Does the ESS Sabre Chip have a telltale sound?

It's all about implementation. I've used the Twisted Pear Buffalo DAC with 9018 Sabre Reference in multiple configurations of stereo mode, dual-mono mode, as a voltage source, and(soon) as a current source. Also with different degrees of sophistication in power supplies. Performance varies by configuration from very good to over-the-top. I doubt that many commercial manufacturers have tried all the possibilities.

Some Sabre DACs sounds dry, some sounds great. Gryphon Kalliope DAC has Sabre and for me it is The best DAC now on market. I had MSB Diamond, MSB Signature, dCS Vivaldi, EMM Labs DAC-2X, and many others. But Gryphon is The best DAC i ever heard.

Yes.

I have heard a number of DAC's with a Saber, including some DIY jobs a guy wanted to sell.

The sonic signature is slightly over the top detail that can sometimes be overwhelming, some sibilance control issues and a cold analytic top end.

When I was listening to the DIY DAC's before hearing them a person there said - you have heard Saber DAC's before - what do you think we will hear. I said the above. Later he said - you were spot on - amazing. Its not amazing - you hear it when you have lived with such DAC's for a while.

The interesting thing though is despite the claims the chip is jitter immune the sibilance and top end issue virtually disappears when fed with a good source like an Off-Ramp. They are quite good that way - with just a slight trace of analyticality and detail that a bit obvious. IMHO the chip is not as jitter immune as is claimed.

Thanks
Bill

Stereophile measurements say the Simaudio 650D, which uses the E
SS Sabre chips, is pretty immune to jitter. Maybe Simaudio has other systems in play to handle jitter?

http://www.stereophile.com/content/simaudio-moon-evolution-650d-cd-player-measurements

What sampling output rate were you using with the off-ramp that you found worked well with the Sabre chip?

'What sampling output rate were you using with the off-ramp that you found worked well with the Sabre chip?'

Back in those days I would upsample - don't do it so much these days.

Obviously since it performed pretty good with the Off-Ramp it can be in designs that don't have the usual issues.

Thanks
Bill