In Reply to: Delta-Sigma vs. R2R posted by scriabin on February 12, 2024 at 09:31:57:
Read objective reviews and select from among the top performers -- stop fretting and ignore R2R vs. D/S. Also stop worrying about the DAC vs. analog sections; it's the end result that matters.
Audio Science Review (ASR) has hundreds of DAC reviews: start there. Always start by looking at the distortion spectrum and the SINAD. At the moment ASR top-rated DAC is the SMSL SU-10: see the link below. DACs at or close to this level of performance are completely neutral. If you don't think so, get some buddies together and do a blind ABX test a few such -- you'll discover you can't tell the difference at this level.
If you don't like 'neutral' but want some "voicing", I suggest you do that at the preamp stage while keeping the up & down stream components (including speakers) as neutral, h i.e. distortion free as possible.
IMHO, tube equipment is a problematic morass. Avoid it except possibly at the preamp stage.
NOT the 51st state, eh!?!
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Follow Ups
- There is NO MAGIC here - Feanor 02/16/2405:02:26 02/16/24 (70)
- RE: There is NO MAGIC here - morricab 02:46:09 02/21/24 (52)
- Soundstage is one of the most subjective of attributes - Feanor 04:15:16 02/21/24 (51)
- SO ... HOW do we measure soundstage??? - Feanor 05:41:07 02/22/24 (9)
- RE: SO ... HOW do we measure soundstage??? - morricab 07:08:11 02/22/24 (6)
- OK, but how do we know the D90se is "brighter" than it should be? - Feanor 09:56:52 02/22/24 (5)
- RE: OK, but how do we know the D90se is "brighter" than it should be? - morricab 02:52:34 02/23/24 (4)
- Who says the D90SE is bright? - kjg 11:23:28 02/23/24 (3)
- RE: Who says the D90SE is bright? - morricab 07:20:01 02/29/24 (2)
- Say what !?! You haven't actually heard the D90SE?? - Feanor 04:51:38 03/4/24 (1)
- RE: Say what !?! You haven't actually heard the D90SE?? - morricab 05:52:42 03/4/24 (0)
- RE: SO ... HOW do we measure soundstage??? - Tre' 06:57:25 02/22/24 (1)
- RE: SO ... HOW do we measure soundstage??? - morricab 07:16:00 02/22/24 (0)
- RE: Soundstage is one of the most subjective of attributes - morricab 01:04:42 02/22/24 (5)
- I'm saying the 'sometimes' a perceived phenomenon is an *artifact* - Feanor 05:17:13 02/22/24 (4)
- RE: I'm saying the 'sometimes' a perceived phenomenon is an *artifact* - morricab 06:52:37 02/22/24 (3)
- Yes, the whole point of stereo - Feanor 10:06:03 02/22/24 (2)
- RE: Yes, the whole point of stereo - Dawnrazor 22:05:01 02/22/24 (1)
- My Apt Holman preamp of years ago had an interesting circuit - Feanor 12:56:24 02/23/24 (0)
- RE: Soundstage is one of the most subjective of attributes - morricab 00:54:15 02/22/24 (3)
- It *IS* psychoacoustic and is real (IMO) - Feanor 04:34:31 02/22/24 (2)
- RE: It *IS* psychoacoustic and is real (IMO) - morricab 07:11:26 02/22/24 (1)
- What is "magic"? It's a phenomenon which is beyond explanation - Feanor 10:10:19 02/24/24 (0)
- "There is certainly no objective measure for it." - mlsstl 06:57:27 02/21/24 (30)
- Like I said, research into what affect soundstage perception would be useful - Feanor 04:23:22 02/22/24 (0)
- "The problem with measurements". Some thoughts .... - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 11:21:44 02/21/24 (15)
- RE: "The problem with measurements". Some thoughts .... - morricab 00:58:54 02/22/24 (14)
- RE: "The problem with measurements". Some thoughts .... - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 10:22:48 02/22/24 (5)
