YBA Design One Travel‑Ready SACD Player

With Design One, YBA enters a niche few high-end brands have explored. This compact SACD player is also a desktop DAC, a headphone amp, and a home disc transport, with the option to run on battery or external power.

Assumedly joining the brand’s Design range, YBA’s Design One transportable SACD player is the brand’s first foray into portable and desktop Hi‑Fi. The company describes it as a way to bring its signature French tuning to listeners wherever they are.

The Next-Gen for Physical‑Media Fans

Despite its small footprint — just 188 × 166 × 40 mm and 1.34 kg — the Design One promises the same sonic character that defines the brand’s full‑size components.

Lift the hood of the Design One, you’ll find an SACD mechanism built around the proven HD850 laser and MT1389EE system, promising accurate playback of CDs and both single‑ and multi‑layer SACDs. Meanwhile, the top‑loading design uses a custom magnetic disc clamp developed specifically for this model.

Digital‑to‑analogue conversion is handled by the AKM AK4497S, chosen to complement YBA’s tuning philosophy. For headphone users — YBA’s target audience — a balanced discrete amplifier delivers up to 1.65 W into 32 ohms when powered by an external DC supply, while maintaining low output impedance for sensitive IEMs.

A 100‑step precision volume control allows fine adjustment across a wide range of headphones via its 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced outputs.

The Design One supports CD, CD‑R/RW, and SACD, achieves >125 dB SNR, and maintains 0.0004% THD+N with a frequency response from 20 Hz to 40 kHz (‑0.5 dB).

The chassis features a 2.79‑inch display (428 × 142) and is controlled via hardware buttons and customisable mechanical switches.

The Design One is purpose-built for headphone listening but easily integrates into larger systems. With RCA (2.6V) and 4.4 mm (5.2V) balanced analogue outputs, it can be used as a line-out or pre-out DAC for active speakers or power amps. Alternatively, use the SPDIF coaxial and USB-C digital outputs to connect an external DAC when functioning as a transport.

When connected to a computer, the Design One becomes a high-res USB DAC, supporting PCM up to 32-bit/768 kHz and DSD512. A magnetic rear panel protects connectors for portable use.

Two internal 21700 batteries provide up to 5.5 hours of playback, supplying clean, stable power for off‑grid listening. Charging is handled via USB‑C with PD3.0 support. For more demanding headphones, connecting a 9V/3A PD3.0 PPS charger activates an External DC Power mode, said to significantly increase the amplifier’s output capability.

The YBA Design One is scheduled for release this month, priced at US$1,699 | €1,848.

The YBA Design One will be shown publicly at the upcoming High End Vienna exhibition, on the YBA, Shanling, and ONIX booth in Hall X2, Stand C14.

For more information visit YBA