Eastern Electric's new tube DAC using ESS Sabre??

Jazzybs, I'll have to look into that! Shoot me an email to discuss.

Doug,

I read your review. You were blown by the DAC! I´d like to listen to it myself.

If you don´t mind, I disagree with some of your thoughts. I don´t think a 32 bit DAC makes 16 bit recordings equal to 24 bit recordings at same sample frequency! A 24 bit recording has much more information in it! The fact that a 32 bit DAC can make both recordings 32 bit doesn´t mean they´ll have the same information. The original 24 bit recording will still have lots of more information after conversion and, therefore, will sound much more real.

I think that the conversion to 32 bits is not the only thing that makes the EE DAC special. Actually, the DAC is limited to 24 bit 96KHz at the receiver and is only upsampled to 32 bit 192 KHz at the DAC chip. I´m not even sure it´s what makes the Sabre chip special. The Sabre chip also is very jitter imune and has great performance.

The EE DAC is also said by Alex Yeung, Bill at Morningstar and many others to have a really great output stage apart from the DAC chip. The tube output stage being generally preffered.

If I misunderstood your review or you think different, please don´t get upset, lets discuss.

Guys,

Not sure if you have discovered that the Dac phase switch should be lit red for better sound quality! Found out by accident last night and WOW, what a difference!

i recently reviewed the dac on audiophilia.com.

i welcome your feedback.

Joaco, Thanks for your comments; I am impressed with the ESS chip, as are many others. I think the EE DAC is a great expression of its capabilities. I also agree that the chip alone cannot make a great DAC and the Minimax has a fine output stage, but my point is that one cannot achieve the new standard of sound quality without it.

As to the ability of the DAC to make 16 bit and 24 bit sound similar, I can only point to my tests with varying outputs from players. I was quite surprised that I heard no distinction between them. Unless the players really were outputting only 16/44.1 then the chip does what I suggest, makes 16 and 24 bit sound alike at 32 bit. One of the most powerful aspects of the Sabre technology is the dramatic reduction of noise floor, which allows one to hear "deeper" into the music without grunge. It's quite a dramatic difference from 24 bit.