Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature by FairAudio (English Translation)

Headstrong and mature
Whoever climbs the first rungs of a ladder soon wonders what it might look like at the very top. It is nice that today I have the opportunity to find out with the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature. The “lower rung” called Rockna Wavelight+ PRE/DAC has served me well for years, but recently the digital experts have launched two new top‑tier DAC models, of which the mentioned “Signature” represents the flagship – and is offered at about four times the price of my little Wavelight. That is of course the problem when one stands on the last rung: one quickly becomes dizzy.

On the way up one first passes the “normal” Wavedream DAC, first introduced ten years ago, listed at 10 kEuro, then reaches the new Wavedream Reference for just under 17 kEuro, and finally arrives at our current test subject – and thus at 26,490 Euro. “From a certain threshold customers simply want the best, in fact I have more inquiries for the Wavedream Reference Signature than for the ‘simple’ Reference,” says Walter Kircher, who handles distribution in Germany and Austria. Theoretically I am inclined the same way, but my damned bank always slows me down a bit. How good that I became a high‑end tester: bring me the best! At least on loan.

Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature – technical concept
One could write pages of technical elaborations about the Wavedream Reference Signature, but I suspect that would do neither you nor me any favor. Therefore, I would like to focus on presenting the basic concept and the differences compared to the DAC entry‑level model, the Wavelight+, as well as the almost 10 kEuro cheaper Wavedream Reference – which, by the way, outwardly resembles the Signature version like one egg resembles another.

Functions and inputs – outputs and inputs
What the Wavelight actually has ahead of the Wavedream Reference models is an analog high‑level input. The large Wavedream DACs do not have one, which is probably due to the consideration that customers in this league usually already have very high‑quality (pre‑)amplification in place and therefore would not use such an analog input anyway. In fact, that is already the case for me with the Rockna Wavelight+ PRE/DAC.

The Rockna Wavedream Reference models do, of course, have a volume control – a purely digital one, with 32‑bit resolution, and therefore supposedly largely lossless. He did not intend to compete with world‑class preamps, according to Nicolae Jitariu, the founder and owner of Rockna Audio, but many customers who listen exclusively digitally are very satisfied with the integrated solution.

The two Rockna Wavedream Reference models offer, like the Wavelight, all relevant digital interfaces, namely: Toslink, S/PDIF coaxial, AES/EBU, USB and I2S. In addition, however, they also have a streaming client on board, which can be fed with data via an RJ45 socket. With it, the following player solutions are currently available: Roon, UPnP, OpenHome, HQPNAA, Airplay, Squeezelite, Spotify and Qobuz Connect. With a corresponding streaming subscription in hand, one can therefore start directly and remain in the app of one’s cloud provider, which certainly has its charm. More on this later. WLAN and HDMI? No, these interfaces are not included in the package. At Rockna they are apparently too classically audiophile for that.

Be that as it may, the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature certainly qualifies as a streaming DAC. What is interesting here is that the Romanians do not rely on a purchased streaming module, but do everything themselves. Typical Rockna. In fact, there is no “separate” streaming module at all in the Wavedream Reference Signature; rather, the renderer is “an integral part of the digital front end,” according to Jitariu. To put this statement into context, we need to keep in mind the basic concept of the DAC.

The concept
The Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature is a ladder DAC, meaning the conversion to analog takes place here by means of an R2R resistor cascade and not, as with the majority of D/A converters on the market, through the delta‑sigma process. To be completely precise: it is a “Hybrid Ladder DAC,” since part of the decoding does not occur via R2R, according to the Romanians, somewhat cryptically.

Since the D/A conversion is carried out symmetrically, the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature contains four converter modules with an entire armada of individual resistors, each driven by four FPGAs – semiconductor components whose programming is handled by Rockna, from which a good part of the performance derives.

Upstream of the FPGAs is an AMD Zynq SoC (System-on-Chip), which handles the control and interface functions (display, app, remote control), the management of the digital inputs, and the handover to the aforementioned FPGAs. And it is on this very chip, with its custom-designed, proprietary Linux firmware, that the aforementioned streaming renderer runs, among other things. According to Jitariu, the seamless integration of the streamer at this level offers clear sonic advantages.

Differences
The differences between Rockna’s entry-level and flagship DACs are, of course, ubiquitous. For example, the Wavelight has “only” two resistor cascades for the left and right channels under its hood, while the Wavedream Reference Signature comes with four, which are also significantly more elaborate – they are revised versions of those used in the previous Wavelight – and are separately shielded.

The difference between the Signature and non-Signature versions of the Wavedream Reference converter modules is just one bit. Theoretically, however, this equates to roughly 134 million additional possible voltage levels, if my calculations are correct. What a difference a bit makes… Furthermore, in the Signature version, each bit is controlled by its own IC-based switch, while in the standard version, eight switches are grouped together per IC. Such subtleties in the control mechanisms are intended to offer further advantages in the circuit topology and translate into sonic benefits – as does the even higher-quality clock used in the Signature. Nicolae Jitariu adds that further differences between the two Wavedream Reference models lie in the power supply and, above all, the output stage.

Speaking of power supplies: Two special toroidal transformers supply the analog and digital sections of the circuit separately. They are shielded by a thick copper plate. Filter capacitors with a total capacitance of 90,000 µF support them, and over 20 regulated power supplies minimize interactions between the different circuit sections. All audio-related sections are linearly regulated, while switching regulators are used for the display, control circuits, and similar components. This offers the advantage of lower heat generation – and less hot devices tend to behave more consistently over time, according to Jitariu.

The symmetrical output stage was also completely redesigned: It is a discrete Class-A design in which JFETs and bipolar transistors operate with minimal noise, ensuring low output impedance and the transparency appropriate for the high-end DAC modules, at least according to the Romanians – who, however, are not revealing any further details. The initial stage of the Signature model is significantly more powerful.

Filters, interfaces, players, level control

With a machine like the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature, there is a lot to try out, and since most of it requires only a few taps on a smartphone/tablet, I experimented quite a bit. Yet, to be honest, some things are not really decisive in terms of sound. Example: the proprietary ASRC‑free PLL solution has two modes, “Continuous” and “Slow” – but I cannot hear any differences between them, no matter how hard I try. With a bit of goodwill, however, one can notice something with the digital filters, of which there are three on board plus the “Off” (NOS) setting. It could well be that I like the hybrid filter best, but you guessed correctly: the differences between the options are not dramatic. More decisive is rather the question of the player solution and the interfaces. I mainly used LAN, USB and I2S – as well as Squeeze, Roon and Qobuz Connect.

The latter is already a cool minimalist solution: LAN cable plugged in at the back, Qobuz app started, off you go. And it sounds damn good. However, it cannot be denied that the less minimalist variant with my music server in the signal path (an Antipodes K22), which then connects via I2S to the Rockna, audibly sounds better. Whether that is worth the additional 10 kEuro is another matter.

Many of those seriously considering the new Rockna flagship will probably already be running a server at home – and it is not unlikely that Roon is running on it, since this software has spread among audiophiles for good reason. The good news for this group of listeners: the Wavedream Reference Signature sounds really, really good with the Roon player activated and connected via LAN. Roon over I2S does not actually sound much different to me. With the SqueezePlayer/LMS plus I2S, however, it once again sounds best, although the differences are not huge – and the ease of use compared to Roon clearly suffers.

Finally, the comparison: Rockna directly to the power amp vs. Rockna to the preamp. Well, what can I say? I see no reason to part with my Electrocompaniet preamplifier. Perhaps my chain is simply too loud for this setup – I always had to turn the Rockna down about -20 to -30 dB – and in other configurations it may be different. But for me the difference was ultimately between a very good and a magical performance. Therefore, I kept the preamp in the signal path.

So, before I get lost further in details, let us better move on to the big picture, to the general sound impression of this “super DAC.” And with that, to the actual difficulties.

Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature: Listening Test and Comparisons

These are certainly not due to the performance of the Wavedream Reference Signature – I have not yet heard a better digital source, that much I can already reveal. The difficulty lies more in asking myself why that might be and how I can plausibly explain it. But fine, I will stop complaining now and begin with the simple part, with the …

Tonality

What did colleague Frank Hakopians write in his test of the Rockna Wavelight PRE/DAC? The following: “Tonally balanced DAC with slightly warmer timbre, without thickening effects.” I really do not need to say more about the overall balance of the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature, because there are no significant differences compared to the Romanians’ entry‑level converter.

The aforementioned warmer timbre results from a somewhat more powerful bass, less from the lower midrange – a difference compared, for example, to an Aqua Formula xHD (currently around 15,000 Euro). The lower midrange actually comes across – like the mids and highs – properly neutral. And when I speak of a somewhat stronger low end, I mean exactly that. In particular, you should not think of a bass emphasis à la Ideon Audio Eos DAC (9,900 Euro), which definitely has its charm but ultimately remains a matter of taste and affects the sound differently than the substantial yet ultimately more “truth‑oriented” low end of the Wavedream Reference Signature.

The God of Small Things
I like to listen to test candidates for a few days at a stretch and only then switch to a comparison device, because in this way the relevant differences come to light more quickly than if one nervously switches back and forth all the time. Sometimes, however, you also have to do hardcore A/B comparisons – as happened in the current case with “Colomb” from Nicolas Jaar’s debut album *Space Is Only Noise*, more precisely: with the first 20 seconds of the song. Admittedly: you feel a bit silly doing it. But it is revealing.

Basically, not much happens in these 20 seconds. In addition to the (presumably computer‑generated) small melody line, there are three things to discover in the background: flowing water, a quiet electronic noise, as if air were being let out through a valve, and then someone breathing. The three signals are not only quiet, but also occupy similar frequency ranges. I start with the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature and then switch to the Wavelight – “This cannot be true!” escapes me involuntarily – and then back to the Reference.

It may be that the frequency ranges are similar, but that does not mean that the timbre and texture of the sounds are the same – as the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature makes clear to me. It not only cleanly distinguishes the liquid/sparkling of the water from the breathing and noise, but also separates those two from each other, which is more difficult since they are more alike. Now, my Wavelight DAC does not throw everything into one pot, I would not go that far, but timbre and texture of the signals do blur together much more compared to the Rockna flagship. Contributing to the better differentiation in the Wavedream Reference Signature is also the spatial aspect: not only does the stage gain significantly more depth and thus individual sounds more room to unfold – they themselves are also granted more depth profile, they appear more 3D‑like, not like “flat slices,” exaggeratedly put. Yes, the Wavelight actually comes across (relatively, mind you) more diffuse and flatter.

Now one might ask whether this is really so relevant, since we are only talking about quiet background noises in a song, and the music as a whole can also be enjoyed without illumination down to the last detail. First: yes, that is true. Second: let me bring you another photo metaphor:

You snap the same motif once with your new full‑frame camera, once with your smartphone, and then compare the two pictures as a whole. To your slight surprise you find that the one from the full‑frame camera looks “somehow better.” But why? Now you zoom in properly and discover that in the full‑frame shot you can still recognize clear structures, edges, differences and gradients, whereas the smartphone pic shows almost only mush, so that one wonders how from that the overall picture, which actually looks quite decent, could have been composed. – Of course I do not always have to zoom into every music recording in order to enjoy it. But my thesis is that this accuracy with quiet, similar but not identical and only seemingly incidental signals is a key explanation for the “somehow better” of the big picture.

The big picture

On the other hand, one does not have to listen so “microscopically” to discover that the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature is something very special – the macro perspective from the sweet spot on the stage action does the trick as well. Put simply: Wow!

The flagship does not actually present a wider image than Rockna’s entry‑level offering – or many other D/A converters – but what is gained in the depth dimension in terms of additional space is very remarkable. The best part: often there is this trade‑off between an involving, frontal presentation with limited depth or, conversely, a great depth layering that only starts at the stereo base and thus feels somewhat more distant. The Wavedream Reference Signature, however, manages both, happily stepping a bit forward while at the same time illuminating very far back – and this works at the edges just as well as in the center of the stage, which makes it even more astonishing.

Zaho de Sagazan / La symphonie des éclairs
And so Zaho de Sagazan – the Frenchwoman’s music is often put into the drawer “chanson meets electro” – with her song *Tristesse* (album: *La symphonie des éclairs*) and its synth sounds simply has significantly more space available and can therefore perform quite differently than with D/A converters that work comparatively two‑dimensionally. And those are basically all I know. In addition, the Reference Signature seems never to have heard of the other trade‑off “spacious but slightly diffuse imaging vs. very precise localization but rather chamber‑music compact.” In other words: the individual sounds are modeled extremely accurately and above all tangibly and three‑dimensionally, I do not recall ever having heard better. This naturally also contributes greatly to the effect of the electronic soundscape – and to the voice of the young Frenchwoman.

Arab Strap / Philophobia
Above all: these voices! If there is one thing that immediately makes clear the class difference of such an extreme DAC compared to the cheaper rest of the guild, it is the vocal reproduction. Whether it is the smooth singing of Norah Jones or the rather disillusioned commentary of Arab Strap’s Aidan Moffat (album: *Philophobia*) – here a level of expression and persuasiveness is reached that I know at best from my analog front end. Which, to be honest, cannot keep up with the striking plasticity of the vocal reproduction of Rockna’s top converter. Yes, exactly: what the Wavedream Reference Signature delivers here is truly stunning.

Dynamics
It is probably in the nature of things that such a highly resolving device is also capable of revealing the finest level differences – small and smallest vocal variations, changes in pressure during a bow stroke, the delicate fading of a piano string in the room, whereby it even masters the feat of distinguishing between the reverberation of the space and the direct sound of the instrument during the decay. In short: microdynamics are, so to speak, another dimension of the resolution capability of the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature – and that is excellent.

