Difference between ESS Sabre Burr Brown Wolfson DACs

Implementation is everything.

A smart designer goes far beyond the spec design in the tech manual, manual that specifies the given build out of the chip's implementation.

That manual spec, makes the chip work and work well for a long time. It says nothing about sound quality, in the vast number of cases.

It is there so that people can implement the chip properly and it is also there so that if the chips fail often in the given finished design, that the chip maker can justifiably point to the 'proper' implementation rules not being followed.

99% or more of consumer gear follows these rules (to the letter!)  laid out in the tech manuals for all the chips in gear.

That's a notable part of why mainstream audio gear sucks.

Implementation matters more.

In the older generations, BB was my favorite. In some modern implementations as well.
One thing to listen for, the best modern DAC's are TERRIFIC with Redbook playback. The mediocre one's only sound great with 96/24 or better.

Best,
E

I still prefer R2R in a DAC over the chip.  Happy Listening.

Anyone know what chip the new Amazon Echo Link uses? It claims to be “hi-fi.”

Agree with bigkidz. Give me an organic, lush, analog sounding r2r dac any day over a chip dac.