Recent content by Jim Creek

My Mani 2 phono preamp has stepped settings for loading. I can select 47k ohm, 200ohm, 47ohm or 38ohm. My guess is 200 ohm is likely the best choice. For capacitance I can add an additional 47pf, 100pf, 150pf, or 200pf. My guess is no additional capacitance is needed. My TT is a Pioneer...

This thread is over a year old but I couldn’t help but add a comment. I’ve owned the Silver 100 g6 speakers for over 4 years. The g7 versions have slightly better specs. However, I have not heard a speaker that I would rather own than the ones I have now. The rosenut wood finish on mine is...

I’m skeptical. Manufactures will add some features to a chip and charge more money for them. But they don’t sound any different to human ears. The data in a music file has one and only only corresponding analog value. Period. All DAC chips are programmed to resolve that one analog value. Here...

I understand there is resistance to this point of view especially amongst audiophiles. The differences between DAC chips is next to nothing, not just in my opinion. Why should there be since they are coded to be as accurate as possible. There may be a tiny difference in the op amps and bigger...

I agree with everything you posted here. Plus, There’s a lot to be said for buying ‘Made In The USA’.

The name “Schiit” was designed to draw attention, to create controversy. So, yeah, Shiit Audio is very shrewd at marketing. Some of their products are very good. Some are not. I have their Mani2 phono preamp which is very good and versatile for the money. My DAC is an SMSL DO100 ($200), a...

Actually the chips in Topping and SMSL DACs are USA designed but mostly made by Taiwan Semi or Samsung. ESS Technology Incorporated is based in Fremont, Ca, designs the DAC chips. Qualcom designs the Bluetooth chips. Texas Instruments designs and manufactures the OpAmps. Those are the chips...

As I stated in my previous post, implementation is where the differences lie. So we agree on that point. Where I disagree with you is that the differences are always big enough to hear. All the many different DAC chips are going output the same exact analog values. They have to because the...

All DACs do the same thing. They convert discrete digital codes to the exact corresponding number of discrete analog output values. Unless there are coding errors there is no reason for different DAC chips to sound different from each other….in theory. The current trend with modern DAC chips...

The Modi+ gets a pretty good review. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/schiit-modi-dac-review.39435/

They should all sound the same. A DAC converts discrete digital codes to a corresponding number of discrete analog output values. The 0s and 1s from the digital source have only one correct analog output. If the DAC is programmed correctly and has an excellent op amp you will get that one tone...

My point was going to apply to chip DACs (ASICs) not FPGA DACs. My point was that teams of software engineers spend years writing and debugging source code before etching it on a chip. ESS Saber DACs are chip DACs as an example. The code that converts digital to analog is extremely accurate. The...

I don’t doubt your expertise. When you say: “They are programmed or configured with a bitstream”, so there is programming involved in the process somewhere along the line. You are arguing how it’s programmed. I believe you. I am arguing there is programming. Programming means somewhere along the...

Semantics. The point is the FPGA is still programmed as accurately as possible to the specification of the manufacturer of the DAC. There must be some blueprint to do the programming. You have to start with something. If it’s not software what is it? “Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are...

The FPGA is an integrated circuit programmed with software developed by the DAC manufacturer.. The point I was trying to make is that the code used to convert digital to analog is designed to be accurate as possible. All DACs are designed to be as accurate as possible. Some of the newer DAC...