Garlubidor Audio DIVINITY: The DAC That Ended My Search

Hey everyone,

I’ve had the Garlubidor Audio DIVINITY in my system for almost two months now, and I wanted to live with it for a while before sitting down to write this review.

This one ended up being a little different from most of the gear I review.

The DIVINITY came to me as a temporary review loaner, with the plan to spend some time with it, write the review, and then send it back.

Around three weeks later, I contacted Garlubidor myself and told them I wanted to buy the review unit and keep it.

So… that plan didn’t last very long 😅

Contents

Why was I looking for a new DAC?

Before the DIVINITY, my main DAC was the original Gustard R26, and I genuinely liked it.

In fact, it was my favorite DAC among the ones I had tried at the time.

So I wasn’t trying to fix something I was unhappy with. I was looking for something that could genuinely take things a step further.

I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted from that next step: a little more warmth, a larger stage, deeper bass with better control, higher resolution, and stronger technical performance overall.

At the same time, I didn’t want any of those improvements to come at the expense of musicality or long-term listening comfort.

While looking around, I came across the Garlubidor Audio DIVINITY in a YouTube review. I hadn’t heard much about Garlubidor before, but the DIVINITY caught my attention and made me want to learn more.

So I reached out to them.

Disclosure

Garlubidor provided the DIVINITY as a returnable review loaner. After around three weeks, I decided to purchase the unit myself with a reviewer discount.

Garlubidor had no editorial control over this review.

They did not ask to see it before publication, request a positive review, or ask me to change or remove any criticism.

All opinions are my own.

What is the DIVINITY?

The DIVINITY is a fully balanced R-2R DAC.

For PCM, it runs in NOS (Non-Oversampling), with no selectable oversampling modes or PCM digital filters.

DSD is handled separately, using a 6-bit DSD architecture with a 32-stage FIR filter, according to Garlubidor.

Each channel has its own high-speed CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device) controlling the R-2R resistor networks, along with four sets of 0.005% precision resistor networks per channel.

The digital section uses FIFO buffering and reclocking with low phase-noise clocks.

Power comes from two separate O-Core transformers, one for the digital section and one for the analog section, with physical separation between the power supply and the main board inside the chassis.

I won’t go too deep into the technical side here.

The more interesting part is what all of this actually does for the sound.

Design and build quality

The DIVINITY is beautifully made.

The machining is clean, the front panel feels solid, and the controls feel well made.

The display and volume knob also fit the overall design really well.

I also really like the size:
330 × 332 × 107 mm
10.2 kg

It has plenty of weight to it, but it doesn’t feel unnecessarily large.

My ATHENA 15th, for example, takes up noticeably more space on the rack. The DIVINITY is much easier to fit into the system without looking or feeling small.

The volume knob is smooth and feels excellent.

If I could change one tiny thing, I’d add a subtle tactile click while turning it, similar to the ATHENA. It doesn’t bother me, especially since I mostly use the remote, but I would have liked that extra bit of feedback.

The display is clear and easy on the eyes, and I can read it comfortably from my listening position.

The menus are simple, and switching between inputs is quick.

The remote Garlubidor sent with my unit is very good too.
It’s made of metal, has a nice weight to it, and feels well built. Response is quick and accurate as well.

Test Setup

I intentionally didn’t start with the DIVINITY in my full system.
I wanted to get a better sense of its character first, so I began with a much simpler setup:

DIVINITY → Singxer SA-1 → HPI → ALLEN Ribbon

The ALLEN Ribbon was my main headphone throughout the review.
I used it with my own HPI (Headphone Power Interface), a fully passive interface that I designed and built myself using high-end components.
I’ll be sharing more about the HPI very soon.

I also used the NAN7 as a secondary reference, but most of the detailed comparisons were done with the ALLEN.

Once I had a good understanding of how the DIVINITY sounded in the simpler setup, I moved it into my main system:
Lumin U2 Mini → AES → DENAFRIPS GAIA 15th → AES → DIVINITY → DENAFRIPS ATHENA 15th → HIFIMAN PRELUDE

More recently, I added the Burson Soloist 3XP between the DIVINITY and ATHENA for some tonal fine-tuning through op-amp rolling.

That came later in the review process, and the main characteristics I describe here were already easy to hear with the simpler setup.

The full system took those qualities further, but it didn’t change my basic impression of the DAC.

