˻ PREMIERE ˼

⌈ FOUND SOUND is a Polish company specializing in the production of audio equipment. It was founded in 2018 in Mińsk Mazowiecki by JACEK JAWORSKI, who describes himself as “a music enthusiast with over 25 years of experience in the persistent pursuit of perfect sound reproduction.” The company currently offers three D/A converters. We are testing the latest one, Davio Azure. ⌋

STAND OUT OR DIE” – this is one of the “golden rules” of neoliberal commerce, which we also refer to from time to time in the context of perfectionist audio. This makes sense because, as in any crowded market, in our industry you need more than just good sound to make your mark and be remembered by customers.

But it is also true that this principle in its pure form, i.e., “either-or,” applies only to the most aggressive part of the market, usually the mass market. There, the effect of “immediacy” is more important than long-term credibility, because managers and salespeople in corporations are held accountable for this, rather than for values that cannot be squeezed into Excel spreadsheets. One might think that at meetings and conferences, it would sound good to say that “we are building long-term brand credibility.” However, the reality of modern sales is that corporations don't give a damn.

That is why the path chosen by Found Sound seems more interesting, because it is based on the long term policy. And, as it turns out, in perfectionist industries, this is a value that goes beyond the short-sighted understanding of the market as a place where everyone fights everyone else. It is widely known that cooperation and complementing each other's shortcomings works best. The only thing is that this strategy is more tedious, requiring much longer to build a company and fraught with many unknowns. However, if it succeeds, and there are quite a few examples of such companies in the Polish audio industry, the satisfaction is enormous.

It seems that the Polish manufacturer whose digital-to-analog converter we are testing has chosen this path of development. This is evidenced by the selected technologies, the visual design, and even the way the product range is built. In other words, tubes that are difficult to apply, simplicity of design, and the slow, gradual addition of new devices to the range only when progress is clear.

»«

▲ A few simple words…

JACEK JAWORSKI
owner, designer

YEARS OF TESTING, comparisons, and knowledge gained over the years have resulted in the choice of tube and hybrid technologies as the most natural and musical sounding ones. These have become the foundation of the Found Sound – natural, spacious, and full of emotion.

Out of passion and determination, the first devices were born: tube digital-to-analog converters (DACs), hybrid amplifiers, CD transports, streamers-file servers, as well as proprietary cable and speaker designs. The early designs were created for personal use and individual orders, allowing for the refinement of concepts and the precise definition of the direction of development.

An unwavering passion for audiophilia, respect for tradition, openness to new solutions in audio technology, and the pursuit of creating unique devices are the foundations of Found Sound's philosophy. Thanks to this approach, the company is constantly developing, responding to the needs of music lovers and natural sound. Today, Found Sound's activities are based on combining classic tube solutions with modern digital technologies. It is this synergy that distinguishes the company's approach and sound. Found Sound equipment has found its way to customers in Europe, the USA, and Australia, confirming its quality in real life.

2020 marked the beginning of work on a device based on a classic 16-bit D/A converter and an analog output featuring a 6SN7GT tube. The goal was to create a functional, exceptionally musical device available at a reasonable price. Thus, after three years of preparation, we were able to offer the Davio and Davio Plus models, which fully met our expectations, offering a natural, energetic sound. The devices found their way to customers in Europe and around the world, receiving very favorable reviews.

The Davio Elite model, introduced in 2024, was a continuation of the concept of a tube-based D/A converter based on the classic Multibit chip. As one of the few DACs currently available on the market, the Davio Elite is based on the legendary TDA1541. The combination with 6SL7GT triodes in the analog section and careful refinement of the design has resulted in excellent sound quality. However, difficulties in obtaining the TDA1541 forced us to limit direct sales and find an alternative to this fantastic chip.

The search for a modern D/A converter chip that would meet the expectations of a natural and colorful sound took a long time. The work was successful, and in 2025 we were able to present a new model, which will have its official premiere at the Audio Video Show 2025; the test in “High Fidelity” is its absolute premiere.

Davio Azure is the first Found Sound DAC model that resembles the natural sound of multi-bit D/A converters, but is based on the latest digital section Asahi Kasei from the Velvet Sound line. The USB receiver is an excellent JLSounds, and the analog circuits are a section based on 6SN7GT triodes tuned to work with the new digital board. In addition, thanks to the latest technology, Davio Azure provides full functionality for playing hi-res and DSD files and the option of a balanced XLR output. JJ

»«

▌ Davio Azure

DAVIO AZURE IS THE FOURTH digital-to-analog converter from Found Sound in its official history. Its lineup also includes two previous models, the Davio Plus, costing €1,950, and the Davio Elite, costing €2,560. The latter is based on the rare, and in some circles “iconic” TDA1541 (16/44.1) chip from Philips. The latest Azure model, which we are testing, uses a chip from Asahi Kasei's Velvet Sound line. The manufacturer does not disclose which DAC it is specifically.

In the introduction, I mentioned that the devices produced by this Polish company do not dazzle with their casing or design. Azure is a nice, neat device with midi dimensions, measuring 355 x 138 x 310 mm and weighing 10 kg. It offers three digital inputs: RCA, TOSLink, and USB, the first two of which accept PCM signals up to 24-bit, 96 kHz, while USB extends this to 32-bit and 384 kHz for PCM signals, adding DSD signal support up to DSD512 (22.6/24.6 MHz).

According to Mr. Jaworski, the RCA input currently does not support the DoP signal, but he hopes that a new digital board with an AK4118 receiver will be ready soon, at which point, he adds, “there will be no limits.” This is important because the first SACD transports sending DSD signals using the DoP (DSD over PCM) protocol have been introduced to the market, for example, the Onix Zenith XST20, test → HERE, or the YBA Design YT302 based on it. I hope that other manufacturers will follow suit.

The audio signal from the Davio Azure converter is output via a pair of analog outputs. In the SE (Single Ended) version, these are RCA sockets, but there is also a balanced version with XLR outputs. The SE version costs €2,320, and the XLR version costs €2,940. And these are not just outputs, but a whole balanced tube circuit. The Polish DAC is a modular design and, if necessary, you can replace either the DAC, the USB input, the receiver, or – finally – the analog section. As we will soon see, these are not the only options.

I’ve mentioned tubes – they are a key technology in this device. The output stage is based on a dual octal triode 6SN7GT/6N8S, powered by a 6X5GT/6C5S tube rectifier circuit. Both tubes are Soviet-made (NOS), but you can find plenty of top-of-the-line tubes from other manufacturers. This way, not only do we escape the Soviet gulag, but we can also shape the sound of the device to some extent. To match the device to your system, for example with a passive preamplifier, you can change the maximum output voltage from 2.5 to 4 V using a small switch on the rear panel.

The audio circuit and power supply feature very good components, including mysterious, because undescribed, coupling capacitors at the output. These are polypropylene components wrapped in copper tape with the company logo printed on it. The other components look just as good, with a large, really large power transformer with classic EI cores, manufactured by Ogonowski, as is the choke. The digital section’s power supply, with its own toroidal transformer, also looks great.

The device, once more, looks nice and neat, simply put – tidy. And the logo, well-made inscriptions, etc. add charm and style to it. One switches inputs using a knob on the front panel, but there is no information about whether the receiver is synchronized with the transmitter, let alone the input signal parameters. The power switch is a nice round steel element with an illuminated rim – this is the anode power supply. When the device is turned on, the anode voltage slowly increases until it is ready for operation, which is indicated by the increasing backlight. When the power is turned off, it gently fades out as the capacitors in the power supply discharge.

