Canor Gaia C2 - Tube DAC with CD Player

2026-04-22T09:48:16-04:00

Vendor: Canor
Type: CD Player
Price: 8999.00

Canor Gaia C2

Tube DAC with CD Player

Premium Line

Precision tube D/A converter equipped with a complete set of digital inputs and CD playback support.

Highlights

01

Tube Output Dual-mono DAC & CD Player

02

Multi-level galvanic isolation of digital elements

03

Symmetrical signal path design

Main Features

Four-layer PCB topology of digital parts

The selected topology enables us to create very short digital signal paths, design circuits that effectively suppress high-frequency interference, and achieve superior technical performance at the same time.

Top-of-the-Class DAC Configuration

The Gaia C2 features Texas Instruments PCM1792A D/A converters, delivering 24-bit resolution and supporting sampling rates up to 192 kHz. Thanks to their minimal distortion and symmetrical design, the Gaia C2 guarantees precise and natural sound and low noise reproduction.

Tube output stage

The Gaia C2 output stage features two 6922/12AX7 tubes, delivering a smooth, natural sound characterized by musicality and rich harmonics. Its carefully designed circuit merges the warm qualities of tubes with the precise performance of a digital source.

Multi-level galvanic separation of digital elements

Thanks to multi-level galvanic isolation, both the S/PDIF inputs and the I2S bus are separated from the subsequent D/A converters. This design prevents noise and interference from impacting the signal, ensuring high-quality sound reproduction on these inputs.

Anode voltage stabilization

Significant focus is on stabilizing and filtering the anode voltage for the analog output, using a pure double vacuum diode as the core component, followed by five stages of filtration and stabilization.

Mechanically isolated power transformer

To eliminate mechanical hum, the transformer core is vacuum impregnated and encapsulated in a special anti-vibration compound. Additionally, the transformer is enclosed in a solid housing, which provides excellent electromagnetic shielding and enhances the signal-to-noise ratio.

Large, easy-to-read dot matrix display

The product is equipped with our traditional large dot matrix display with excellent readability, which constantly displays key information about the song being played.

CMT ™ technology

The Gaia C2 utilizes our advanced CMT TM technology (CANOR ® PCB Milling Technology) for optimal performance. The CMT™™ technology allows us to get the dielectric loss factors (loss tangent) of PCB close to the loss factor of air. Thanks to this technology we managed to get repeatedly to the parameter level of the so-called "wire-to-wire connections".

Color variants

Black version

Silver version

Gallery

Overview

Product Features

Tube-based D/A Converter and CD Player

A standalone 24-bit Texas Instruments PCM1792A / 192 kHz D/A converter for each channel

Dedicated tube output using 2 x 12AX7 / 2 x 6922 (E88CC) tubes and high-quality Mundorf capacitors

A high-precision CD drive with an eject tray-loading mechanism

Super symmetrical passive filters optimized for the highest steepness

PCM 44.1 kHz - 192 kHz playback and DSD64, 128, 256

Two digital filter options, Natural and Dynamic

PCBs utilize our premium CMT™ technology

Focus on keeping the I2S digital signal paths short, feeding the D/A converters

Implemented the input power filter

Technical specification

Analog Outputs 1 RCA pair
1 XLR pair

Frequency Range (XLR & RCA)20 – 20 000 Hz -1.0 dB

Output Impedance (XLR & RCA) < 110 Ω

Total Harmonic Distortion (1 kHz) at XLR< 0.0007 % at 0 dBFS

Total Harmonic Distortion (20 – 20000 Hz) at XLR< 0.001 % at 0 dBFS

Signal-to-noise ratio at XLR > 110 dB (A-wt)

Crosstalk (Channel separation) at XLR< -118 dB at 10 kHz, 0 dBFS

Analog Output Voltage RCA / XLR2 Vrms / 4 Vrms at 0 dBFS

DAC Configuration 2 x PCM1792A (Dual Mono) with 2 digital filters

Digital Inputs1 x CD Input (PCM 16-bit / 44 kHz)
1 x USB-B (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz & DSD up to DSD256)
1 x OPTO (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
1 x COAX (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
1 x AES/EBU (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)

Digital Outputs1 x COAX (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)
1 x OPTO (PCM up to 24-bit / 192 kHz)

Tube Complement2 x 6922 (E88CC)
2 x 12AX7LPS
1 x 6CA4EH

Power230 V / 50 Hz / 70 VA

Dimensions (w x h x d)435 x 176 x 484 mm

Weight (net)18 kg

Weight (gross)26 kg

Reviews

Canor Gaia C2 – Review – i-Fidelity (DE)
Canor Gaia C2 – Erdung der Musik 23.02.2026

Canor Gaia C2 – Review – Lite-Magazin (DE)
Canor Gaia C2 – Neue Natürlichkeit für HiRes und CD 23.01.2026

Canor Gaia C2 – Review – Audio Test (DE)
Canor Gaia C2 - High End D/A Wandler & CD-Player mit Röhren 09.10.2025

Downloads

Canor - product catalog 2026 (English)

Canor - product brochure 2026 (German)

Canor - product brochure 2024 (中文版)

Canor Gaia C2 – User Manual (English)

Canor USB Audio Driver (Windows) – v5.68

Canor Gaia C2 – User Manual (German)

Canor Gaia C2 – Užívateľský manuál (EN)

Canor Gaia C2 – User Manual (Dutch)