Which DAC after Topping D90?

tuga

. . .
Wammer
Aug 17, 2007
14,341
7,001
173
Oxen's ford, UK
AKA
Ricardo
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
D90 single D70s dual
You missed the joke. Not my best, I admit.

"I put the d90 up against an esoteric and dcs recently and it blew both away etc"

"You mean it blew up!?!? Crikey, well that is one way of grabbing attention."

"If I'm not mistaken the D90 comes with a pair of AK47 D/A chips."

The AK47 (pictured above) has starred in more films than any other gun.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Haha
Reactions: Fourlegs

tuga

. . .
Wammer
Aug 17, 2007
14,341
7,001
173
Oxen's ford, UK
AKA
Ricardo
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Yeh something fishy about that but then you know chip makers very ingenious! /monthly_2020_12/image.png.5fcba45876330a02358d502059f02452.png
Portuguese-style fried fish and Belgium-style chips. Not a good match in my view. Doesn't sound quite right...

 
  • Upvote
Reactions: DomT

Fourlegs

WAVE Digital Cables
Wammer
May 5, 2014
6,370
4,011
183
Melton Mowbray
www.wavehighfidelity.com
AKA
Nick
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
On the subject of chips, we have started making home made oven chips which are essentially thick chip shaped roast potatoes and which I prefer to even the best restaurant chips. Just exactly how many of these chips are in a D90 is a moot point though.

 
  • Haha
Reactions: DomT and tuga

rabski

Everything in moderation
Staff member
Dec 2, 2006
32,873
1
26,119
173
Kettering
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
As for the thread, I've given up with my opinions about DACs, because everyone hears things totally differently.

I've built mine do far around a basic commercial board with an AD1865 non-oversampling chip and AK4118 receiver. The issue now is that the AD1865 is well out of production and getting harder to find, plus inevitably there are tons of fakes around. I still have one spare board, which will eventually become my end-game DAC (until I build another different one). They don't have to suffer excessive audible treble roll off in the audio range, not be plagued by excessive distortion, but I generally can't stand all the stuff that I am told measures perfectly because to my ears they all sound like wallpaper strippers and rob all the life out of the music.

Your 'detailed' and 'perfect' is my 'all the musicians seem to be on their lunch break'. I don't give a rat's fundamental how my stuff measures. I use a single-ended big triode power amp, a valve preamp and the DAC has a valve gain stage. However, the DAC uses a pair of paralleled 5670 valves, and the preamp uses 5687s. Run at the right point in their plate curves, both these types are highly linear and offer minimal distortion.

I quite agree that there is no audible difference between most well-measuring DACs, but then all I can say is that something obviously isn't being measured that has an effect, because they're mostly apalling to actually listen through at length. To my ears. Just lifeless elevator music.

 

Fourlegs

WAVE Digital Cables
Wammer
May 5, 2014
6,370
4,011
183
Melton Mowbray
www.wavehighfidelity.com
AKA
Nick
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
I quite agree that there is no audible difference between most well-measuring DACs, but then all I can say is that something obviously isn't being measured that has an effect, because they're mostly apalling to actually listen through at length. To my ears. Just lifeless elevator music.
At least you have got that off your chest (again) but until I hear your digital front end and you get to hear mine it is very difficult to really know how each of them sounds and some old prejudices might be being relied upon, just possibly.

 

DomT

Food and coffee and rock n roll
Wammer Plus
Jul 23, 2019
10,327
9,594
198
Village near Nottingham.
AKA
Dom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Portuguese-style fried fish and Belgium-style chips. Not a good match in my view. Doesn't sound quite right...
@tuga Fish and Chips are good but English people need to go to Setubal in Portugal to eat chocos with chips. Chocos is a squid. This is probably the best place to eat them  

https://m.facebook.com/ReiDoChocoFrito/



 
  • Like
Reactions: tuga

rabski

Everything in moderation
Staff member
Dec 2, 2006
32,873
1
26,119
173
Kettering
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
At least you have got that off your chest (again) but until I hear your digital front end and you get to hear mine it is very difficult to really know how each of them sounds and some old prejudices might be being relied upon, just possibly.
Hopefully we'll manage it this year Nick.

The point, however, is that it doesn't matter. You may well hate the sounds my system makes, and of course vice versa. I see Keith has already added the inevitable comment about us being 'deceived', but darling Keith always forgets that we aren't all as stupid as he'd like to believe.

I am clever enough to be able to dress and wash myself unaided, and I'm old enough to have the right to say what I like. That doesn't mean I'm right or wrong, it just means I'm damned if I'll pay my own money to listen to something I hate because someone else tells me it's 'better'.

 

Fourlegs

WAVE Digital Cables
Wammer
May 5, 2014
6,370
4,011
183
Melton Mowbray
www.wavehighfidelity.com
AKA
Nick
HiFi Trade?
  1. Yes
Richard, I guess we are both on the same side in that we defend the right to prefer one thing or another. If and when I hear yours I might very well realise why you like it or I might think you are as deef as a post and that can be the only reason why you like it but hopefully neither of us would attempt to tell other that they are wrong. 

 
  • Upvote
Reactions: Camverton and DomT

rabski

Everything in moderation
Staff member
Dec 2, 2006
32,873
1
26,119
173
Kettering
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Richard, I guess we are both on the same side in that we defend the right to prefer one thing or another. If and when I hear yours I might very well realise why you like it or I might think you are as deef as a post and that can be the only reason why you like it but hopefully neither of us would attempt to tell other that they are wrong. 
Absolutely Nick.

We know each other well enough to have gentle pokes, but we also agree about many things.

Above all, I believe we both understand that some things are 'right or wrong', but tastes and preferences are neither. Those of us who actually realise that we are listening to nothing more than a falsehood in the first place are very happy to let our tastes in presentation dictate our preferences.

And most of us are not so easily fooled. But then looking at the profitability of various audio manufacturers, either the world is full of wealthy fools, or it is full of people exercising their judgement in the way they see fit.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Upvote
Reactions: DomT

rabski

Everything in moderation
Staff member
Dec 2, 2006
32,873
1
26,119
173
Kettering
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Them chips need mushy Peas and Curry sauce 😋
Heathen.

I've been to Portugal quite a few times and the food can be absolutely stunning. But then that's true of most countries to be fair. There are plenty of truly excellent restaurants in England, just as long as you avoid the average high street.

 
  • Upvote
Reactions: DomT

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles