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Worlds best DAC

Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Non-oversampling DACs have one thing in common: they dont use digital filtering. This is the difference. The problem is that these older chips dont support higher sample-rates. They may also lack some resolution because the noise floors are higher than modern DACs. Very listenable though, particularly the ladder D/A, the PCM1704.

Another way to achieve the same thing, except with a modern hi-res D/A chip is to push the digital filtering up beyond audibility. Works just as well as the NOS DAC, but you get more resolution and supports high sample-rates.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
The Metrum Octave uses no digital filtering and also uses a new chip that give 18 bit resolution as opposed to the 16 bit 1704. Have one ordered.
devilboy
1,176 posts
 
I have the Metrum Octave NOS DAC. Very natural and organic. Every day I'm amazed at the sound I get from this thing. I'm a firm believer in NOS.
jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
Hi, I know your speakers and cabling well. Have heard the boulder only once, but I know its great stuff.

Have u ever tried dcs? Given your system it might be worth auditioning. I'm in austin, the dealer here is great (also a wilson/transparent dealer). I have a dcs puccini/u clock now and am considering stepping up...I still feel sacd via transport beats any hiz rez computer I've tried (yet that is), my u clock is 24/96 (dcs has announced upgrades to 24/196 via usb...)

Good luck !
bflowers OP
80 posts
 
The yspsilon does 24/196 and is non-oversampling. I heard no noise. Systems were crystal clear, detailed, and completely lacking in digital harshness. It's possible the show conditions don't reveal deficiencies in deep bass and possibly noise floor. It's hard to imagine that the level of detail retrieval or effortless top end could be worse in one's own system.
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