Digital Drive

Best processors -but best tech ?

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In surveying the top-rated digital processors, I'm stunned that most don't use a true-ladder R2R DAC. Now, I'm aware that we don't *need* these for good sound, but for $35,000, I would expect to get as much 'real' tech as possible. Meaning decoding without high-dosage processing.

For many years, a number of audiophiles have sworn-against delta/sigmas and sworn-by true ladder-DACs. Lynn Olsen's reports on PFO are one example.

Take the Soulution 560, a 1-bit DAC (w/ chipset costing $40), is priced at $35,000. Unit has a digital volume control to boot. (No analog/digital, analog-only or optical attenuation, which from these, all great systems have).

The 560 sounds very good. It should -it has great parts and close attention to noise regulation, p/s, output stage, etc.

But this product is not alone, as (most other) world's best DACs are similar. Whether the Chord Dave, EMM DA2, Simaudio 780D, Berkeley Alpha Ref, DCS DACs, Gryphon Kalliope -all of these use 1 to 6 bit (cheap) D-to-A converters, with lots of band-aide processing.

Worse, it seems that even the *processing* is slow, as noted by Dave K. (here) last year. At least, when referring to DCS gear.

Of the 'world's best', only Trinity, CH Precision, Totaldac and MSB are using the full-ladder approach. And as such, seem to have better sound.

Charlie Hansen once said it's like comparing a boxed-cake with one made from scratch. For this kind of cash, I would want scratch...


Edits: 02/21/17   02/21/17   02/21/17   02/21/17   02/21/17   02/21/17

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