Canor Virtus I4S & Verto D4S: ‘an unbeatable integrated amplifier and DAC duo’

In issue 88 of high-end specialist magazine Fidelity, published in October 2026, the editorial team reviews the combination of the Canor Virtus I4S integrated amplifier and Canor Verto D4S D/A converter, concluding: “Canor creates an unbeatable duo for listeners who deliberately choose to keep amplification and digital-to-analogue conversion separate”:
“What first strikes me when listening to the pairing with the Verto D4S is how little these technical details draw attention to themselves sonically. My first impression is instead one of calm and cohesion; perhaps the presentation is a little fuller-bodied than one is accustomed to from other solid-state components. Instruments stand firmly within the soundstage, voices detach cleanly from the loudspeakers, and even more densely arranged passages retain their order. There is no sense of a deliberately dissected presentation in which every detail is placed under an acoustic magnifying glass. The Verto D4S contributes to this with a design that is no less rigorous. Each channel has its own ESS-Sabre converter (ES9038Q2M), implementing a true dual-mono design here too. […]

My impression is that the D4S is not one of those Sabre DACs that stand out primarily for razor-sharp outlines and an emphatically brightly lit presentation. I hear it more as fluid and tonally balanced. Low-level information is not omitted, but nor is it ostentatiously highlighted. Cymbals have sufficient metallic texture, voices reveal breath and texture, while the coherence of the music is preserved. This can be assessed using a few recordings by Jack DeJohnette, which I saved as files on my NAS some time ago to supplement my vinyl records of his work.”