M6 Encore Connect - Overview

UPDATE - Now with Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal streaming!

The Encore Connect is an audio preamplifier/source component allowing you to keep all your music in one place. It accepts almost any conceivable analog or digital audio source. It is also compatible with many network speakers, such as Sonos. There is a very clear, large, high-resolution full colour display so you can see what’s going on.

Design + Build

The Encore Connect is easy and intuitive to use. The analog preamp section provides both fixed and variable outputs. The fixed outputs are perfect for connection to an existing system while the variable ones can directly drive separate power amps or active speakers. It has a huge range of facilities; 3 analog inputs, 4 digital inputs, 4 USB A connections (one of which has high current capacity for charging phones and tablets), network connectivity, high quality headphone amplifier, fixed and variable line level outputs as well as a digital output. The Encore Connect has an inbuilt CD player and upgradeable 1TB hard disk drive for storage - enough for over 2500 CDs.

The heart of the Encore Connect is a powerful dual core 64 bit Intel CPU with 2GB of RAM. This provides superb performance and allows continual upgrading of its facilities making the Encore virtually future proof.

In Brief

Easy and intuitive to use
Huge connectivity
Upgradeable 1TB internal storage for over 2500 CDs (bit perfect ripping from CD drive)
Streaming from Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal
Analog preamp providing fixed and variable output
Large, high resolution, full colour display
Control with either IR handset or Apps (both Apple and Android)
Dual core 64bit Intel CPU - as future proof as we can make it
32 Bit 384k DAC

Read the full Hi-Fi Critic review of the Encore Connect.

Read The Online Manual

Tutorial Videos

M6 Encore Connect - Design and Build

The Encore Connect is easy and intuitive to use. The analog preamp section provides both fixed and variable outputs. The fixed outputs are perfect for connection to an existing system while the variable ones can directly drive separate power amps or active speakers. It has a huge range of facilities; 3 analog inputs, 4 digital inputs, 4 USB A connections (one of which has high current capacity for charging phones and tablets), network connectivity, high quality headphone amplifier, fixed and variable line level outputs as well as a digital output. The Encore Connect has an inbuilt CD player and upgradeable 1TB hard disk drive for storage - enough for over 2500 CDs.

The heart of the Encore Connect is a powerful dual core 64 bit Intel CPU with 2GB of RAM. This provides superb performance and allows continual upgrading of its facilities making the Encore virtually future proof.

M6 Encore Connect - Specifications

Inputs

3 x Line Level RCA 300mV nominal 2V typical up to 7V rms
2 x optical S/PDIF 24 bit inputs up to 192kHz
2 x coax S/PDIF 24 bit inputs up to 192kHz
1 x USB 3.0 type ‘A’ connector
1 xUSB 3.0 type “B” connector (for future expansion)
3 x USB2.0 type ‘A’ connector (1 front, 2 rear)
10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet connector

Outputs

1x line level PREAMP variable outputs (>6V rms max)
1x line level FIXED 2.0V @ 0dBFS (300mV rms nominal, >6V rms max) - Preamp gain, line input to PREAMP outputs is 4.5x (13dB) at maximum volume
Headphone output suitable for headphones impedance 8 ohms to ∞ - Headphone output features independent volume setting
1x optical S/PDIF 24-bit output up to 192kHz
1x coax S/PDIF 24-bit output up to 192kHz
Internal storage 2.5” 1 TB SATA II hard disk (included) or SSD (future upgradeable)