Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

@klh007

Thank you you for the correction! I was not aware of Lyngdorf having also implemented a solution.

It definitely makes a huge audible difference as Doug Shroeder points out in his review of the Benchmark DAC3 and AHB2 Amp.

https://www.dagogo.com/benchmark-audio-dac3-dx-ahb2-amplifiers-review/

@shadorne 

Thank you so much for that filter information. May I ask your opinion then - and I realize this is somewhat off topic thread, apologies to the OP - which filter (all names are listed below) to use in the case of an Oppo UDP205, which you know uses the Sabre ESS9038 chip?

The manual provides no detail what-so-ever as to the nature or function of each filter. I'm told "brick wall" is meant for "diagnostics", so I've avoided that. Based on my own listening impressions, I find the default mini phase fast to be preferable. "Apodizing" is the term Steve mentioned, but that was applicable to all of these filters, true? (note there is only one specific filter named "apodizing")

In your previous post to me (01-15-2018 12:00pm), it would seem one of the "linear phase" filters would be your choice, true? 


Brick Wall
Corrected Mini Phase Fast
Apodizing Fast
Mini Phase Slow
Mini Phase Fast (default)
Linear Phase Slow
Linear Phase Fast

If you are using Oppo as a transport with 1694A, you are getting a LOT of jitter....

Hi Steve. Thank you so much for your feedback. As to the jitter, this is somewhat of re-hash of recent communication between you and I in another thread. I’m not disagreeing in that regard, however, I’m essentially relying on the Yggy to "do its job" and cleans the incoming signal (at least as best that it can and purports to do).

Of course it makes sense that to feed any DAC signal which is clean to begin with is preferable/better, and I imagine at some point I’ll investigate that. By this I mean both transport and cable. Also, at the moment I do not optimize the sound potential of the Yggy because I power it off/on each listening session, a cardinal sin by some folks standards.

Keep in mind I’m happy and content with the current sound from my system. And while I haven’t personally heard hundreds of systems, as you probably have, I have heard more than a dozen rather high end systems, including one with a pair of 200K pair of Alta Statement tower speakers and comparable gear to go with it. I’m confident in the overall sound quality level of my current system. Can it be improved, sure. I suppose this is one reason why the forum is so valuable; to get ideas and implement where practical.

I chimed in on this thread because it was (past tense) my understanding that delta sigma is lossy. To that end, you, Al and Shadorne have educated me to the contrary and I no longer believe that. Of course, I reserve the right to change that belief should some "higher authority" offer into evidence data to the contrary.

Given the many posts in this particular thread, it would appear there is no absolute top tier dac for standard redbook, at least from the technology perspective. I get what you, Shadorne, Al and others are stating about the "implementation" of the technology. Nevertheless, in the very end I’d have to think that subjective listening impressions and preferences could prevail.

And in my particular case I understand what you’re saying about a unfair comparison of multibit and delta sigma on the basis of my components (because of different overall quality and price points). But at the moment, short of spending more money, I'll have to live with what I have. I can only report my findings and preferences based on what I currently have, so in this context, I prefer multibit to delta sigma.

Steve, I remain very appreciative of your kindness and information.

@gdhal 
  
For highest fidelity and accuracy of Redbook, I would recommend to do this

1) Use Roon with its default 3 dB reduction to eliminate the all too common  intersample over clipping errors.
2) Use Roon or another software to upsample the Redbook data to 192KHz and 24 bit
3) Select the Linear Phase Slow filter option of your DAC

This approach will minimize the filter affect on the CD audio band to a negligible level because you have pushed the anti-aliasing filter corner way up to 96KHz which is much farther from the audio band than 22 kHz which is what your DAC will normally use if fed redbook.