[Sapientiam]

Quote:

That definitely has something to do with it, but I think a lot of the best transports and DACs also use the AD1955 for a reason, they didn't just throw darts at a board with all of the currently available chips on it. The Ultra Analog based Spectral SDR-2000 DAC is legendary among vintage R-2R DACs for its sound, and when Spectral made their follow up SDR-4000 CD player, they went with the AD1955.

What do you think the reason might be? Specs? Spectral's decision to replace the UA was down to its going out of production I take it. The UA DAC was also the DAC of choice for a high-end professional digital project I worked on, the second generation of that didn't go for any sigma-delta DAC as far as I'm aware, I think they went the PCM1704 route.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

What do you think the reason might be? Specs? Spectral's decision to replace the UA was down to its going out of production I take it. The UA DAC was also the DAC of choice for a high-end professional digital project I worked on, the second generation of that didn't go for any sigma-delta DAC as far as I'm aware, I think they went the PCM1704 route.

 
Actually I made a mistake, I thought it was the 1955, that's what the Alpha DAC uses, the Spectral went with a modified AD1853. The point still stands though, the went with a delta sigma chip when they could've used the PCM1704, which was still readily available at the time.
 
 

 

[Sapientiam]

Quote:

 
Actually I made a mistake, I thought it was the 1955, that's what the Alpha DAC uses, the Spectral went with a modified AD1853. The point still stands though, the went with a delta sigma chip when they could've used the PCM1704, which was still readily available at the time.
 
 

Do you take them at all seriously then? I don't coz they write total drivel like this :
 
Digital audio is always heard through the sonic filter of mediocre integrated circuit amplification and buffers.
 
It reads just like the 'legendary Wolfson blah blah blah' which is the topic of this thread. Claptrap.
 

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

Do you take them at all seriously then? I don't coz they write total drivel like this :
 
Digital audio is always heard through the sonic filter of mediocre integrated circuit amplification and buffers.
 
It reads just like the 'legendary Wolfson blah blah blah' which is the topic of this thread. Claptrap.
 

I do. Spectral is not a brand like Wilson, with lots of zazz and big full page glossy ads everywhere. I suspect many audiophiles have never even heard of them. Those that do know them though generally have a lot of respect for their engineering prowess - they are very good at what they do. Alon Wolf of Magico was asked about what amps he uses or what he thinks are the best, and he put Spectral on a short list with Boulder and Soulution - serious players.