According to the designer, by separating the power indicators – there is a separate blue LED for the entire power supply – he achieved a kind of “magic eye” effect known from retro receivers. Upon request, the company can change the color of the LED (hurrah!), and the available colors are green, amber, and red. The front can be finished in silver or black. The device features three feet, and the choice is not accidental. The two front feet are made of aluminum with a rubber O-ring insert, and the rear one is made of plastic with rubber decoupling elements.

And once I had a good look at this device, both inside and out, and listened to music with it, I couldn't help but feel that this DAC was somewhat reminiscent of the legendary Audio Note devices. It's the same kind of thinking about the product, proportions, solutions, and sound. Not imitation, but a similar approach to the product.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • The Found Sound Davio Azure digital-to-analog converter was tested in the HIGH FIDELITY reference system. It was compared to the D/A section of the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition SACD player, which also functioned as a transport. It was connected with a preamplifier using Crystal Cable Absolute Dream interconnects.

The digital output of the Ayon was connected with the converter input using an RCA → RCA digital interconnect Acrolink Mexcel 7N-DA6100 II. The DAC was powered by a Harmonix X-DC350M2R Improved-Version cable and placed on the top shelf of the Finite Elemente Master Reference Pagode Edition Mk II rack.

» RECORDINGS USED FOR THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ GERRY MULLIGAN & THELENIOUS MONK, Mulligan Meets Monk, Riverside Records /JVC JVCXR-0032-2, XRCD ⸜ 1957/?.
⸜ THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS, Groove Yard, Riverside Records/JVC JVCXR-0018-2, XRCD ⸜ 1961/1994.
⸜ ROSEMARY CLOONEY, Rosemary Clooney sings Ballads, Concord/Stereo Sound SSCDR-007, „Flat Transfer Series”, Master CD-R ⸜ 1985/2016.
⸜ THE OSCAR PETERSON TRIO, We Get Request, Verve/Lasting Impression Music LIM K2HD 032, K2HD Mastering, „24 Gold Direct-from-Master Edition UDM”, Master CD-R ⸜1964/2009.
⸜ ANDRZEJ KURYLEWICZ QUINTET, Go Right, Polskie Nagrania „Muza”/Warner Music Poland 4648809, „Polish Jazz | vol. 0”, Master CD-R (1963/2016).
⸜ SIMON AND GARFUNKEL , Bookends, Columbia Records/Sony Records Int'l MHCP 95, CD ⸜ 1968/2003.
⸜ PORTISHEAD, Dummy, Go! Disc Limited/Universal Music Company [Japan], UICY-20164, SHM-CD ⸜ 1994/2011.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO SAY something like “tube devices have a common sound signature” or something like that. It would be nice because I would score points with “tube enthusiasts” and it would also fit in with the broader trend of appealing to the community. And that always pays off in terms of ‘clickability’. But that's not the case, is it? Nor is it true, in my opinion, that “tube devices are inherently better than transistor devices.” Both statements have real premises, but as a whole, they are false statements.

However, something like: “all good devices have common features” would be true. Oh, yes, absolutely! All the more so because in this case, in the case of the Polish Found Sound Davio Azure converter, this tube device would contribute to confirming this statement. Not because – I repeat – “tubes are always the best,” but because when used properly, certain characteristics of tubes can lead to the kind of sound we get from this Polish device.

And that is, above all, credibility. Listening to the ˻ 1 ˺ ’Round Midnight track, which opens the Mulligan Meets Monk by THELONIOUS MONK and GERRY MULLIGAN, it is impossible not to smile with satisfaction. This is because we are immediately thrown into the middle of the recording studio. We immediately know that it seems as if someone has edited (read: cut) the intro to this song, deciding to start the album strongly. The Polish DAC handled this very well, really smoothly and seamlessly, saturating Mulligan's saxophone and, later in the song, nicely showcasing Monk's singing and shouting on the left side, in the background.

