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YBA Design One
YBA launches Design One as transportable SACD player
The first model in YBA’s Personal Hi-Fi line gives the brand a compact disc source for headphone listening and system integration. Its role spans SACD/CD replay, USB DAC use and digital transport duties rather than a conventional portable CD-player brief.
Georg S. Kuklick
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YBA has launched the Design One, a transportable SACD player and the first model in its new Personal Hi-Fi line. The product combines disc playback, DAC operation and headphone listening in a compact source component intended for stationary and system-based use.
The Design One uses a top-loading disc mechanism with a magnetic clamp and can play CD, CD-R/RW and SACD discs. It can also operate as a line-level or pre-out source for active speakers or power amplifiers, or as a digital transport feeding an external DAC.
Headphone use is central to the design, with front-panel outputs and volume adjustment for direct listening. When connected to a computer, the unit can also function as a USB DAC, extending the product beyond disc replay alone.
Key specifications
Disc playback | CD, CD-R/RW and SACD |
|---|---|
Mechanism | HD850 laser and MT1389EE system, top-loading with magnetic disc clamp |
DAC chip | AKM AK4497S |
USB DAC support | PCM up to 32-bit/768 kHz and DSD512 |
Headphone amplifier | Balanced discrete amplifier, up to 1.65 W at 32 ohms when powered by an external DC power supply |
Headphone outputs | 3.5 mm unbalanced and 4.4 mm balanced |
Rear outputs | RCA at 2.6 V, 4.4 mm balanced at 5.2 V, coaxial S/PDIF and USB Audio digital output |
Battery | Two internal 21700 batteries, up to 5.5 hours |
External power | USB-C 9V/3A PD3.0 PPS charger required |
Dimensions | 188 x 166 x 40 mm |
Weight | 1.34 kg |
The Design One is available in May 2026 through YBA international distributors. YBA lists MSRP at 1699 USD / 1848 Euro, with a note to check dealers for U.S. pricing.
Sources
- Stereocheck - YBA Design One: Portable SACD Player, DAC & Headphone Amp With DSD512
Key specifications
Sources
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