I used the balanced XLR outputs throughout the review.

I didn’t compare RCA because my entire system is balanced, so it simply wasn’t relevant to how I use the DIVINITY.

Sound signature

I’d describe the DIVINITY as neutral-warm.

It isn’t dark, and the treble doesn’t sound rolled off.

The warmth comes mainly from the body and density of vocals and instruments, along with bass that has plenty of weight and extension.

At the same time, the upper frequencies stay open and clear.

That balance is a big part of why I like the DIVINITY.

It gives me the warmth I’m looking for without sacrificing clarity, speed, or detail.

Bass

Bass was the first thing that stood out to me, and it’s still one of my favorite parts of the DIVINITY.

The sub-bass reaches deep and has plenty of rumble, while the mid-bass has strong punch and a good sense of physical impact.

Control is just as impressive.

Bass notes start quickly and cleanly, then stop without lingering longer than they should.

Texture and layering are also very good.

It’s easy to follow different bass lines, and there’s enough space around each hit that the low end never feels like one large mass filling the whole presentation.

There’s a nice combination of depth, punch, control, texture, and space, and both the ALLEN Ribbon and NAN7 benefited noticeably from it.

Overall, bass is a real highlight of the DIVINITY.

Mids

The mids are fairly neutral with a slight warm tilt.

Vocals have more body and weight, and voices in general sound fuller without becoming heavy or slow.

Texture is also easy to hear, especially with guitars and piano, which sound especially natural through the DIVINITY.

One of the best compliments I can give this DAC is that I started spending more time listening to music instead of testing equipment.

I wasn’t constantly searching for tiny details or trying to analyze what the DAC was doing.

I just found myself staying in the chair longer and playing more music.

That matters more to me than a DAC that sounds impressive at first but becomes tiring after a while.

Phase+ and Phase−

I spent some time switching between the DIVINITY’s Phase settings to see how much of a difference they made in my system.

In my system, Phase− tends to place vocals slightly farther back than Phase+, which suits my preference better.

The difference isn’t equally obvious on every recording.
On some tracks it’s easy to hear, while on others it’s subtle enough that I barely notice it.

I eventually settled on Phase− because I prefer the way it presents vocals.

Treble

The treble is smooth and slightly relaxed, but it still sounds open and well extended.

There’s a good sense of air, and cymbals and hi-hats come through clearly without sounding sharp or overly aggressive.

Importantly, that smoothness doesn’t come at the expense of detail.

The upper frequencies still have plenty of information, just without the rough edges that can make some DACs tiring over longer sessions.

I’m sensitive to treble, and even with the ALLEN Ribbon I haven’t had any listening-fatigue issues with the DIVINITY.

Resolution and detail retrieval

Resolution was probably the second thing that stood out to me after the bass.

The DIVINITY retrieves a lot of information, but it presents those details naturally. Nothing feels artificially pushed forward or highlighted just to sound impressive.

Some gear can sound detailed because it leans analytical, sharp or dry. The DIVINITY doesn’t give me that impression.

It’s revealing, but not punishing.

A bad recording still sounds bad, but it doesn’t automatically become unpleasant to listen to.

This was especially easy to hear with the ALLEN Ribbon, since it exposes smaller differences and low-level details very clearly in my system.

Black background

One of the things I noticed early on with the DIVINITY was how quiet and clean the background felt.

I could already hear this with the simpler DIVINITY → Singxer SA-1 setup, before ATHENA entered the chain.

Adding ATHENA pushed it further, but the DIVINITY itself already gave me a very clean backdrop that made low-level details and individual elements easier to pick out.

Soundstage

The DIVINITY creates a spacious stage with good width, depth, and height.

It feels open and gives instruments and vocals plenty of room to breathe, without making the presentation feel artificially stretched.

The stage also feels balanced in its proportions rather than emphasizing width at the expense of depth or height.

Imaging and 3D presentation

Imaging is precise and easy to follow.

Instrument and vocal placement is well defined, with clear front-to-back layering.

The center image, especially vocals, feels stable and has a convincing sense of size.

Instruments also have a noticeable sense of body and scale rather than sounding like simple points in space.

That combination of precise positioning, layering, and physical size gives the presentation a convincing 3D quality.

When I moved the DIVINITY into my full system, this 3D presentation was one of the areas that scaled noticeably with the rest of the chain.

