IMERSIVE


Paradigm Shift


Welcome to the most significant audio breakthrough since digital conversion. Delivering noise, linearity, and dynamic range performance so advanced that modern test equipment cannot measure it. Imersiv HDR-A is a revolutionary new multiple-path audio architecture, poised to fully re-imagine the way we capture and deliver sound, from microphone to power amplifier, and everything in-between.


HDR-A®


You may be familiar with HDR or High Dynamic Range photography. This is an image process that dramatically increases the dynamic range of photographic light. See the comparison showing a traditional photograph versus an HDR photograph. The improvement in HDR low-level detail is stunning.


Multi-path music processing is to audio what HDR is to photography. The analogy is so perfect that we’re calling it HDR-A or High Dynamic Range Audio.


In HDR photography, multiple stacked exposures are intelligently summed into a single photo, resulting in significantly improved dynamic range. In imersiv HDR-A audio, multiple stacked sound levels are intelligently summed into a single audio file, resulting in dramatically improved dynamic range.


The image comparison is directly analogous to the improvement in low-level audio clarity and atmospheric depth experienced with imersiv HDR-A multi-path processing.


Single-Path Photography vs Multi-Path (HDR) Photography


Realization


Perfecting HDR-A took over 10 years of continuous research and development. The graph shows how it works.


Path 1 is an audio signal with 90dB of dynamic range, from 0dB to 90dB. Path 2 is an audio signal with 100dB of dynamic range, from 80dB to 180dB. When paths 1 & 2 are combined, the resulting dynamic range is 180dB, from 0dB to 180dB. That’s multi-path high dynamic range audio.


Multi-path HDR-A offers two major advantages over traditional single-path methods. First, it significantly reduces noise and distortion (THD+N). The imersiv D-1 achieves a remarkable 40 nanovolts of broadband noise, which is around 40 dB lower — 100 times quieter — than today’s best DAC designs. In fact, the D-1’s self-noise is 25dB below the measurement capability of today’s leading test equipment, such as the APx555B.


The second advantage is untethered headroom. HDR-A technology allows us to boost high-path headroom to any level without affecting our quiescent self-noise. The D-1 provides +22dBu (10 volts) of ISO-free* headroom while maintaining its profoundly low 40nV self-noise floor. This results in a true broadband, unweighted linearity and dynamic range of 28 bits or 168dB. (*inter-sample overs or inter-sample peaks)


Multi-path is the next design standard of audio architecture, from microphone to power amp, and everything in between.



Purity


Acoustic recording engineers — whether in film scoring, classical music, jazz, or other genres — understand that spatial information is conveyed in the quiet moments: in the space between notes; in the subtle decay of a piano chord just before it fades from perception; in the brief instant a note is first struck, before it reaches its peak. Quoting one of today’s top recording engineers, “On the music side, everything in the quiet neighborhood is where we get the ‘life’ and spatial cues in a recording. Distortion of lower-level partials is the very first casualty of any acoustic recording.”


Extraordinarily pure low-level audio is a key reason why HDR-A topology delivers improved spatial and timbral realism compared with legacy single-path DACs. When audio levels drop below a certain threshold, HDR-A begins processing in a new DAC core — with dramatically lower distortion+noise (THD+N) performance.


See diagram. Compare a low-level, perceptible sine wave on the D-1 multi-path DAC versus a high quality single-path DAC. Single-path waveforms are jaggy and noisy. We hear this as poor image definition, atmospheric collapse, and a blurring of complex timbres — while HDR-A “new core” signals remain pure and natural, even far below the limits of human hearing.


