2. digital
  3. 148852-86984

Sabre dacs versus other dacs

Has anyone compared the Oppo 105d's implementation of the Sabre Dac with the Oppo Sonica's implementation of the newer 9038 Sabre Dac, with Mytek's implentation of the 9038 Sabre DAC, and anyone else's implementation of Sabre DAC's ?
In comparison to the AKM DAC's in my Bryston BDA-3 I find the Oppo's DAC harsh, with a tinny sound to
higher frequency piano notes, but with greater perceived definition of string music.
Any violin players reading this ?
Any information most welcome.
seventies
tuberist
953 posts
 
Lumin uses the Sabre Dac chips I believe
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
It's all in the implementation. The chip itself isn't what flavors the final sound. There's a reviewer who loves his Denafrips which is a R2R design in his main system and keeps a Jay's Audio DAC which uses a AKM chip in another system and he loves both the sounds he's getting. The sound he got from an AKM chip in a Kinki Studios DAC sounded good, but not great enough to keep around. You're going to get a lot of conflicting answers. 

All the best,
Nonoise
melm
1,085 posts
 
Like nonoise says, it's all in the implementation.  You ask about Mytek.  IMO, poor quality low cost power supplies.  Analog chips.  At their prices, not for me.
mahler123
3,648 posts
 
I have owned the Bryston DAC3 (my current DAC) and have an Oppo 105 in the system.  I used to have a Mytek Manhatten1 in the same system.  I agree with the OP in that Piano music could be unlistenable via the Mytek—just to much treble, especially with my B&W 803D speakers.  I don’t find the Oppo 105 as offensive, but I only use it as a transport.
More to discover