- RE: "The problem with measurements". Some thoughts .... - morricab 07:55:21 02/29/24 (0)
- An 'artifact' in case of single-component soundstage - Feanor 04:36:38 02/26/24 (3)
- RE: An 'artifact' in case of single-component soundstage - morricab 08:01:28 02/29/24 (2)
- So what "magic" accounts for the phenomenon? - Feanor 04:49:31 03/4/24 (1)
- RE: So what "magic" accounts for the phenomenon? - morricab 06:05:38 03/4/24 (0)
- Depends of the DAC (??) - Feanor 05:11:37 02/22/24 (7)
- RE: Depends of the DAC (??) - morricab 07:23:34 02/22/24 (6)
- How do FETs measure differently from bipolars? - Feanor 10:19:33 02/24/24 (5)
- RE: How do FETs measure differently from bipolars? - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 19:34:16 02/25/24 (1)
- RE: How do FETs measure differently from bipolars? - morricab 07:22:59 02/29/24 (0)
- RE: How do FETs measure differently from bipolars? - mlsstl 12:49:37 02/24/24 (1)
- Thanks for that, which I have seen before. Also ... - Feanor 04:24:12 02/26/24 (0)
- RE: How do FETs measure differently from bipolars? - morricab 11:28:45 02/24/24 (0)
- Amen! - E-Stat 10:07:51 02/21/24 (3)
- Yhoo, E-Stat: no strawmen, please - Feanor 04:27:54 02/22/24 (2)
- I suppose it's difficult to imagine - E-Stat 12:23:54 02/22/24 (1)
- Congradulations, E-Stat, you have the last word ~n - Feanor 08:45:21 02/26/24 (0)
- RE: "There is certainly no objective measure for it." - Dawnrazor 07:48:54 02/21/24 (8)
- RE: "There is certainly no objective measure for it." - morricab 01:06:20 02/22/24 (7)
- Exactly - Feanor 08:43:43 02/26/24 (1)
- RE: Exactly - morricab 07:35:16 02/29/24 (0)
- RE: "There is certainly no objective measure for it." - Dawnrazor 08:59:08 02/22/24 (4)
- You'rd confused as to which sort of "soundstage" is being discussed here - Feanor 08:38:17 02/26/24 (2)
- RE: You'rd confused as to which sort of "soundstage" is being discussed here - Dawnrazor 10:18:35 02/26/24 (1)
- RE: You'rd confused as to which sort of "soundstage" is being discussed here - morricab 07:39:28 02/29/24 (0)
- RE: "There is certainly no objective measure for it." - morricab 09:54:07 02/22/24 (0)
- RE: There is NO MAGIC here - Todd Krieger 19:02:32 02/17/24 (1)
- RE: There is NO MAGIC here - 13th Duke of Wymbourne 16:00:27 02/19/24 (0)
- you went from R2R & DeltaSigma to something that is extremely complicated and difficult to deal with - Story 02:49:13 02/17/24 (1)
- Exactly ... - Feanor 04:12:27 02/17/24 (0)
- I like the part where he listened to it. - Dawnrazor 21:16:20 02/16/24 (8)
- As Story implied ... - Feanor 04:17:40 02/17/24 (7)
- RE: As Story implied ... - Dawnrazor 20:16:59 02/19/24 (6)
- "unless you listen to graphs" - E-Stat 11:23:26 02/20/24 (0)
- Almost completely disagree though I can't question personal preference - Feanor 04:57:35 02/20/24 (4)
- RE: Almost completely disagree though I can't question personal preference - KanedaK 21:04:03 02/21/24 (1)
- RE: Almost completely disagree though I can't question personal preference - Dawnrazor 08:47:09 02/22/24 (0)
- RE: Almost completely disagree though I can't question personal preference - Dawnrazor 08:40:10 02/20/24 (1)
- Like I said, I can't question personal preference ~nt - Feanor 04:17:16 02/21/24 (0)
- Hmm, got an 807 amp I built years ago, ran it 24/7 for 3 years, there ARE different ways to build_nT - Cleantimestream 09:42:19 02/16/24 (3)
- There are different ways to manipulate the sound - Feanor 04:20:41 02/17/24 (0)
- Bags of 807's by the pound everywhere.... - AbeCollins 12:14:25 02/16/24 (1)
- RE: Bags of 807's by the pound everywhere.... - Cleantimestream 12:35:44 02/16/24 (0)