new sabre "pro" dacs

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by Judeus, Jan 7, 2016.

  1. Judeus

    Judeus Facebook Friend

    Banned
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    202
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    summit-fi purgatory
  2. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    545
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Singapore
    PDF list 140db Dynamic range which should equal 23.3bits of resolution. Holy molly!
     
  3. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    9,937
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Texas and California
    Home Page:
    Wake me when they post actual datasheets that are freely accessible without an extra-special double-secret handshake and NDA (you know, like any other semiconductor company like TI, AKM, Cirrus, Analog Devices, etc.)
     
  4. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,276
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I've heard from people who have done the handshake and signed the NDA only to find the datasheets to be less-than-correct.

    Makes me wonder how many of the units using these chips sound bad because of less than optimal implementation. Wasn't there a story about some audio mfg actually going to diy forums in search of solutions to problems with ESS?
     
  5. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    5,345
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Will these Sabres actually be resistant to electrical noise like AKM chips?
     
  6. Madaboutaudio

    Madaboutaudio Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    545
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Singapore
    Well maybe this is good news for LH Labs who now can add a new "upgrade perk" to their DACs once again.

    And iBasso can cook out the DX200 DAP and Sony can have a new PHA-4 and Hifiman can launch successor to HM-901S and etc

    The never ending cycle of new dac chips to fuel audiophile/audiofool expenditure
     
  7. Judeus

    Judeus Facebook Friend

    Banned
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    202
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    summit-fi purgatory
    this, i dont give two hoots about off the shelf dac chips anymore, they are all the same thing essentially with crappy digital filters.

    there is a reason the schiit multibit and chord products (for better or worse, mojo is actually an excellent product)

    have been a big success
     
  8. schiit

    schiit SchiitHead

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    9,937
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Texas and California
    Home Page:
    Both Mike and I agree that there is absolutely a need for off-the-shelf delta-sigma chips: for $79-149 products. And for phones. And computers. Etc.

    Not a diss. Just reality. Some of them can sound very good.
     
  9. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    14,051
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Have you found any awesome ones that might fit in a phone form factor? :)
     
  10. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,276
    Trophy Points:
    113
    What about some 399$ and 899$ ones?

    P.S. I'm really anxious to hear what you've done with multibit dacs. I convinced my boss to buy a few Magni 2 amps for our lab and we really like them. The whole headphone amp/dac landscape in EU is pretty bleak. Most likely due to ROHAS barrier many smaller mfgs can't climb.
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2016
  11. tuxbass

    tuxbass Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    34
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Location:
    USA
    BTW @schiit when are you guys releasing a R2R ladder DAP :)
    Here take my money :)
     
  12. Andre Y

    Andre Y Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2015
    Likes Received:
    220
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Southern California
    @Hrodulf In my experience, for new designs, RoHS is not a big deal. If you have an existing design that you need to transition to lead-free, then there may be issues, because some older parts are not available lead-free.
     
  13. drez

    drez Acquaintance

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    51
    Trophy Points:
    18
    Sabre bad multibit good ;)
    derp
     
  14. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,276
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I was more concerned about implementing a good lead-free soldering process. Is it a real issue in your opinion?
     
  15. Andre Y

    Andre Y Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2015
    Likes Received:
    220
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Southern California
    There were (and sometimes continue) to be soldering issues, but you can build very reliable products, as many people do, with lead-free solder. The big problem was during the transition when board houses hadn't quite tuned their machines for the new solder yet, and component makers were still figuring out how to make lead-free versions of their parts.

    Regardless of what kind of solder you use, it's only one component in the whole chain, and there still needs to be processes in place (eg. burn-in) to make sure that your manufacturing process is turning out good stuff: you can easily build unreliable stuff with leaded solder too.
     

Share This Page