High resolution digital is dead. The best DAC's killed it.

Does anyone know whether the EAR Acute which uses a Wolfson DAC is R2R or sigma-delta?

fleschler
Does anyone know whether the EAR Acute which uses a Wolfson DAC is R2R or sigma-delta?

The Ear Actute uses the WM8740 which is a Delta Sigma
https://statics.cirrus.com/pubs/proDatasheet/WM8740_v4.4.pdf

The Acute II and III uses the later higher spec’d WM8741 which are also Delta Sigma.
https://statics.cirrus.com/pubs/proDatasheet/WM8741_v4.3.pdf

They had quite a peaked up treble that begun at 5khz which could make them bright to listen to.
https://www.stereophile.com/images/217ear.EARfig04.jpg

Stereophile:
" Although predicting the influence on sound quality of the EAR Acute Classic’s poor rejection of jitter is difficult, I do suspect that AD’s reporting of there being "an excess of high-frequency texture," and sound quality that was "slightly grain[y]," is related to this behavior. As much as I admire Tim de Paravicini’s expertise as an analog engineer, the EAR’s digital circuitry is not up to the standard I expect from him".—John Atkinson

From this you can probably understand why there was 3 different versions of the Acute.

Cheers George

georgehifi4,837 posts02-03-2019 1:47pm

If you could hear what I’ve heard with my ears.

You say you can hear a difference in the direction of an ac mains fuse, you hear nothing!

>>>>>You get an F in directionality. God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Audioquest controls directionality in their higher end power cords for a reason. And I don’t mean marketing. You agree power cords are part of an AC circuit, yes?

I say again, you hear nothing. 

Wishful thinking, Georgie Boy. I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday. I can hear a mouse fart at 20 yards. It’s so obvious. You must be deaf. Or superstitious, probably the latter.

...and you know something’s happening but you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones? 😳