All the DACs money can buy, pt. 2

[infinitesymphony]

List updated.

I might make a separate page using a database and some sorting features. We'll see...

[wolfen68]

I don't see the Core Sound Headline on the list:

Core Sound — HeadLine Portable 24/192 DAC, Headphone/Line Amplifier and Source Selector

[infinitesymphony]

Originally Posted by wolfen68

I don't see the Core Sound Headline on the list:

Core Sound — HeadLine Portable 24/192 DAC, Headphone/Line Amplifier and Source Selector

Added. Do you know which DAC chip / op-amps it uses?

[Ricey20]

Very informative thread, good job! I wonder if you could add a section for CDPs that have digital in for those that may want a one box solution

[Mazz]

It would also be useful to note which isochronous mode USB DACs operate in (or if they use some other mode such as bulk mode - that typically requires driver installation rather than using the generic USB audio drivers in most OSes). For isochronous, adaptive mode is relatively common, IIRC there's another mode that's worse, and asynchronous mode is better as the DAC controls the data flow rate reducing jitter (or so I have read).

[wolfen68]

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony

Added. Do you know which DAC chip / op-amps it uses?

Sorry, no. Forum member SiBurning may know as he has one.

[infinitesymphony]

Originally Posted by Mazz

It would also be useful to note which isochronous mode USB DACs operate in (or if they use some other mode such as bulk mode - that typically requires driver installation rather than using the generic USB audio drivers in most OSes). For isochronous, adaptive mode is relatively common, IIRC there's another mode that's worse, and asynchronous mode is better as the DAC controls the data flow rate reducing jitter (or so I have read).

Maybe, but that information can be hard to come by, and I'd want some sort of proof or confirmation from the manufacturer. It seems that more and more of the higher-end USB DACs are using ASRC by default, and you could probably discover most of them by searching for which ones use upsampling.

[Mazz]

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony

Maybe, but that information can be hard to come by, and I'd want some sort of proof or confirmation from the manufacturer. It seems that more and more of the higher-end USB DACs are using ASRC by default, and you could probably discover most of them by searching for which ones use upsampling.

The ones that do asynchronous isochronous mode - at least at the moment - are advertising that fact because it's meant to be much better for overall jitter, so that shouldn't be too hard to find (Cosecant have one, Wavelength have one, Three-Two have one, there may be others.)

As I understand it ASRC requires upsampling (in most cases), but upsampling need not imply ASRC. An ASRC field would be useful too - and again, that's a feature that manufacturers are keen to advertise.

[infinitesymphony]

True, but there are also a lot of DAC sheets that say 'jitter-reduction technology' and leave it at that. There are some that do explicitly mention ASRC, like the ones you mentioned, and the Lavry DACs and Benchmark DAC1, but sometimes it's not clear what sort of efforts a manufacturer has made to reduce jitter. But it's definitely something to think about adding in the future.

Question... Does asynchronous isochronous mode only apply to USB devices, or is it directly related to ASRC?

[Mazz]

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony

Question... Does asynchronous isochronous mode only apply to USB devices, or is it directly related to ASRC?

"Isochronous" applies to USB only - it means (roughly speaking) that there's a fixed reserved bandwidth between the two USB endpoints, so theoretically data packets are sent at (approximately) evenly spaced time intervals. Asynchronous mode is one of the isochronous modes, as is adaptive mode and some other mode I can't recall right now.

Some USB devices don't use isochronous mode - they may use bulk mode, which (I think) usually means they have to use their own drivers, and thus may not work at all for OSes without appropriate drivers.

[wolfen68]

Here's another one (The Headroom 2007 Microamp with DAC option):

HeadRoom Portable Micro Amp @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears


You have the (I think) 2006 model listed and the Ultra variant. This one would be their current portable version and is a different animal than either of those.

[Mazz]

Originally Posted by infinitesymphony

True, but there are also a lot of DAC sheets that say 'jitter-reduction technology' and leave it at that.

Which - if that's all they tell you - is marketing bamboozle-speak. You don't know what they're doing and you have no way to find out if it's any good - unless you audition it somehow.

I wouldn't mind the DAC list showing something like "manufacturer claims unspecified jitter-reduction technology" if that's all that's known, but more details where possible would be better still.

[jojoarmani]

That list is so flippin' wicked, Thx, 'cause it helps alot!

[infinitesymphony]

Added the North Star Extremo and HeadRoom Portable Micro Amp/DAC.

[ccschua]

It looks to me the expensive dac uses the PCM 1704U-K. Is this the better dAC ?

Also I notice NOS are good for warm vocal sound, but lacks dynamics. Is this true?