High end audio DAC chipsets: who's on top these days? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: cvanc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 05:27:59 pm
content: Does ESS (and whatever model currently leads the SABRE line) pretty much rule in this space? Or are there chipsets from other companies to consider?ESS info herehttp://www.esstech.com/index.php/en/products/sabre-digital-analog-converters/audiophile-dacs/Thanks!

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:00:26 pm
content: ESS is a cheap consumer box audio DAC that has somehow made it to the audiophools, so tons of hype and massively overpriced.I bought the Buffalo DAC kit and found the ESS9018 a piece of junk, all that ego and designer prestige is a joke.It sounds like old mag tape and I couldn't stop laughing about it, after some recordings turned the ride cymbal into saran wrap.The DAC work I've done best results with old CS4398, it has the on-die tri-plate capacitor patent and the quieter rails I found very important in DAC designs. Otherwise fine detail is lost.I haven't looked at modern audio DAC's as it's a lot of work to design-in and source material is rarely 24/196.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:09:55 pm
content: I've heard good things of (from) the PCM1796 / PCM1792 - at least the actually datasheets are freely available for download unlike the ESS.Note that the results you get from DACs of this level depend MASSIVELY and on implementation - board layout, supplies, output circuitry etc. You can very easily make all of them sound like cr*p.

author: The Soulman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:11:15 pm
content: cs4398 are nice, but don't listen to me, I also like tda1541 and tda1543 for general music playback.Burr Brown had some nice dac's as well.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:11:36 pm
content: If you want real bits: AD5791You want more bits double or quadruple them

author: The Soulman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:12:14 pm
content: Quote from: Gyro on June 05, 2018, 06:09:55 pm+1

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:26:25 pm
content: The PCM1794 is the best I've ever used.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 06:27:21 pm
content: Quote from: The Soulman on June 05, 2018, 06:11:15 pmHaha, me too!

author: DaJMasta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 08:11:02 pm
content: I know AK has some higher ends DACs that have been used in audio measurement equipment (like the QA401), while they advertise much higher bit depth and sample rate than can be used, they are supposed to be pretty good. If you've got some extra processing equipment and good filtering, you may even be able to extract another bit or two from the effective resolution with the extra sample rate.

author: Evan.Cornell
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2018, 08:47:12 pm
content: I've just recently implemented a headphone DIR/SRC/DAC/Amp. using AK4452 as the DAC. It's not the best offering AKM has, but it's quite cost effective (~$2.50 in single unit quantities). My implementation measures within a dB or so of the datasheet specs using AP SYS-2722.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 01:48:21 am
content: Any advantages/drawbacks on the 32-bit variants such as the PCM1795?

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 06:02:26 am
content: This may be of interest....https://www.gearslutz.com/board/geekslutz-forum/542009-audio-interfaces-their-ad-da-chips-listed.html

author: senso
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 09:29:00 am
content: On the note of DAC's, is there an "easy" way to get 24 bits of I2S from USB, besides XMOS and programming?

author: Lukas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 09:50:44 am
content: As other people mentioned, it's all down to board layout and power supply these days:http://nwavguy.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-05-09T22:09:00-07:00&max-results=1No need for any vodoo elsewhere.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 01:52:16 pm
content: Quote from: senso on June 06, 2018, 09:29:00 amhttps://www.cmedia.com.tw/products/USB20_HIGH_SPEED/CM6631A

author: cncjerry
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 06:15:39 pm
content: dont forget RF shielding. Power supply and regulator hash are sometimes easier to solve than broadcast station interference.Jerry

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 07:17:47 pm
content: I find the extra DAC on-chip signal processing (oversampling, ASRC, interpolation, decimation filter etc.) adds significant current drain to the IC's, with associated noise.A high ripple 100mA of Vcore adds noise to a high-resolution DAC on the die/IC package and stresses your PCB layout.With the Buffalo DAC, I scoped over 100mV of HF ripple on the (digital) rails, as the voltage regulator struggled but couldn't do that great.There has to be a limit to an IC, you can't have a 24-32bit analog circuit next to a high current, say 80MHz core.What's funny is audio DAC IC's advertised S/N ratio is when the auto-mute is activated, so of course these IC's look super quiet.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2018, 08:55:26 pm
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on June 05, 2018, 06:26:25 pmI prefer the PCM1792A which is almost the same but has a built in PGA so no need for an external one.Another audio DAC I'm impressed with is whatever Saviaudio chip is used in the LeEco USB-C DACs.