Designing DAC's

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Ron Scubadiver, Jul 23, 2017.

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  1. Ron Scubadiver

    Ron Scubadiver Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Houston TX
    "Here's Lukasz:

    What we found is that the chip-set sound is: 10 % DAC chip choice, 50 % receiver chip choice, 20 % receiver-DAC connection interface and 20 % power supply construction. Yes, the DAC chip choice - from worst case to best case scenarios could affect only 10% on the subjective scale of sound quality."

    From a review here: LampizatOr The Lite 7 DSD DAC

    Any comments on the percentages?
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  2. emailists

    emailists Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    I happen to like FPGA Dacs that can be reconfigured via a new OS. It's easentually creating a new chipset every update, since the chip is just a set of switches. The PS Audio DS has taken an amazing journey from its first release. Also i feel one of the reasons it sounds so analog like is the entire output section is just a low pass filter, since it's a DSD DAC.
     
    ribonucleic likes this.
  3. Lenny

    Lenny Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    That's from the manufacturer's web site. IMO a flimsy excuse for not having to identify the DAC chip used.
    Always give lots of words but little information, and almost never show a picture of the inside. And offer it only to a reviewer who promises not to open it up.
     
    basie-fan, SandAndGlass and EVOLVIST like this.
  4. Ron Scubadiver

    Ron Scubadiver Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Houston TX
    Well, he sure doesn't disclose what chip he uses. It's probably some cheapie from Cirrus Logic or TI.
     
  5. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    I thought Lampizator used Saber chips? That I remember reading a review he did where he rally liked a Wolfson chip set.
     
  6. Ron Scubadiver

    Ron Scubadiver Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Houston TX
    I saw one interview where he said he used a chip that had a strong connection to the computer industry. Saber and AKM are more connected to audio. I thought Wolfson was made by Cirrus Logic, but I am not sure.

    Potato chips, perhaps?
     
    EVOLVIST likes this.
  7. russk

    russk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse NY
    Wow I can't believe no one has opened one up and figured out what he's got inside. I find that quite shady. Especially when you consider how much he likes taking apart other people's gear.
     
  8. Archimago

    Archimago Forum Resident

    Doesn't he rub off the chip markings? I remember talking to an owner awhile back about looking under the hood.

    Anyone got even noise floor measurements of these things?
     
  9. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    I can't understand this math. I see that it totals to 100% but the equation doesn't seem to make sense to me.
     
  10. I don't agree with the percentages. The power supplies are so important. More like 35% power supply. I'm basing this off of my Chord DAVE and my favorite, the Linn KDS/3. That feeds your FPGA implementation.

    And guess what? I use to own a Lampizator Golden Gate...and I couldn't get rid of it quick enough. I mean seriously, it was a steaming pile, even with NOS tubes rolled in.
     
  11. triple

    triple Senior Member

    Location:
    Zagreb, Croatia
    The guy claims that receiver chip accounts for 50% of the sound quality. SH audio forum members immediately start discussing dac chips being used (the ones he claims account for 10% of the sound quality). Priorities first.
     
  12. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    I have Schiit Multibits. I will never change, but I would like to obtain the Yggdrasil done say.
     
  13. Claude Benshaul

    Claude Benshaul Forum Resident

    The guy claims a lot of things that don't make sense. For example, if the power supply is such a non-issue (20%), why the urge to invest 100 Euro (but not more) in a power cable? Will using a cheap one suddenly increase the ratio of the power supply to 30%, or 75%? What exactly will happen if foreign currency fluctuations will result in me paying the equivalent of 101.37 Euro, will this affect the sound quality?
     
    Ninja Bomber likes this.
  14. triple

    triple Senior Member

    Location:
    Zagreb, Croatia
    It seems that you ended up in a wrong thread. Wait, no - you are right. In this one everyone discusses whatever pleases them. Sorry, my bad.
     
  15. Ron Scubadiver

    Ron Scubadiver Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Houston TX
    Even with the markings rubbed off, one could probably narrow things down by package design.
     
  16. Where are you Simon

    Where are you Simon Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Wales
    I'm not a expert on these things but i do like the way Rob Watts has been designing the latest crop of Chord DACs.
     
  17. Kyhl

    Kyhl On break

    Location:
    Savage
    How does the ratio work if there are no chips in the receiver? :confused:
     
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