Dac Technology Mature?

@bacshish

Congrats of first post and welcome. I cannot agree with you more. I am happy with the transparency of my Benchmark DAC 3. I would be happy with any number of leading DACs - they all sound really great. Leaps and bounds better than the mid 90’s and the latest have an edge over mid 2000 DACs that makes them as close to vinyl as I have ever heard. Other DACs require more babying with special cables, various filters or reclockers etc - so I like the convenience of the bullet proof reproduction from Benchmark - so unlikely to replace it.

For euphonic sound I use a McIntosh preamp - well known for their crafted sound. I don’t use the built in DAC as it requires a Schiit Eiitr or similar to work optimally. I am willing to trade a bit of resolution from the DAC 3 but gain in some pleasant tube warmth - especially at low volumes. McIntosh seem to have achieved a pleasant balance to my ears. Some preamps like ARC are too much like SS (for my taste). Some preamps like VAC are too euphonic (for my taste). I am looking to audition an EAR 868PL in my setup but I fear it may be a little overly euphonic for me.

@shadorne 

Thank you, shadorne!  Yes, the Benchmarks have a great reputation and are often used in classical recordings.  Out of curiosity, do you transfer your vinyl to digital through your Benchmark? That would be a fun listening test to compare. I agree that the converters have substantially improved over the years. And from the recording side, to get a decent sample rate conversion back in the 90s, I had to take the recording to a mastering studio and pay a couple hundred dollars for what I can do myself even better  today.  Everything, it seems to me, has really improved.

I use a Mytek ADC 96/24 for recordings. As nice as that converter is, Mytek has even made some improvements in their current models. But I like my Mytek paired with my ribbon mics. The Mytek is uber detailed but retains the lovely smooth, silky sound of the ribbons. I tend to spend more on the recording side of things then monitoring or listening side (I have to prioritize somehow or I'll go broke! haha) so my DAC isn't as fancy as yours but just ordered a Grace m900 for a DAC. I have been using a lower end Schiit.  But the m900 came recommend for its transparency and detail, which is what I need for classical recordiing and for which Grace is known, and it's only $499 - about my price limit at the moment.  

I know now what you mean about trading detail for a more euphonic sound.  Hey, it's exactly what the arts have been all about for centuries - give the viewer or listener something that presents life through an ideal - a better world, an ideal place.

Since you have such a nice set up, is there a way for me to embed one of my recordings from SoundCloud on here? They compress the audio but it sounds better than YouTube at least. I'd love to get any feedback from you all. It's a jazz recording using minimalist recording techniques - just two ribbon mics in Blumlein array through a high end mic pre (hand made), into my Mytek ADC. Pure and simple.  Good players too.

@bachish   

You can add add links to your post with the “link” button. Just copy and paste the link to your soundcloud file.

Dac Technology Mature?

I know this is blasphemy, but Is Dac technology reaching maturity.

I think it’s coming back around again to R2R Multibit even if now it’s discrete as there are no chips being made because of cost.

Vimak invented Delta Sigma dac technology

BTW: I remember i think that "maybe" Technics invented the first Delta Sigma, and they called it MASH, in the 1989 SH-X1000

Cheers George

georgehifi 08-08-2018 6:35pm
4,118 posts

BTW: I remember that maybe Technics invented the first Delta Sigma, and they called it MASH.

Cheers George

I was told that Vimak invented Delta Sigma theory by one of the few high end audio engineers who has serviced the incredibly complex DS-1800Mk2 dac. As I understand it, Vimak Corporation hold the design patents for the technology, or atleast did (as patents expire). The other factor supporting that contention is that Vimak are the only manufacturer to have ever implemented a fully discrete Delta Sigma dac, as opposed to the usual chip-based design. However i’m happy to be proven wrong if anyone has information to the contrary.