This album, like the one I will mention in a moment, proves that Rudy Van Gelder was not the only one capable of recording jazz and that Riverside, the label that released both albums, was lucky in this respect. Produced by Orrin Keepnews and recorded by Jack Higgins, the album is dark, dense and has a low center of gravity. The cymbals are hidden and can be heard largely through reverberation. The Polish DAC showed this very well, even wonderfully, because it did not brighten anything, and at the same time it conveyed the full richness of the sound.

The credibility I am talking about manifests itself in high resolution and very good tonal balance. These two elements, supported by alert dynamics, make the music flow and at the same time “come to life” before our eyes, and we wait to see what will happen next. It is as if there were an internal battery in the sound that recharges the recordings. But not with an attack, not with a nervous reaction, but with fullness, saturation, and color.

Azure is a DAC that put timbre and tonality first, if I may say so. Both Mulligan Meets Monk, released in 1957, and Groove Yard by THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS, released four years later but musically and sonically belonging to the 1950s, were presented in a natural, swinging, deep way. It was a tonal depth, but also a spatial depth. The Polish DAC plays in such a way as not to dazzle with anything particular, but also not to lose small details and not to sound in a boring way.

Therefore, when in ˻ 1 ˺ Bock to Bock (Back to Back) the drums begin to beat out the rhythm in the left channel, they are visible behind the left speaker, and behind its outer edge at that. This is the result of recording not only the sound of the drums, but also other instruments whose microphones were active at all times. This is why recordings from this period sound so spacious and natural, and the Polish DAC brings out and reproduces their natural feature in a beautiful way.

The sound we get from the tested device is not only rich, deep, and clear, but also really very well differentiated. The clarity is evident in the fact that the instruments are rich internally, but you can also hear small non-musical elements, such as a quiet sigh in the left channel at the beginning of the Montgomery brothers' album. Differentiation, in turn, is the ability to show how the sound of different instruments and recordings differs from each other.

Found Sound's DAC does this very well; it is not monotonous in its sweetness, although that is also part of the package. But when we listen to the recordings mentioned above, both from XRCD discs, and then immediately afterwards to Rosemary Clooney Sings Ballads, an album recorded in 1985, i.e. in a completely different musical and recording world, we can still hear a style common to both. It's about the way the converter plays, which makes everything “stick” together internally. Not because of stickiness, but because everything is organized with it, everything has a purpose.

THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY album is recorded in a contemporary manner, i.e. with instruments separated from each other in the studio and with long reverberation on the vocals. The Polish DAC shows this features, but also tries to “harmonize” everything. It does this by slightly sweetening the attack of the sound and filling out the decay. I'm not complaining, on the contrary – this is a rare skill in the digital world. And although it is becoming more common, which is a sign of the times, it is still surprising when done so nicely.

The album from which I listened to these two tracks, namely ˻ 1 ˺ The Shadow of Your Smile and ˻ 2 ˺ Days of Wine and Roses, is a showcase of the Japanese magazine ”Stereo Sound“ – they were released on a Master CD-R in the ”Flat Transfer" series and were ripped without correction directly from the master tape and then burned onto the disc. Azure played them freely, openly, naturally and – coming back to the beginning – believably, or with credibility.

There is something captivating about the sound of this device. Compared directly to the output of the Ayon Audio player, which is also tube-based, it did not fall short. In the sense that I knew it was the same way of thinking about sound, a very similar approach to priorities that are most important to the designers. The bass was not as distinct and did not go as low as in the reference player, there was not as much depth to the soundstage, and the individual sounds were not as rich in texture. But that's normal, the price difference is huge.

What I am talking about, however, was a rare feature: completeness, fullness, and a kind of agency of sound. By agency, I mean playing that has an internal pulse, that drives the songs forward, that shows their internal dynamics. Like when, after an idyllic, folk-style guitar intro in ˻ 1 ˺ Bookends Theme, which opens the album Bookends by the SIMON AND GARFUNKEL duo, comes a twisted, experimental ˻ 2 ˺ Save the Life of My Child.

