Hi @plotus,
Sorry, this is my short hand. Over the past 5 years or so a number of really good DAC’s have appeared that can play Redbook AND high resolution very well under $2,000.
Smooth extension without exaggeration, no grain or fatigue. Some of these players also do DSD but the truth is they perform REALLY well with all formats, as opposed to pre- 2010 DAC’s which needed high resolution files or DSD to sound their best. This ability to lift up what we previously considered "low resolution" recordings so that they all sound really good is why I lump them together as a "modern sounding" DAC. Perhaps this is thanks to low jitter clocks becoming cheap, or better clocking circuits? I don’t really know. I do know I have noticed a distinct trend. I no longer feel obligated to get a high resolution file because the Redbook sounds a lot better than it used to.
Among them (but by no means a complete list):
Shiit
Mytek
In the portable market:
Fiio
Pono
Certainly NOT Oppo. Oppo is a throwback to cheap Japanese/Chinese gear to my ears. :( This is sad cause I’m a huge fanboy of their BluRay players.
Sorry, this is my short hand. Over the past 5 years or so a number of really good DAC’s have appeared that can play Redbook AND high resolution very well under $2,000.
Smooth extension without exaggeration, no grain or fatigue. Some of these players also do DSD but the truth is they perform REALLY well with all formats, as opposed to pre- 2010 DAC’s which needed high resolution files or DSD to sound their best. This ability to lift up what we previously considered "low resolution" recordings so that they all sound really good is why I lump them together as a "modern sounding" DAC. Perhaps this is thanks to low jitter clocks becoming cheap, or better clocking circuits? I don’t really know. I do know I have noticed a distinct trend. I no longer feel obligated to get a high resolution file because the Redbook sounds a lot better than it used to.
Among them (but by no means a complete list):
Shiit
Mytek
In the portable market:
Fiio
Pono
Certainly NOT Oppo. Oppo is a throwback to cheap Japanese/Chinese gear to my ears. :( This is sad cause I’m a huge fanboy of their BluRay players.