[tim3320070]

One of the funniest things I ever read: http://www.amazon.com/101-Uses-Dead-Simon-Bond/dp/sitb-next/0517545160
The best was using your dead cat as a boat anchor. FYI I like cats fine, I love dogs though.

 

[Nada]

Quote:

.....When the Ref7 gets here I will do a comparo between the two....

 

[NapalmV5]

dsp
8x pcm1704
no opamps
just the sheer number of components
and i can still customise it to my liking
under 2000$ ?!?
 
fook me this is a steal!!!
 
ive read all 27 pages and the feedback from reference 7ers just sealed the deal for me
 
youve certainly made it easier thanks!

 

[IPodPJ]

That about sums it up, NapalmV5!

 

[Dynobot]

It looks like Burr Brown still has quantities on hand but may have stopped actual production of new chips.
 
From the Less Loss web site:
 
The PCM 1704 is out of production and represents the end of the era when quality was first on the minds of DAC engineering laboratories. In today's production, all remaining DAC's are of the Sigma/Delta type. These incorporate more technologies into one chip, including two channels for stereo, volume control, upsampling, and often even clock oscillators of their own. Production costs have been saved, but the issue of quality of sound reproduction is no longer the primary issue.
 
This is the inventory according to the Burr Brown web site, as you can see supplies are dwindling.  Surely as supply decreases, demand will increase making the price go up...Kingwa will either have to increase prices or reduce the number of chips which will call for a board redesign.  Either way the Ref7's and Ref5's as we know them days are numbered.
 
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pcm1704.html#inventory

PCM1704U-K
Americas	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	1
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	17
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	3
Asia	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	3
Worldwide	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	254
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	197
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	>1k

 

[haloxt]

Aw that's unfortunate. I am rather optimistic though because some people have said really good things about some of the better sigma delta dac chips. The way I hear people describe WM8741 timbre makes me think I may have a lot of difficulty differentiating between it and a pcm1704 hehe.

 

[DaveBSC]

There's also the new NFB-7. I wonder how close that is able to get to the Ref 7 and 8.

 

[vrln]

Quote:

 
This is the inventory according to the Burr Brown web site, as you can see supplies are dwindling.  Surely as supply decreases, demand will increase making the price go up...Kingwa will either have to increase prices or reduce the number of chips which will call for a board redesign.  Either way the Ref7's and Ref5's as we know them days are numbered.
 
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/pcm1704.html#inventory

PCM1704U-K
Americas	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	1
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	17
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	3
Asia	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	3
Worldwide	/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	254
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	197
/lib/ckeditor/images/spacer.gif?t=A39E	>1k

Interesting post... Wow, looks like it happened sooner than anyone anticipated. Kingwa told me in a mail around a month ago that he might have to temporarily discontinue the REF5 to save up the chips for the REF7 line. Now we know why Kingwa pumped out so many NFB models so quickly...

 

[Audio Bling]

Quote:

It looks like Burr Brown still has quantities on hand but may have stopped actual production of new chips.
 
From the Less Loss web site:
 
The PCM 1704 is out of production [..]
 
[..] Surely as supply decreases, demand will increase making the price go up...

Odd post. Appears that someone is trying to talk the price up. Someone who owns a Ref5 & Ref7?
 

 

[vrln]

Checked the TI page again, PCM1704 is still listed under active... The stock has probably just been quite low for a long time already. 

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

Odd post. Appears that someone is trying to talk the price up. Someone who owns a Ref5 & Ref7?
 

Maybe next year I can sell the Ref5 for $2000....

 
LOL, actually these are keepers, my Dac buying days are over. 

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

Checked the TI page again, PCM1704 is still listed under active... The stock has probably just been quite low for a long time already. 

Active just means they have stock, the unit is still in the books and is being actively sold and monitored.  Once that Active goes away there will be no stock and nothing in the data base to follow.
 
If you check again in the following months those numbers will not increase.
 

 

[IPodPJ]

Also, Kingwa has to keep chips on hand as a backup for gear that could break down and is still under warranty.  This would be the only logical thing to do and I can't imagine he would use every last chip to build a DAC with.

 

[Audio Bling]

Quote:

Maybe next year I can sell the Ref5 for $2000....

 
LOL, actually these are keepers, my Dac buying days are over. 

 
[size=10pt]Until you get the Ref7 you don't know what a "keeper" is, surely. In the mean time, it is in your interest to gee up the market, is it not? LOL.[/size]
 
[size=10pt]I have seen posts from you pouring cynicism over spruiks by Steve Nugent (Empirical Audio) and Gordon Rankin (Wavelength). What is the difference here; a goofy smiley?  [/size]

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

 
[size=10pt]I have seen posts from you pouring cynicism over spruiks by Steve Nugent (Empirical Audio) and Gordon Rankin (Wavelength). What is the difference here; a goofy smiley?  [/size]

Only difference is I was speaking lightly about the price increase and totally joking about selling my Ref 5 and the other 2 do nothing but shamelessly promote their gear as being the best thing since sliced bread.