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In Reply to: RE: Discreet R2R Ladder Dacs posted by ahendler on September 07, 2015 at 08:03:55
Thanks Alan, but I'm asking about discreet ladder dacs. Where the builder has replaced the DAC IC chip with a ladder of full sized resistors. Possibly the ultimate manifestation of Audiophile insanity. I like it.
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Big speakers and little amps blew my mind!
Follow Ups:
Where the builder has replaced the DAC IC chip with a ladder of full sized resistors.
But why? I would think that the laser trimmed R2R resistor network within a ladder DAC 'chip' will have tighter tolerances (accuracy) than discrete hand soldered "full sized resistors" or even SMD resistors on a board.
So my question is why the audiophile fascination with totally discrete DACs?
> "So my question is why the audiophile fascination with totally discrete DACs?"
That's a good question Abe. I'm just a layman, but I'd like to try to give you an answer. I may be murky on bits, so feel free to correct me.
I would like to begin by looking at the builders fascination with them. I think the manufacturers might consider some of these reasons.
First, they can build a dac to their specifications. Not the chip company's. So if you want a 32 bit R2R ladder dac you will have to make it yourself. There is not one for sale by the thousand. Heck if you want anything over 20 (18?) bits you will have to build it yourself. I guess you just construct the resistor ladder taller and taller till you get the bit depth you want.
Second, and I'm murky on this, but I think building the dac yourself means you don't have to use the chip company's built in amplifier. I seem to remember a review by Thorsten Loesch of a number of dac chips, and some he liked the dac section, but not the amp section, or the other way around. Some or all the amp section could not be bypassed. The chip I mentioned in another thread, the AD 5791, I think I read that it does not have an amp section at all, and it is left for the final user.
Last they get to play around with high end resistors. I think you may have a point about the smaller resistor having advantages, but who knows, a dac made of metal foil resistors might sound better. Audio Note? Yeah they can spec out any resistor from any company they want. 200 tantalum resistors? No problem. Silver foil resistors? Get the checkbook out. They can do it.
Now why the audiophile's fascination with it? It's an obsession.
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Big speakers and little amps blew my mind!
Well I can see the fascination with building something from scratch and in this case with discrete ladder DACs we're talking grinding your on wheat!
Edits: 09/16/15
From Peter Q's post linked below, using as reference his best DAC which ain't cheap:
"...the AD1865 we use is a multibit 18Bit R2R ladder design, but the discrete 16Bit R2R ladder prototype absolutely obliterates it sonically and I mean makes the already very good DACs in our range sound like a car with a flat tyre, so there is far more going on here than just the bit rate."
Strong stuff. Can't wait!
Hmm, interesting read. Thanks for the link.
Now if you could only tame that over caffeinated chubby cat! ;-)
OK
Alan
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