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Comparison of latest DAC chips

I own a Bluesound Node 2i which greatly improved sound after I added the Cat 6 cable.  I do not own a separate DAC but am told it would be the next step improvement.  I have done enough reading that it appears the two latest chips are the Sabre or ESS ES9038PRO and the AK4499.  The brands I have looked at are Sabaj d5($469) and a Topping D90($699).  I saw a great review on Audiocircle of the Sabaj D5 which is now a year old.  The Topping D90 is newer and I hear the build quality of the Topping as well as customer service are both better.   Other brands cost more and most don't use these new chips. 

Is there a difference in how these chips sound?  I would appreciate any comments. 
daledeee1
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
daledeee1
Comparison of latest DAC chips

Give me one of the now many discrete R2R Mulibit conversions circuits in dacs that a lot of hiend manufactures are now using, over any DSD chip equipped dacs.

Cheers George   
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,386 posts
 
Hello check these very good dacs the orchid for the money around $800 is excellent and vacuum tube 
http://www.mhdtlab.com
mazian's avatar
mazian
432 posts
 
Yes merosen that is the seller but I got an email from them a couple of weeks back and they had it on sale for $1499
mazian's avatar
mazian
432 posts
 
Just a follow up the Denafrips Pontus and the mhdt Orchid and Pagoda were some of the DACs that the Lotus 5 beat hands down.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
5,433 posts
 
The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel "Quite often I see people seeking for the cheapest digital to analog converter using a given DAC chip. For they think that the DAC chip is the only factor influencing the sound quality. Well, they couldn’t be further from the truth…"
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MonWnHnWHTc
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