The album was released in 1968, two years after the Pet Sounds by THE BEACH BOYS and a year after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, which was a breakthrough for this type of music, and at times, just like in Save the Life of My Child, there is some madness with phasing, synthesizers, and unusual sounds. The Found Sound Davio Azure converter did a very good job, very cleverly showing the differences between these tracks, without forgetting that this is a concept album, so even such different pieces have a common theme, including in terms of sound.

And when, at the beginning of ˻ 4 ˺ Overs, you hear a match being struck and the first drag on a cigarette in the left channel, it feels as if it were happening in our room. Sony Music will soon release a version of this album in Japan in a 7-inch cover, on SACD, but for now I'm still playing it from the old Japanese version from 2001 – but it's still excellent sound (the album has already been ordered, I do it through → CD JAPAN).

While listening to this album, I was aware that the Polish DAC presents the world in a more pleasant way than many other ultra-precise devices, and slightly more enthusiastically than it actually is, slightly smoothing out the upper end. The tape noise from the duo's album was warmer and less saturated than with the reference player. It's still excellent sound, but you'll know what you're paying several times more for. Perhaps more importantly, without such a comparison, it won't be so clear, because we'll focus on the midrange, which is really wonderfully saturated and colorful.

And it doesn’t matter what music we play. It is something specific to this particular device and usually associated with tubes. It is about “embracing” everything in such a way that the sound is credible, but at the same time, any music can be listened to with pleasure. Take PORTISHEAD, for example. So I listened to ˻ 5 ˺ Wanderig Star with great pleasure. And this is, after all, a lo-fi album, with three tracks recorded in mono – this one being one of them.

The Polish DAC glided over it like a hovercraft over a beach – it didn't even notice it. What remained was saturation, a strong, dense pulsation underneath and a powerful snare drum beat with a very long reverberation. The sound was warmer than with the Ayon, it was also closer to me. The foreground is the most important thing here. But let's not exaggerate, because the depth is also very nice, as is the spread to the sides, which I mentioned earlier, both on THE MONTGOMERY BROTHERS' Groove Yard and SIMON AND GARFUNKEL's Bookend.

▌ Summary

IT'S A UNIQUE FEELING – knowing that such excellent devices are being made in your country and that this is not an exception to the norm, but the new norm. The Polish DAC offers a rich, dense, warm sound that is also extremely credible. You can listen to album after album in comfort, knowing that you don't have to worry about the sound, because it will be better or worse depending on the album, but always interesting.

The device’s frequency range is wide, although the extremes are less active and less energetic than what lies between them. And there is the midrange. Beautiful, velvety, colorful, varied. The whole is delicately smoothed out, which gives it the aforementioned calm and joy. This is a device for people who seek emotions in music that do not result from artificial sound enhancement, but are recorded in a studio or at a concert. Simply put – beautiful sound. A well-deserved ˻ RED FINGERPRINT ˺. » HF

▌ Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer)

Digital inputs:
• USB B: PCM max 32 bits, 384 kHz & DSD 512
• Coaxial RCA, PCM max 24 bits, 96kHz
• Optical Toslink, max 24 bits, 96 kHz
DAC chip: Asahi Kasei Velvet Sound

Tube complement:
• output tube: 1 x 6SN7GT/6N8S
• rectifier: 1 x 6X5GT/6C5S

Maximum output level:
• „high” setting: 4 V RMS
• „regular” setting: 2,5 V RMS

Maximum power consumption: 40 W
Dimensions (W x H x D): 355 x 138 x 310 mm
Weight: 10 kg

Warranty: 5 years for the device, 6 months for tubes

»«

THIS TEST HAS BEEN DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES adopted by the Association of International Audiophile Publications, an international audio press association concerned with ethical and professional standards in our industry, of which HIGH FIDELITY is a founding member. More about the association and its constituent titles → HERE.

→ www.AIAP-online.org