Have DAC’s improved for Redbook CD playback?

@celander



+1 Mulveling

I have tried various cables and clocks with the Benchmark DAC 3 and it makes no difference. Other DACs I have tried did benefit from these devices.

Whether you see a benefit from an extra device in front of your DAC depends on how robustly your DAC rejects all jitter and any Logic Induced Modulation.

I think the latest round of delta sigma DACs are just like vinyl - no digital glare at all. I found it very hard to tell the difference between any recent DAC with a reclocker vs the Benchmark DAC except in the case of a ladder DAC like the Metrum Pavane. I find the ladder DACs don’t have much glare but they often sound “etched” - IMHO the modern ladder DACs still sound like late 80’s and early 90’s DACs perhaps because the technology is similar. The delta sigmas of the late 90’s and 2000’s tend to sound less etched but often have glare. IMHO recent Delta Sigma DACs (the ESS 9028 and 9038 chips are exceptional) and very high quality ladder DACs are approaching vinyl.

I think of glare as being when higher harmonics dominate the distortion that is present. I think etched is when there is more lower harmonics dominating the distortion. I believe the distortion is related to jitter, logic induced modulation and differential non linearity. Neither technology is immune to problems but the latest DACs are much better especially if you avoid USB which has been poorly implemented in many products.

Considering all the praise for new DACs that are NOS and using old chips like the TDA 1543? 

All CD players and DAC's have vanishingly low measured distortion, near perfect linearity and wide dynamic range. So what is the X - Factor that would account for so-called "differences" the "golden ear" crowd claims to hear? And it's certainly not jitter! Let the rock throwing begin!

@roberjerman


Here is a stone fir you!

Not true. Many DACs measure quite poorly. Stereophile A+ list doesn’t include every DAC they tested because only a few tested beyond reproach.

I agree that audible differences are often nit-picking. However there seems to be a recent trend towards lower accuracy (more euphonic) DACs which has accelerated. I guess after a few market leaders have finally (after 30 years) produced DACs with measurement beyond reproach, the next evolution or alternative is to market euphonic coloration to distinguish your product from others...