The PWDII uses the Wolfson 8742 DAC chip
I love my PS Audio Direct Stream with Red Cloud :)
Yesterday, PS Audio released the Red Cloud FPGA software written by MIT genius
Ted Smith.
With immense delight, I auditioned all through the night.
The beauty exceeds what were my wildest expectations when I purchased the DAC
several years ago, and reconfirmed that I had made another good choice (my
previous good choices include Tannoy 15" DC speakers, Cary SLP05 preamp,
Art Audio Jota HC monoblocks, Wavelength Cardinal monoblocks, Cardas Clear
cables, Acoustic Zen reference cables, Wyred4Sound server, PS Audio Premier
Power Plant, inexpensive HDMI cable, and ceramic corn dishes.
While I haven't heard a great many DACs, I have heard static-state Sabre DACs,
which sound ear-bleeding mediocre IME, and R2R chips which were the thing 20+
years ago. I think that FPGA Red Cloud is superior, and the best thing
aesthetically to have come from a scientist educated at MIT. Make music, not
war.
Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with PS Audio, except as a happy customer. It's
just a great company!
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- 34 posts total
According to Exogal CEO Jeff Haagenstad in conversation with Michael Lavorgna of Audiostream: "The longer version is that we don't do our D to A conversion in a conventional way. We have implemented a 6-core DSP in an FPGA (and we blew the "Read" bit, so we can write to it for upgrades but it can't be read or decompiled...) and we use some signal processing approaches that are unconventional in audio but not in wider signal processing work." "The EXOGAL DSP platform (on which the Comet is the first of many products to exploit the technology) does have some conventional DAC chips but only the final output stages of the DAC chips are used for the final translation into analog. The main output uses PCM4104 DAC's and the headphones use PCM5122 DAC's. The outputs are buffered using TI/National LME49600 buffers. These are high-current, high-impedance, class AB buffers with no feedback. Beyond that, we ain't sayin' " Read more at https://www.audiostream.com/content/exogal-comet-dac#zHAKuQUy8iV0yglU.99 |
Metrum is r2r, but there's FPGA processing: http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/metrum-acoustics-adagio-dacpreamplifier "New to the Adagio are Transient DAC Two modules, a further development of the Transient and FPGA architecture used in the Pavane DAC. Inside each module are two 16-bit R2R ladder converters and one FPGA. When a 16 to 24 bit signal enters the module it is split into two sections by the FPGA. The upper bits are passed directly to one of the R2R converters, while the lower bits are raised to the highest level before they reach the second R2R converter. This increase in level is done so as to use the highest voltage on the ladder resistors, moving away from the relativel noisy, low level signal part that exists in all types of converter. Before the output stage the signal level of the second converter needs to be adjusted to the correct level and combined with the original upper part to create the correct output signal. Metrum manipulates the least significant bits (LSB) because lower level irregularities occur, non-linearity arises and digital noise becomes part of the analogue signal with lower level signals. These modules reduce noise by -145dB or more. This might sound simple but it took years to write the algorithms for the FPGA and to develop the Transient DAC Two R2R converters." Not to stray too off topic though, PS Audio dacs are great, was just wondering what other dacs use fpga processing. |
I honestly felt the ps audio ds dac was soft in the bass, it also lacked some detail. When I pulled off the cover I found a pair of m6 lamination edcor transformers doing, the current to voltage conversion, I would think. The difficulty with using a m6 lamination in a low level signal application is the core is has higher hysteresis loss than nickel and is far less sensitive to small signals. Just because a dac has a FPGA doesn't make it a great dac. The analog section plays a key roll in sound reproduction. The Schiit Yaggasil was far superior in my system IE bass, information, sound stage width. Then I went to a gustard x20 pro which is an amazing dac. Tight bass, massive sound stage, all sorts of subtle detail. The output stage is filled with the evil op amps etc. Now I am running an audio gd 2 and the gustard x20 pro. The audio gd has a warmer sound but they are very close sonically over all. FYI I have 4 systems in my house and I found basically the same result in 3 of the systems. My fourth system is av. |
- 34 posts total