David Bowles, Skywalker Ranch

Pro Proven



Over forty Grammy-winning / plantinum recording engineers and film composers evaluated the imersiv D-1 DAC for one year. The results were unambiguous:


“a revelation”

“I went into shock”

“the clarity is incredible”

“this DAC is astonishing”

 “unbelievably pure and clear”

“this will be the industry standard”

“like switching from 35mm to IMAX”

“the client thought he was hearing a 3D mix”

“works magic with metal and dense material”

“I can hear the space between the instruments”

“like hearing my music library for the first time”

Pedigree


Built upon 35 years of innovation in pro-audio design and U.S.-based manufacturing, the imersiv D-1 embodies a heritage of excellence that has shaped the sound of our era’s most celebrated recordings. Millennia’s 2019 induction into the NAMM Technology Hall of Fame acknowledges our lasting influence and commitment to redefining professional audio. We adhere to aerospace-grade design, build, and QA standards, required by our esteemed clients — ranging from classical music recording engineers, broadcast engineers for major events like the Grammys and Oscars, and film scoring stages from Hollywood to Mumbai. It’s no surprise that pre-owned Millennia products consistently achieve top resale value within their professional categories.


Deeper Dive


Join John La Grou and the imersiv design team for a short video tutorial (below). You will discover the inner workings of HDR-A D-to-A conversion and how it achieves 28-bits of dynamic range and linearity. You’ll also learn how multi-path architecture can be applied to every link in the audio signal chain, from microphones to power amplifiers, and everything in between.



Testimonials

"I must warn you — once you experience the D-1 DAC, going back to whatever you are currently using, no matter how much you paid for it, is going to be difficult.


Honestly, I can’t confidently identify any real differences in the sound quality of today’s professional high-end DACs. That opinion changed when I dropped the D-1 into my studio playback system. It’s not hype; this D/A is a game-changer. Its ability to provide depth and separation is breathtakingly 3D. I urge professionals and hi-fi enthusiasts to take a listen to the D-1."


John Cuniberti

Multi-Grammy awarded, countless platinum and gold record producer. Inventor of REAMP audio processing. Joe Satriani, Tracy Chapman, Sammy Hagar, Thomas Dolby, Paul Gilbert, Mickey Hart.

"WOW!! Man, what a difference in dimension and resolution. Really incredible. Congratulations!!"

Dennis Sands

Multi-Grammy awarded, Oscar-nominated film and music mixer with over 400 credited films, including Avengers: Endgame (2019, $2.8B) and Shawshank Redemption (IMDB #1 film).

"This converter is like no other I have heard other than my M** DAC. But! Your converter takes it to another level. It combines all the elements of what we love about analog and what we love about digital. It’s truly the future. Sub bass clarity, top end quality, attack (punch/definition) and of course resolution are A+++. I could go on about my observations and benefits BUT the truth is as follows:


When the converter left my room and I went back to my Hot Rod System, I went into shock at how my chain was not as good as I thought. Beautiful Job!"


Jack Joseph Puig

Multi-platinum, Multi-Grammy award winner — Green Day, Stones, Counting Crows, Diana Ross, Chaka Kahn, Clapton, Dire Straits, U2, etc.. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jack-joseph-puig-mn0000117563#credits

"It really is an insanely rare time that a piece of gear changes the landscape.


It’s in the detail and higher transients that I notice how good it is. A snare may sound nice on my B** convertor but with the imersiv I hear a clearer image of the edge of the attack. Cymbal crashes sound less harsh. Electric bass seems more defined. Wow! And acoustic guitar clarity; once again the edge of the note/string attack is more detailed and opens the sound up more.


Today, I mixed 3 songs through the D-1. Electronic-based darker pop music. I felt I was better equipped to place deep low synth parts. Mostly I was able to work faster, especially in iZotope RX11 where I was cleaning up vocals and some parts. Imersiv opens up the sound so much! I’m shitting bricks up here! This is stellar!"

Larry Crane

Multi-Grammy awarded, Oscar-nominated film and music mixer with over 400 credited films, including Avengers: Endgame (2019, $2.8B) and Shawshank Redemption (IMDB #1 film).

