In Reply to: Voicing shmoicing posted by 13th Duke of Wymbourne on February 12, 2024 at 11:04:16:
On flip side ;)In what I think is marketing genius, R2R DAC makers persuade their customers that dozens of discrete inprecisely matched resistors with limited bit-depth in R2R DAC designs is most important because it is harder to do than using decades proven DAC chips. This plays to a certain nostalgic appeal ideal for those who grew up on the smooth but limited dynamic range and detail of vinyl.
Based on personal experience the brand and model of DAC chip matters less than the rest of the finished product. These chips have all surpassed the specs necessary for outstanding D/A conversion. I've heard excellent and bad sounding ESS and AKM based DACs.... leaving the surrounding components more important than the chip itself.
Edits: 02/12/24
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Follow Ups
- Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - AbeCollins 12:10:08 02/12/24 (27)
- R2R is not just discrete! - morricab 06:55:57 02/14/24 (4)
- Not all but many are discrete - RE: R2R is not just discrete! - AbeCollins 12:42:38 02/15/24 (3)
- RE: Not all but many are discrete - RE: R2R is not just discrete! - morricab 07:10:24 02/16/24 (2)
- RE: Not all but many are discrete - RE: R2R is not just discrete! - AbeCollins 13:37:58 02/16/24 (1)
- RE: Not all but many are discrete - RE: R2R is not just discrete! - morricab 13:20:21 02/18/24 (0)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 15:34:51 02/12/24 (20)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - morricab 06:59:09 02/14/24 (0)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - E-Stat 13:21:28 02/13/24 (16)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - morricab 07:04:35 02/14/24 (0)
- More an audiophile laundry list than insight - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 16:41:52 02/13/24 (14)
- For the past fifty years - E-Stat 06:32:38 02/14/24 (13)
- A stiff PSU is a good goal but there are no linear circuits that are not also 'corrected' in some way (nt) - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 09:46:50 02/14/24 (12)
- Hence the use of the term "minimum" - E-Stat 13:28:59 02/14/24 (11)
- Feedback conundrum - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 16:29:31 02/14/24 (10)
- Hence the use of the term "applied" - E-Stat 06:21:15 02/15/24 (0)
- RE: Feedback - Part 4 - tketcham 04:35:09 02/15/24 (7)
- A nice summary and exemplary non-guruship - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 11:45:33 02/15/24 (0)
- RE: Feedback - Part 4 - Story 06:09:53 02/15/24 (5)
- RE: Feedback - Part 4 - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 11:56:24 02/15/24 (4)
- RE: Feedback - Part 4 - morricab 07:24:38 02/16/24 (3)
- Sort of-ish - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 14:52:23 02/16/24 (2)
- RE: Sort of-ish - morricab 13:14:23 02/18/24 (1)
- RE: Sort of-ish - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 00:01:37 02/19/24 (0)
- RE: Feedback conundrum - AbeCollins 22:25:53 02/14/24 (0)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - AbeCollins 20:12:37 02/12/24 (1)
- RE: Most manufacturers don't talk about it but voicing is real..... - morricab 07:07:55 02/14/24 (0)
- +1! nt - chocolate_lover 13:14:39 02/12/24 (0)