[]eep]

I don't know. I think dacs have come a long way and the 4499 is a really good dac chip. The competition is discrete R2R. Both are quite good. It all depends on the implementation. All things being equal, taking the newest insights I'd take R2R still. But I would be happy using the 4499 in a good dac.

I am still preferring vinyl overall. I just bought a €300 Chinese cartridge that knocked me off my socks. Yeah, I got lucky. If it would be made in my country it would be 10x the price. Or more. Vinyl can captivate me more than any digital medium. But digital is still improving. It's an ever shifting market. I feel we are leaving old chips behind now. Even if they can still sound remarkable.

 

[Contrails]

I am still preferring vinyl overall. I just bought a €300 Chinese cartridge that knocked me off my socks. Yeah, I got lucky. If it would be made in my country it would be 10x the price. Or more. Vinyl can captivate me more than any digital medium. But digital is still improving. It's an ever shifting market. I feel we are leaving old chips behind now. Even if they can still sound remarkable.

A good Vinyl setup is still amazing to listen to. People underestimate how good it can sound but it requires a lot of patience, research and yes a bit of coin.

I can't listen to DS DACs but interestingly ESS9038 chip DACs are very good. I heard the Uniti Atom and the Burson GT and both were very good. I guess implementation also plays a big part.

 

[hakunamakaka]

I don't know. I think dacs have come a long way and the 4499 is a really good dac chip. The competition is discrete R2R. Both are quite good. It all depends on the implementation. All things being equal, taking the newest insights I'd take R2R still. But I would be happy using the 4499 in a good dac.

I am still preferring vinyl overall. I just bought a €300 Chinese cartridge that knocked me off my socks. Yeah, I got lucky. If it would be made in my country it would be 10x the price. Or more. Vinyl can captivate me more than any digital medium. But digital is still improving. It's an ever shifting market. I feel we are leaving old chips behind now. Even if they can still sound remarkable.

if not a secret just out of curiosity which cartridge was that ? I'm happy with mine, but maybe time to add new flavors

 

[]eep]

Agree. Unfortunately the Era of picking up great records for little money has come and gone. Vinyl is getting more expensive too. In all honesty, the amount of attention payed to producing great sounding records has gotten more attention too, due to audiophiles and an expanding vinyl community. But that's the least you should expect at more than double the price for new vinyl.

My vinyl setup is quite accomplished now, but it's has passed the 10k mark by now. I could bring it down to half but it's also a hobby. And I have also 10k lp's. So it's not unbalanced.

Digital is fine for convenience, for video and for large pieces of classical music. So it's not an either or, but and, and.

 

[]eep]

if not a secret just out of curiosity which cartridge was that ? I'm happy with mine, but maybe time to add new flavors

Look at this topic. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/post-a-photograph-of-your-turntable.549616/page-353
It might be the previous page. A new OEM line from China, I've only seen it on Aliexpress. Silly price/performance ratio MC-Cartridges.