Of course, the big Rockna is not too fine for coarse signal changes and rhythmically driving music. I find the comparison with the Ideon Audio Eos interesting here again – namely how different means ultimately lead to a similar goal. While the mentioned Eos DAC goes about things groovily with a little playful emphasis in the bass, the factor that makes one tap along with the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature results above all from the fact that it plays almost fanatically on point. Its tonal low end is likewise more on the full than the lean side, but still considerably closer to “normal zero” than that of the Ideon. And just as the Rockna models everything very precisely in spatial terms, so it also handles impulses, attack, and the onset and decay: it does not swing nonchalantly, it plays rhythmically compelling – without ever seeming forced.

Test conclusion: Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature

Most audiophiles will probably feel the same way about the Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature as I do: it is a great thing to experience – but truly attainable it is not. “It probably comes down to the last millimeters again,” was my first thought before the test, and: “My Wavelight is already more reasonable.” And without doubt it is. The only problem: unreasonable sounds better, and clearly so.

Tonally, the Wavedream Reference Signature does not stand out from the bulk of modern D/A converters. It presents itself balanced and fairly neutral, at most showing a small penchant for a well‑nourished bass range, but really only a small one. What makes the big Rockna something very special, however, is twofold: first, the downright insane resolution capability, which is not simply highly informative in the small – in those last millimeters – but forms the basis for the overall sound image to appear incredibly natural. Second, the spatial presentation: a step forward, a wide, wide illumination to the back, and then this 3D‑like modeling of individual sounds, as one could hardly wish for better. Just play two or three favorite voices through the Wavedream Reference Signature, and you are done for.

In any case, I find it hard to imagine who would not be taken by it. Perhaps if one desires more distance from the sonic event? Or tonally a completely different direction? Yes, maybe … but somehow that sounds a bit far‑fetched. Be that as it may: it was wonderful to spend time with the big Rockna, but now it has to go quickly, otherwise I will get too used to it.

Profile Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature:
– Perfectly broadband and tonally balanced with a slightly stronger bass range – the rest of the frequency response is neutral.
– Very accurately drawn low end, no “smearing,” but also no “artificial drying out.” Acoustic instruments sound authentic, synth bass escapades likewise. Quantitatively the bass level is always a matter of taste, qualitatively Rockna’s top converter belongs to the best I have encountered.
– Resolution capability is one of the great strengths of the Wavedream Reference Signature, evident not only in the bass but also in the midrange and treble. This applies in the “micro” perspective, when paying close attention to fine details and quiet nuances of a recording – no other DAC has yet presented me a more accurate sound image – as well as from the “macro” perspective, when simply listening to music relaxed: the accuracy in the small details adds up, so my theory, and results in a naturalness and authenticity that is striking. That is basically the best part: naturalness through resolution.
– A spacious stage is offered, with width appearing realistically normal in format. The depth layering is more striking, for it is enormous. Interestingly, the Rockna flagship often lets the stage begin in front of the stereo base and at the same time illuminates very far to the back. Second peculiarity: the imaging quality is as good at the edges of the stage as in the center, nothing gets blurry.
– Speaking of imaging: I have never experienced it more plastic and concrete. The combination of high resolution, the step forward and 3D‑like imaging makes especially the vocal reproduction a real show that touches.
– Dynamics and timing are mastered as a matter of course and therefore do not stand out spontaneously. The Wavedream Reference Signature plays on point and traces small as well as large volume differences very precisely. It does not “swing” in the sense of letting things slide to lift the mood and jam away. Rather, it is very transparent and precise in this area too – and thus convinces rhythmically and dynamically.
– Very accurate and massive workmanship, as one may expect at this price. Intuitive operating logic, whether via the display or the app. Solid, beautiful metal remote control with backlit buttons – which, however, react a bit too quickly.
– Good interface selection, but no WLAN or HDMI ARC, native integration of common streaming services and standards. Update‑capable via internet.

Specs:

– Model: Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature
– Concept: Network player and DAC with volume control
– Dimensions & weight: 450 x 390 x 105 mm (W x D x H), 10 kg
– Digital inputs: 1 x S/PDIF coaxial, Toslink, AES/EBU, USB‑B, I2S (HDMI), LAN (RJ45)
– Analog outputs: RCA, XLR
– Compatibility: PCM up to max. 32 Bit / 768 kHz and DSD512 (LAN, USB and I2S)
– Connectivity/music services: Roon Bridge, UPnP, OpenHome, HQPNAA, Airplay, Spotify, Qobuz Connect, Squeezelite
– Colors: Silver, Black
– Other: Remote control
– Warranty: 3 years