"Just wanted to let you know this DAC is astonishing. I’m working on a remaster of the classic Albert King/Stevie Ray Vaughn live album, “In Session.” Source was 30 IPS, 1/2 -inch 2-Trk mix masters. I’ve level matched outputs on your DAC to the M** DAC and I can select on the Maselec monitor control. The difference is truly amazing. The best way I can describe the difference is the M** DAC is like 35 mm film – beautiful in its own way. Your DAC is like switching to IMAX. The color, depth, and low-level detail is breathtaking. The M** sounds very muffled and lacking low level detail like room reverb and “air” around the vocal and sound in general.


This DAC is amazing, really, and I think you have breathed a whole new life into PCM! It’s mind blowing to me that this detail is actually already preserved in the PCM recording and this DAC is capable of retrieving it."


Paul Blakemore

Multi-Grammy nominated Chief Mastering Engineer, Concord Music ($5B portfolio value) 

https://concord.com/


"We have dozens of DACs here, some of which are considered to be “the world’s finest”. Frankly, the sonic differences near the top of the line can be considered “incremental”. But that just changed. The imersiv D1 is exponentially better than all of those. My best recordings sound like good recordings on all those other DACs, but on the D1 they feel like live performances! The musicians are transparently right in front of me! The D1 somehow captures the dynamics, ambience, impact, transients and three-dimensionality of real life. You’ve spoiled me. It’s a new listening standard which has reset all my expectations.


Then I measured the D1 with my Spectraplus analysis system, just to see the numbers. The D1 noise floor and distortion is so low that I had to use special techniques to measure it. It exceeds the performance of “standard” DACs by orders of magnitude, so my ears definitely weren’t fooling me!"

Larry Crane

Multi-Grammy awarded, Oscar-nominated film and music mixer with over 400 credited films, including Avengers: Endgame (2019, $2.8B) and Shawshank Redemption (IMDB #1 film).

" Hey John, what you and your team have done is incredible. DACs have evolved over the decades to get to a measure of minute differences between them — polishing the paradigm to a finer and finer degree. However, the D-1 is an entirely new evolution of DAC technology. And the result is simply stunning. A relaxed clarity that has depth and detail that pulls me into the music. This is where low-level information like localization cues, transients and overtones are revealed — dramatically opening the realism in music. It’s relaxed and yet obvious at the same time. It’s all in the details. I can’t wait to see where this new approach leads the industry. Congratulations to you and your team, John. Simply Amazing!"


Michael Romanowski

five-time Grammy winning engineer / producer. Founder of The Tape Project, Michael has mastered more than 3000 releases and is a pioneer in immersive recording.    https://www.coastmastering.com/

"I am completely blown away. This is how recordings should sound. It’s like the artists are here in my studio with me. All the passion and breath I remember from the sessions. The Imersiv is not going back!"

Cookie Marenco

Five-time Grammy Producer nominee (Windham Hill), musician / producer / engineer. Over 1000 engineering credits. CEO, Blue Coast Records.

"This is a great accomplishment. Congratulations. I’ve yet to hear anything, including in cost no object audiophile setups, that offer this much clarity and detail while maintaining the proper tonal balance.


I’ve attached some tracks that I’ve been using for auditioning. All things that I recorded and have heard 1000 times. Where I hear the biggest difference is at the beginning of notes. Whether it’s the vibration of a bassoon reed, the attack of a harp or the silvery sound of gut on strings, the detail is amazing yet natural. The same thing can be said about the depth and imaging — amazing! Yet entirely natural.


My most dramatic ‘Wow’ moment was listening to the first DSD track. It’s a very simple song with two sops and two altos, a male voice joining for the chorus. Again, it’s in the stark realism and depth of attack. My “big3” = G**, C** and M** all sound slightly foggy in comparison."

Brad Michel

Multi-Grammy, multi-every-audio-award-winning engineer/producer https://www.bradmichel.com/about

"I just spent two years shooting out high-end DACs.

The imersiv is a cut above.

I was stunned. More depth, dimension, and detail."

Pete Lyman

Infrasonic Sound, Nashville TN
https://infrasonicsound.com/