Aqua Audio Formula Optologic DAC

[Mivera]

Headphone output specified at 1.5ohms eh? Krell must be quaking in their boots.... With the 127dB SNR they had no need of the latest chip, they threw away 13dB.

It probably uses ESS's new headphone amp as well. Second order effects within the chip are also improved with a much lower noise floor. There's more to what goes on inside of gear than what 2-3 industry standard measurements can tell you.

 

[Deleted member 65]

I sincerely hope Westlake does deliver a product, I fear the whole debacle could be just a huge 'Ponzi' scheme.
Keith.

I don't think it's a "Ponzi" scheme, just a case of no project planning and a scope creep out of this world.

John W will attend Munich showcasing FDAC's Analogue & Digital board including the Detox-thingie also meeting with Chinese production partners. My current guesstimate is FDAC released to us sponsors Q2 2017, but let's see, I've been wrong before.

 

[Purité Audio]

We will see, is the fifth year since the project started?
Keith

 

[Mivera]

We will see, is the fifth year since the project started?
Keith

Well at least it keeps getting better as new chips come out. Imagine how good it will be by 2022!

 

[Purité Audio]

It's amateur hour, and yet his fanboys lap it up, unbelievable really.
Keith.

 

[Thomas savage]

It's amateur hour, and yet his fanboys lap it up, unbelievable really.
Keith.

Only in hifi

The investors need to find new ways to... Motivate him..

 

[Purité Audio]

Joking aside I truly hope he does deliver something , five years is rather a long wait !
Keith.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Joking aside I truly hope he does deliver something , five years is rather a long wait !
Keith.

I totally agree, lost patience a number of times during this so far 5 year journey. Even offered a couple of years back to PM the project (me being PM in IT/Banking) free of charge. Sad to say my offer was turned down.

 

[Opus111]

Quote I just found over on 6moons, written by Srajan -

I've repeatedly been told that the basic application notes for the Sabre chips will not lead to superior sound; that one must alter the firmware, bypass on-chip filters or employ other tricks of the trade to really get the best from these ICs.

The question tickling me is this one - why would ESS want to put anything other than the best possible sounding circuit in their app notes?

 

[Deleted member 65]

Quote I just found over on 6moons, written by Srajan -

I've repeatedly been told that the basic application notes for the Sabre chips will not lead to superior sound; that one must alter the firmware, bypass on-chip filters or employ other tricks of the trade to really get the best from these ICs.

The question tickling me is this one - why would ESS want to put anything other than the best possible sounding circuit in their app notes?

This is what John Westlake did when developing the AudioLab MDAC (Sabre 9018 based), bypassing known bug in the 9018 aso with filters. For the FDAC which originally was designed for the 9018 he intended similar tricks, these won't work in the 9038 therefore 9028 was chosen.

 

[Mivera]

This is what John Westlake did when developing the AudioLab MDAC (Sabre 9018 based), bypassing known bug in the 9018 aso with filters. For the FDAC which originally was designed for the 9018 he intended similar tricks, these won't work in the 9038 therefore 9028 was chosen.

The real problem is the pinout on the 9028 is identical as the 9018. So it's a drop in replacement. The 9038 has an extra pin.

 

[Mivera]

Quote I just found over on 6moons, written by Srajan -

I've repeatedly been told that the basic application notes for the Sabre chips will not lead to superior sound; that one must alter the firmware, bypass on-chip filters or employ other tricks of the trade to really get the best from these ICs.

The question tickling me is this one - why would ESS want to put anything other than the best possible sounding circuit in their app notes?

ESS uses the best filter/modulators possible in a small low powered chip. But there's limits to what's possible. To go beyond these limit much more powerful processor's must be used. You can't expect a chip the size of a dime to be able to process the same algorithms as a powerful quad core I7 processor.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Back on topic: Axpona day two, anything to report on the Aqua DAC Amir?

 

[Mivera]

Price was released. $13800

http://axpona.com/newproducts.asp

 

[Thomas savage]

Price was released. $13800

http://axpona.com/newproducts.asp

thats.... Exspensive but is it good value?

 

[Mivera]

thats.... Exspensive but is it good value?

It looks well built for an R2R. Sonny may have a point about opto couplers degrading over time. Personally I think you will never beat a purist 1 bit design with a powerful software based SRC/SDM engine. MSB has probably taken R2R tech to the highest level possible and users of their $50000+Diamond DAC upgraded with Femto 33 clock are getting better sound bypassing the R2R and using HQplayer converting PCM to DSD using the 1 bit DSD section. The R2R section is where the majority of the money goes buying that DAC.

 

[amirm]

I listened briefly to the Formula DAC system and it sounded good!

 

[Deleted member 65]

I listened briefly to the Formula DAC system and it sounded good!

any technical insights from developers?

 

[fas42]

A very positive response to the Aqua room here ... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/axpona-2016.

 

[amirm]

any technical insights from developers?

No. The person doing the demo simply stated what we already know about its design. I took pictures of it which i will post later.