Comparison of latest DAC chips
daledeee1 As for the Deafrips, when I mentioned the "better hi-end R2R dacs" as the ones that will convert PCM better than DS based chips, it was the the Denafrips Terminator I was referring to. And also from Asia the Holo Spring level 2 or level 3 are also very good, especially in NOS (none over-sampling) mode Cheers George |
The Lumin X1 interests me because of that fibre optical network connection. I believe it is the only DAC that has it. Another external DAC I am interested in is the Denafrips Terminator. I am looking forward to someone doing a comparison with the Lumin X1. With regards to ESS chips, I have not heard the Lumin.X1, but have a lot of listens to the older Mirrus DAC from these guys. https://www.resonessencelabs.com/ The Mirrus was an incredible sounding DAC. They currently do not have the latest ESS chip (not sure why) and they are dragging their feet getting ROON READY support. However, they may feel the ESS9028PRO chips is more than adequate compared to the latest ESS9038PRO chip. Benchmark Media told me that the difference between their DAC2 (ESS9028PRO) and DAC3 (ESS9038PRO) was negligible. I ended up upgrading from the DAC2 to the DAC3 but I could not tell a difference. The key point for me with regards to resonessencelabs is that they know the ESS DAC architecture better than anyone in the world. The engineers at resonessencelabs were formerly with ESS and designed the ESS DACs. Darko.com mentions this in one of their reviews. I met the resonessencelabs guys at an audio show and they played the Mirrus DAC with a 20 year old $500 eBay speaker. Just to prove how amazing their DAC implementation was. A highlight for me at that audio show. I would be surprised if the Lumin X1 was better than the latest top end resonessencelabs DAC just because of the ESS engineering background of the DAC designers. Saying all of this the DAC I am currently thinking of getting is the Mola Mola Makua with internal DAC option. It is supposed to be even better than the external Mola Mola Tambaqui mentioned a few posts above. It also has RJ45 streaming and ROON READY support. |
Another external DAC I am interested in is the Denafrips Terminator. I am looking forward to someone doing a comparison with the Lumin X1. Just a review on the Holo, it’s good, so are the bench tests, with questions on the NOS mode, which I thought sounded the best on the Alexia 2 and Gryphon Antillion, so big and open and effortless, with no rolling off at the extremities or any dynamic compression. https://www.stereophile.com/content/holoaudio-spring-kitsun%C3%A9-tuned-edition-level-3-da-processor Cheers George |
It seems the ESS and AKM chips are meeting somewhere in the middle. The ESS chips were maligned for glaring, too analytical, etc. The AKM had a darker sometimes murky sound. Reviews I see say both of them have solved the criticisms. I know this can be a debate but I can only go by what I read since I can't A/B them. The new AK4499 is supposed to be more open and has "slam" I will find out by Friday. The Topping is kind of heavy so the power supply should help?? Not an EE. |
Even in George's list of R2R dacs which he claims are superior (I also have an R2R Audio Mirror T3-SE), it really is the implementation that matters. The dacs on that list are going to sound very different from one another. I'd contend that many would be judged as sounding just as different from one another as they would vs a dac based on a different chip/methodology. Finally, although I do believe in measurements, it's definitely not everything. I demoed the top measuring dac in the world for a month (as tested by audiosciencereview) and it did not impress. It was the worst sounding dac among the bunch (Audio Mirror, Matrix, iFi, & Lampizator). It's an aural hobby, be guided by numbers, but the ears are the final judge. |