Dynamics

The DIVINITY also has excellent dynamics, especially with the ALLEN Ribbon.

Large swings in energy have good impact, and drums come through with plenty of drive and immediacy. Smaller changes in intensity are easy to follow as well.

Transient attack is fast, clean and direct, but the presentation never feels dry.

Notes still decay naturally after the initial attack, and room reverberation remains easy to hear.

That balance is a big part of what makes the DIVINITY work so well for me: it sounds warm and smooth, but still fast and highly dynamic.

Musical or technical?

I’d say the DIVINITY leans more toward musical than analytical, while still offering very strong technical performance.

The resolution, soundstage, imaging and detail are all there, but none of them constantly pulls my attention away from the music.

It gives me all the technical performance I’m looking for without making the presentation feel like a technical exercise.

What I’ve come to appreciate most is how naturally it combines warmth, resolution and dynamics without making any of them feel compromised.

And the longer I’ve lived with it, the more I’ve enjoyed it.

Listening at lower volume levels

I don’t listen particularly loud.

Most of my listening is at a normal, comfortable volume, and the DIVINITY doesn’t need much volume to sound full and engaging.

Bass still has weight, dynamics remain lively, and detail and body are easy to hear even below my normal listening level.

That’s something I appreciate a lot, especially during longer sessions.

Using the DIVINITY directly into an amplifier

The DIVINITY has built-in volume control, so it can be connected directly to an amplifier without a separate preamp.

I tried it this way with both the Singxer SA-1 and HIFIMAN PRELUDE, and it worked extremely well.

If I didn’t already own a dedicated preamp, I’d be perfectly comfortable using the DIVINITY directly.

During the time I used its volume control, I didn’t notice any obvious loss of resolution, dynamics, or body as I lowered the level.

I didn’t spend enough time with it this way to make a detailed judgment about the volume-control implementation itself, but the results were good enough that I never felt a separate preamp was necessary.

Adding the ATHENA between the DIVINITY and PRELUDE took the system further in several areas:

• Black background
• 3D presentation
• Body and weight
• Dynamics
• Soundstage

The improvement was clearly audible, but if I were building the system from scratch, I wouldn’t buy the ATHENA solely for the difference it brings over running the DIVINITY directly.

The DIVINITY is already very capable on its own.

Does it benefit from a better streamer and DDC?

Yes, and I spent some time testing this separately.

I started with:

Mac → USB → DIVINITY

Then:

Mac → USB → GAIA → AES → DIVINITY

Adding the GAIA brought the clearest improvements in black background, dynamics, and resolution.

I then compared:

Mac → USB → GAIA → AES → DIVINITY

against:

Lumin U2 Mini → AES → GAIA → AES → DIVINITY

With the Lumin in the chain, the changes I noticed most were in soundstage, 3D presentation, and dynamics.

So the DIVINITY definitely scales with a better digital front end, but I wouldn’t consider a high-end streamer or DDC a requirement.

I already owned the Lumin and GAIA, so naturally I wanted to see how far the DAC could go with them in the chain.

They raise the performance ceiling, but the DIVINITY was already excellent in the simpler setup.

First days of use and warm-up

When I first powered up the DIVINITY, the sound felt a little tight.

I left it playing continuously with an active signal for around three days, and during that time I felt the presentation gradually became more relaxed.

That was simply what I heard with my unit.

From a cold start, I’ve also noticed that it seems to settle into its normal performance after roughly 15 minutes.

Temperature has never been an issue.
It gets warm during use, but nothing beyond what I’d consider normal.

Daily use and stability

After almost two months, I haven’t had a single operational problem with the DIVINITY.

• No dropouts
• No signal-lock issues
• No USB or AES problems
• No freezing
• No remote-control problems
• No need to reboot it because of a software issue

That’s exactly how I want a DAC like this to behave.

It can sound great, but if I have to deal with random issues every day, I’m going to lose patience with it very quickly.

So far, the DIVINITY has simply worked.

DIVINITY vs Gustard R26

This was the comparison I spent the most time on.

For the direct A/B, I used:

Lumin U2 Mini → AES → GAIA 15th → AES → DAC → Singxer SA-1 → HPI → ALLEN Ribbon

Everything else in the chain stayed the same.

