@KSTR, thanks. Who is interested, I got yet one answer to the questions I raised in this thread. I got better picture how it could work. Although implementgation details are not provided by Asahi-Kasei, I understood that DSD data can be transferred without information loss through the multi bit binary weighted interface between chips. That's what I was interested to know.
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AKM new flagship AK4191 + AK4499EX
- Thread starter bryan0101
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Orchard Audio’s New PecanPi®+ DAC and Streamer Feature AKM’s Latest Flagship Chips
Orchard Audio introduces the PecanPi+ DAC and PecanPi+ Streamer, further expanding the highly reviewed line of PecanPi® products. The PecanPi+ DAC leverages Asahi Kasei Microdevices’ (AKM) latest flagship AK4499EXEQ digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and AK9141EQ ΔΣ modulator chips. The 4499...
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I see you call it AK4499EXEQ which is the name I see in the AKM product lineup on their website. Others just call is AK4499EX, which is not on their webpage. Are they one and the same?Orchard Audio’s New PecanPi®+ DAC and Streamer Feature AKM’s Latest Flagship Chips
Orchard Audio introduces the PecanPi+ DAC and PecanPi+ Streamer, further expanding the highly reviewed line of PecanPi® products. The PecanPi+ DAC leverages Asahi Kasei Microdevices’ (AKM) latest flagship AK4499EXEQ digital-to-analog converter (DAC), and AK9141EQ ΔΣ modulator chips. The 4499...
Yes they are the same.
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I'm getting this DAC as I currently own an SMSL DO300 that has a couple of design issues. First is that it applies more than +6 dB of gain when playing DSD, and second, its I2S input reverses channels when playing DSD, and using the I2S invert channels on the configuration menu doesn't work with DSD, only with PCM.
The SMSL DO300 EX seems to have sorted out these desing faults.
I'm receiving an SMSL DO300 EX that uses the AKM AK4191 + AK4499EX.
I'm getting this DAC as I currently own an SMSL DO300 that has a couple of design issues. First is that it applies more than +6 dB of gain when playing DSD, and second, its I2S input reverses channels when playing DSD, and using the I2S invert channels on the configuration menu doesn't work with DSD, only with PCM.
The SMSL DO300 EX seems to have sorted out these desing faults.
Objectively you can achieve better dynamic range by 3dB when doing a design with dual chips.
I own an SMSL DO300 EX after getting rid of the DO300 that has a couple of issues when playing DSD (It applies too much gain to DSD, over +6 dB which is the standard, resulting in some distorsion and boomy bass, and DSD inverted channels vía I2S which is not corrected by inverting I2S channels on the configuration menu), and I much like the sound of the DO300 EX over the DO300.
I find the DO300 analitycal and bright for my taste. It may be more truthful to the source than the DO300 EX but for the time I've had the DO300 (around 9 months) I felt something was missing or at least not for me.
The DO300 EX corrects the issues when playing DSD that the DO300 has, It sounds smoother, more easy on the ears to me for listining sessions.
But beware, It may be a matter of sinergy with the rest of my equipment, a humble but fine sounding Marantz PM 6007 integrated amp and B&W' DM 601 (yes, the first series, which I bought in 1996, filters were changed around 4 years ago), or maybe my hearing as I'm 50 and have been suffering of tinnitus for around 8 years.
The fact is that the DO300 caused be listing fatigue after 40 minutes or so of listening, and the DO300 EX doesn't even after listening of for over 3 hours.
By the way, the DO300 EX states on its instruction manual that features TWO AK 4499EX converters.
I also satisfied with DO300EX. However I upgraded from an old FX-6 used for many years as my headphone amp during worktime. FX6 has a good listening sound, not fatique at all, but less detail, and less bass than the 300EX. The timbre sounds different to me. I know there are a lot technical differences, different category, technical params but for my ears both sounds good.
I am not able to locate any place in the DO300EX manual (which I just downloaded from SMSL) that states the DAC uses two AK4499EX converters. Furthermore, the reply I received to the inquiry I had made to Aoshida-US (SMSL Seller on Amazon) says "DO300EX only has one chip and supports two channel".
In contrast, amongst the items listed in the Feature section of the D400EX manual is the statement "Dual mono design, one AK4499EX per channel, distortion as low as a staggering 0.00006% (-124dB)".
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Hmm threshold of audibility is typically down below 80db... and in many cases below 70db (with masking effects)
After owning an SMSL DO 300 EX I asked Amazon Spain if I could exchange It for an SMSL D400 PRO, which at the time was around 230/250 Euros more expensive. They agreed after talking to SMSL's importer in Spain.
I like the sound of the D400 PRO best than the cheaper DO300 EX.
It's not a day and night difference, but they are there.
The D400 PRO sound has a Little more details and a tighter bass.
What I noticed IS that zespite sharing the same AKM chipset, AK4191 plus AK4499EX, the D400 PRO makes more of a difference with the 7 digital filters available and the Sound Color, that is not preset equalizations, they actually are two different oversampling frequencies, two for 5.6 Mhz (x 128 oversampling) and another two for 11.2 Mhz (x 256 oversampling) each with a different Delta/Sigma modulation. These two functions are more noticiable on the D400 PRO than on the DO 300EX.
It may be because of the different cuircuit design, the D400 PRO having two power supplies instead of one as the DO 300EX or maybe the quality of the components used on each analogue stage, or even these three differences combined.
I'm interested in knowing what digital filters and Sound Color you owners of DACs with this AKM chipset used for listening to your music and if you change them for different kinds of music.
I use Sound Color 3 (11.2 Mhz, x256 oversampling) for Rock and Pop music, and Sound Color 4 for orchestral movie soundtracks and classical music. For some SACDs I use Sound Color 1. And for digital filter I use Super Slow.
I like the sound of the D400 PRO best than the cheaper DO300 EX.
It's not a day and night difference, but they are there.
The D400 PRO sound has a Little more details and a tighter bass.
What I noticed IS that zespite sharing the same AKM chipset, AK4191 plus AK4499EX, the D400 PRO makes more of a difference with the 7 digital filters available and the Sound Color, that is not preset equalizations, they actually are two different oversampling frequencies, two for 5.6 Mhz (x 128 oversampling) and another two for 11.2 Mhz (x 256 oversampling) each with a different Delta/Sigma modulation. These two functions are more noticiable on the D400 PRO than on the DO 300EX.
It may be because of the different cuircuit design, the D400 PRO having two power supplies instead of one as the DO 300EX or maybe the quality of the components used on each analogue stage, or even these three differences combined.
I'm interested in knowing what digital filters and Sound Color you owners of DACs with this AKM chipset used for listening to your music and if you change them for different kinds of music.
I use Sound Color 3 (11.2 Mhz, x256 oversampling) for Rock and Pop music, and Sound Color 4 for orchestral movie soundtracks and classical music. For some SACDs I use Sound Color 1. And for digital filter I use Super Slow.
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