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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
 
It’s got a AKM (Delta Sigma) dac in it, said to be better than ESS, they did use to use ESS and then went to AKM.
Good for the money, but they are not hiend sound, I found them sweet polite not much "jump factor" didn’t keep me interested in what I was playing, chopping and changing albums looking for something to keep my attention

Cheers George
daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1 OP
638 posts
 
I think the AKM is better for my setup.  I bought it from Apos with a nice return policy and guarantee.  I think it will probably be an improvement over the Bluesound included DAC.  "not highend".  My whole system is probably not considered high end.  This is all new territory to me.  Five months ago, I didn't even know what to type to search for something that will play new technology through an old hobby.  Just last week I had a dealer tell me don't bother with a DAC you can unplug them and not know the difference.  LOL  Part of me wants to prove him wrong.  Thanks for following this George and others. 
daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1 OP
638 posts
 
P.S. I switched my order to a Topping D90. Another review and... What’s another couple hundred?!!
rossb
193 posts
 
Not even analytical, a good "discrete" R2R dac is even more detailed, yet it’s airier with much more musical sense and far more body to the mids, and then there’s the unmatched bounce and slam to the music they have as well.
Sorry, but this is complete rubbish.

Some of the best dacs out there use ESS chips - Ayre, Brinkmann, Lumin, Mytek.

I've owned a "good" R2R dac - a Metrum Pavane - and the Ayre QX5, Mytek Manhattan II and Lumin X1 with their ESS chips walk all over it. And, yes, I've owned all of them.

The idea that R2R dacs have "unmatched bounce" or are more detailed is just ridiculous. The current generation of ESS chips are outstanding which is why they are used in many very high end dacs.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
+1 rossb

No way do R2R DACs have more detail, analytical, measure better than Delta Sigma DACs. Some might prefer the sound of a R2R DAC for the very reason they don't have the analytical detail of Delta Sigma DACs.
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