I used the exact same cables, both DACs were set to Fixed / 0 dB output, and the Singxer remained on the same gain setting.

Because the two DACs don’t output at exactly the same level, I made small adjustments to the Singxer volume to get them as close as possible by ear.

The R26 was set to:

• NOS: Enabled
• Phase: Non-Inverted

The DIVINITY was using:

• Phase+

I only settled on Phase− later, after the main comparisons were already finished.

I also repeated the comparison later with ATHENA and PRELUDE back in the chain, and the same differences were still there.

Bass was probably the easiest difference to hear.

The DIVINITY reaches deeper in the sub-bass and gives me more rumble, while the mid-bass hits harder. But the bigger improvement is in the quality of the bass itself. It sounds more controlled, better layered, and more textured, with more space around each hit.

The R26 already has good bass, but the DIVINITY makes it easier to hear what is happening inside the low end rather than just hearing the bass as a whole.

Resolution is also clearly higher on the DIVINITY.

Small details are easier to pick out, but they don’t feel pushed forward or artificially highlighted. This was especially obvious with the ALLEN Ribbon, where the difference in low-level information was easier to hear.

The background also sounds blacker on the DIVINITY, which gives individual elements a cleaner space around them.

Treble is a little smoother and slightly less prominent than on the R26, which suits my taste better.

What I find interesting is that I don’t hear that smoothness as a loss of extension or detail. If anything, the DIVINITY gives me a little more air while being less likely to sound sharp.

There’s one recording I used repeatedly where a section could become a little bright on the ALLEN Ribbon with the R26. With the DIVINITY, that same section was noticeably smoother, while the detail was still there.

The soundstage is also larger, with improvements in width, depth, and height.

None of those differences is massive on its own, especially because the R26 already performs very well here.

But the extra space, better separation, and stronger sense of depth add up.

Imaging is another step up.

Positions are easier to follow, front-to-back layering is clearer, and the center image feels more stable.

Instruments and vocals also have a clearer sense of physical size inside the stage, which gives the DIVINITY a more convincing 3D presentation.

Dynamics were one of the biggest differences for me.

The DIVINITY hits harder, reacts faster to changes in energy, and makes both large and small dynamic shifts easier to follow.

This was particularly obvious with the ALLEN Ribbon.

At the same time, it doesn’t sound dry or overly aggressive.

The attack is fast and clean, but notes still decay naturally.

Tonally, the DIVINITY is also closer to what I was looking for.

It gives vocals and instruments a little more body and density, and the overall presentation feels slightly warmer without becoming dark. Compared with the R26, I get more of the warmth I wanted while also gaining resolution, dynamics, and technical performance.

After nearly two months with both DACs, I couldn’t find an area where I personally preferred the R26.

The DIVINITY gave me:

• Better bass
• Higher resolution
• Stronger dynamics
• A blacker background
• A larger soundstage
• More precise imaging and a stronger 3D presentation
• Smoother treble without losing detail
• More body and a tonal balance that suits me better

That doesn’t make the R26 a bad DAC. Far from it.
The R26 was my favorite DAC before the DIVINITY, and that’s exactly why this comparison matters so much to me.

I wasn’t upgrading from something I was unhappy with; I was upgrading from a DAC I already liked a lot.

The DIVINITY simply took enough things further that, once the comparison was over, I had no desire to go back.

LAiV Harmony

My experience with the Harmony wasn’t a direct comparison with the DIVINITY, so this part is based on memory and on the comparisons I did at the time.

I compared the R26 directly with the Harmony and preferred the R26, mainly because of its soundstage and vocal positioning.

Now that I’ve compared the R26 directly with the DIVINITY, and the DIVINITY came out clearly ahead for me, my current personal ranking is:

• DIVINITY
• R26
• Harmony

I still think the Harmony is an excellent DAC, and in several areas I found it fairly close to the R26.

What stood out most during my time with it, though, was how dependent it was on the rest of the chain.

In my experience, the Harmony needs a very strong system around it before it starts showing what it can really do.

When I ran it more directly into an amplifier, the result felt nowhere near its full potential. I’d estimate I was hearing less than 40% of what I later got from it in a much stronger system.

In that kind of basic setup, I honestly think a good DAC around the $500 range could outperform it.

Put the Harmony into a properly high-end chain, though, and its performance changes dramatically.

That system dependency was probably the biggest takeaway from my time with it.

