-free power switching. The mains transformer sits in a mu-metal shielding box.

Weiss - Highend-Hifi - Medus - White Front
Weiss - Highend-Hifi - Medus - White Rear
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High-End Hi-Fi

Technical Data

Weiss MEDUS

Digital Inputs
  • (3) XLR connectors 
  • (1) TOSLINK connector (optical)
  • (4) RCA connectors
  • All inputs accept professional or consumer standard, i.e. accept AES/EBU or S/PDIF signals
  • Sampling frequencies; single wire scheme: 44.1kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz on any of the four inputs
  • Sampling frequencies; dual wire scheme: 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz or 192 kHz on inputs 1 and 2
  • Sampling frequencies of 352.8kHz or 384kHz: On USB input
  • DSD64, DSD128: On USB input
  • Sampling frequency tolerance: ±80 ppm
  • Maximum input word-length: 24 Bits
Analog Outputs
  • (2) XLR Connectors
  • (2) RCA Connectors
  • Servo-less, DC coupled, short circuit proof output circuitry
  • Output impedance: < 100 Ω
  • Output level: variable from −4.0 dBu to +27.0 dBu balanced on XLR connectors (−10.0 dBu to +21.0 dBu unbalanced on RCA connectors) with 0 dBFS input, in 1 dB steps (−4 dBu is 0.49 V, +27 dBu is 17.35 V, −10 dBu is 0.245 V, +21 dBu is 8.67 V)
  • Output stage: Discrete Class A
Frequency Response
  • Fs = 44.1 kHz: 0 Hz-20 kHz: within ±0.25 dB 
  • Fs = 48 kHz: 0 Hz-20 kHz: within ±0.25 dB 
  • Fs = 88.2 kHz: 0 Hz-30 kHz: within ±0.75 dB 
  • Fs = 96 kHz: 0 Hz-30 kHz: within ±0.75 dB 
  • Fs = 176.4 kHz: 0 Hz-40 kHz: within ±0.75 dB 
  • Fs = 192 kHz: 0 Hz-40 kHz: within ±0.75 dB
Signal to Noise Ratio

Signal To Noise Ratio (SNR) at −40 dBFS input:

  • > 129 dB un-weighted
    (relative to full-scale output)
  • > 132 dB A-weighted
    (relative to full-scale output)
Total Harmonic Distortion Plus Noise (THD+N) Ratio
  • < −112 dB @ −3 dBFS input
    (0 dBFS = +27.0 dBu) 
  • < −115 dB @ 0 dBFS input
    (0 dBFS = +27.0 dBu)
Dimensions

MEDUS
Depth: 30 cm / 11.8 inches
Width: 45 cm / 17.7 inches
Height: 6.6 cm / 2.6 inches
Height with feet: 7.4 cm / 2.9 inches

IR Remote Control
Depth: 2.5 cm / 1 inch
Width: 6.2 cm / 2.44 inches
Height: 16.9 cm / 6.65 inches

Power Supply

A powerful non-switching power supply is used. All sensitive voltages have their own regulators which are separated between left and right channels. The result is an analog output free of “digital noise” and channel crosstalk.

The power switch activates a semiconductor relay which only switches on or off at zero crossings of the mains voltage. This assures a glitch-free power switching. The two mains transformers are toroidal types.

Mains voltage selection is done automatically by measuring the mains voltage before power is applied to the rest of the electronics.

Note: For more detailed product specifications, please refer to the user manual.

Manuals & Downloads

Press Reviews

What the media say

MEDUS – Eric's Hi-Fi Blog
Eric’s Hi-Fi Blog

Hi-Fi Blog

MEDUS

Truly outstanding performance — highly recommended.

Eric Teh
Visit Website
Hifi +
Hifi+

Hi-Fi Magazine

MEDUS

Whichever way you look at it, the Weiss Medus is a DAC to die for.

Jason Kennedy
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More Reviews

Product Downloads

For your MEDUS

Bit Transparency Check

Downloadable audio files for bit transparency check
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Bit Transparency Check

Engineered USB Audio Driver 2.26 WIN

Windows USB driver for the latest INT204 interfaces, and for the D/A converters using the INT204-based USB/DSD interface – (DAC1, DAC2, MINERVA, MEDEA, MEDUS, DAC202). NOTE: This driver does not work with older INT204 interfaces. For those, use the driver version 1.56a.
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Engineered USB Audio Driver 2.26 WIN
Firewire Driver Release notes MacOS
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  • MacOS
Firewire Driver Release notes Windows
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  • Windows
MEDUS Brochure (DE)
  • 1
  • pdf
  • 0.4 MB
MEDUS Brochure (EN)
  • 1
  • pdf
  • 0.4 MB
MEDUS High Resolution Photos
  • N/A
  • zip
  • 2.6 MB
MEDUS Manual (EN)
  • 1
  • pdf
  • 10.1 MB

MEDUS USB Driver (WIN)

For Windows; Mac OSX does not require a driver. Don’t miss reading the Readme.txt file, especially for Windows 8 installations.
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MEDUS USB Driver (WIN)

Weiss Firewire Driver 4.3.1.47542 MAC

Mac OS X requirements: 10.8.5, 10.9.5, 10.10.5, 10.11.6. Min hardware requirement: Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB RAM. Should you need older Firewire drivers, please contact us via the Support page.
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Weiss Firewire Driver 4.3.1.47542 MAC
  • 4.3.1.47542
  • zip
  • 1.7 MB
  • MacOS
  • 10.8.5 – 10.11.6
  • Show Details

Weiss Firewire Driver 4.3.1.47542 WIN

Windows requirements: Win 7 (32/64-bit) with Service Pack 1, Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit), Windows 10 (32/64-bit) min. Hardware requirements: Intel or AMD 1.6 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM. Should you need older Firewire drivers, please contact us via the Support page.
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Weiss Firewire Driver 4.3.1.47542 WIN