Price and value

The official price of the DIVINITY at the time of writing is $1,849 before VAT.

At that price, I think it offers excellent value.

Even without the reviewer discount, after nearly two months with it I’d still be happy to buy it at full retail.

Honestly, based on the performance I’m getting from it, I’d still consider it a good buy even if it were closer to $2,500.

The original list price of the R26 was around $1,650, which puts the DIVINITY only about $200 higher.

Considering the differences I heard between them, that extra $200 is easily worth it to me.

This doesn’t feel like one of those upgrades where you spend a lot more money for a tiny improvement.

Who would I recommend it to?

Among the DACs I’ve personally tried around this price, the DIVINITY is currently my first recommendation.

It’s also an easy recommendation for anyone coming from an R26 and looking for a meaningful upgrade.

Of course, its tonal balance still has to match what you’re looking for.

I think it will appeal most to someone who likes:

• A neutral-warm presentation
• Deep, controlled bass
• High resolution without an overly analytical sound
• Smooth but open treble
• Natural body in vocals and instruments
• Strong dynamics
• A musical presentation with strong technical performance

If that sounds close to your preferences, the DIVINITY should definitely be on your list.

Who might not like it?

If you’re looking for a bright, highly analytical presentation, the DIVINITY probably isn’t the obvious choice.

The same goes for someone who wants absolute neutrality with no warmth at all.

And if you prefer vocals to stay very forward, there may be better matches.

I personally prefer the DIVINITY in Phase−, which gives me a slightly more relaxed vocal position in my system.

Weaknesses

After nearly two months, I honestly haven’t found a real flaw that I’d put in a traditional Cons section.

There are still a couple of things I’d tweak if I were tuning the sound specifically for my headphones and taste.

With the ALLEN Ribbon, I’d probably add a little more warmth and slightly adjust the vocal positioning.

With the NAN7, I’d want a little more bass quantity.

I see those as personal preferences rather than weaknesses of the DAC, and I can already fine-tune most of them in my system through op-amp rolling with the Soloist.

Things to know before buying

There are a few practical things worth knowing before you buy.

The GRC-2 remote is optional.
Garlubidor included one with my review unit, and I like it a lot.

If you plan to use the DIVINITY directly into an amplifier and control the volume from the DAC, just remember to factor the remote into the total cost.

There’s also no power cable included.
That doesn’t matter to me because I build my own power cables and probably wouldn’t use the supplied one anyway, but it’s something to be aware of.

The official warranty is 12 months.
That’s not an issue for me personally, although I can understand if some buyers feel one year is a little short for a DAC at this price.

Finally, I would make sure to buy through an authorized source, because Garlubidor states that products purchased from unauthorized sellers may not qualify for the official warranty.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely.

Among the DACs I’ve personally tried around this price, the DIVINITY is currently my first recommendation, as long as its neutral-warm presentation matches what you’re looking for.

Conclusion

The DIVINITY came to me as a review unit that I was supposed to evaluate and send back.

Around three weeks later, I bought it.

That probably says more about my opinion than anything else I could write here.

If I had to narrow down what I like most about it, three things stand out:

1. Bass

Depth, control, layering, texture, punch and space.

1. Its level of warmth

It gets very close to the amount of warmth I personally want without sacrificing clarity, speed or resolution.

1. Detail retrieval

There’s a lot of information, but it never feels forced or pushed forward.

What surprised me most was how much room for improvement I could still hear after already being very happy with the R26.

The DIVINITY gave me better bass, higher resolution, stronger dynamics, a more spacious stage, more precise imaging, and a tonal balance that suits me better.

And instead of that initial excitement fading with time, I found myself liking it more the longer I used it.

At this point, I genuinely don’t feel any need to keep looking for another DAC.

I’m not saying the DIVINITY is the best DAC in the world or that it will suit everyone.

But for my system, my headphones, and the kind of sound I’m looking for:

My DAC search ends here.

Thanks for reading.

Best regards,

IEM World

Official sources

Garlubidor Audio DIVINITY:

https://www.garlubidor.com/divinity-dac-details-page

DIVINITY specifications:

https://www.garlubidor.com/blank-3-1

Authorized dealers and warranty information:

https://www.garlubidor.com/dealers

↑ Contents

In the market

No listing for this product right now.

Alert me when listed