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Golden days of AKM is gone

Zog

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By that topic it supposed to be more oriented about AKM chips.

Expensives DACs continues to coming out, so I don't believe the "golden days" are really over, on the contrary (IMHO).

Take for example the AK4499EQ, is just 8 months old. Developing new DAC ICs costs a lot nowdays (R&D) as it got complex enough for that, so don't think you will see a new one soon.
It pains me to say it (they are Oz) but Cray Gieseler has a reputation downunder. Gieseler use AKM chips. Also I recall some years ago disparaging any dac that did not have the latest ESS chip. The designer explained to me that when you are building to a price point then the ESS chips were expensive to buy and expensive to implement and better value for money could be had by putting resources into the power supply and elsewhere.
 

watchnerd

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Given that modern DS DAC chips, when implemented well, exhibit errors and flaws well below audibility, why do we care about any particular brand?
 

restorer-john

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In the regards to 2i2 or other Scarlett's vs EMU, you could look at Archimago's tests going back some.

The old tests were for the 2i2 first version. The new version will likely test differently.
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Zog

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It's Clay as in Clayton. I've known him since the early 90s. Really nice bloke.

Zog, Napier eh? Perreaux had their first factory there in the 1980s.
Clay it is! Chatted on SNA. Perreaux are a fine brand in my view. I have had their Eloquence Integrated in my system. A powerful amp that conveyed a sense of effortlessness. I currently have a Perreaux Phono Stage in my office. Actually I have a full rig: Technics Turntable, Perreaux VP3 phono, Ayon Preamp, ATC Power and Spendor bookshelves. Quite a few LPs scattered around too!
 

JJB70

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Given that modern DS DAC chips, when implemented well, exhibit errors and flaws well below audibility, why do we care about any particular brand?

Indeed, I think DACs were commoditised years ago. When an Apple dongle offers excellent quality and audible transparency for the price of a sandwich and digital speakers and amplifiers have on board DACs that pass without comment because they just work then I really don't know why there is such interest in DACs. I think it is harder to buy a bad DAC than a competent one. The DAC achieved technological maturity a long time ago and in some ways the efforts of parts of the high end segment to try and sell the virtues of expensive boutique DACs aren't that far removed from expensive cable and power chord sellers.
 

FrantzM

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Indeed, I think DACs were commoditised years ago. When an Apple dongle offers excellent quality and audible transparency for the price of a sandwich and digital speakers and amplifiers have on board DACs that pass without comment because they just work then I really don't know why there is such interest in DACs. I think it is harder to buy a bad DAC than a competent one. The DAC achieved technological maturity a long time ago and in some ways the efforts of parts of the high end segment to try and sell the virtues of expensive boutique DACs aren't that far removed from expensive cable and power chord sellers.

I agree with you 99.97%.

Here are my 0.03%:

Editing a bit :) :
DAC achieved technological maturity a long time ago and in some ways the efforts of parts of the high end segment to try and sell the virtues of expensive boutique DACs aren't that far removed similar to expensive cable and power chord sellers.

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I find myself oddly attracted to great engineering and technical prowesses even if I won't hear their contributions... A remnant perhaps of the audiophile mentality. The Benchmark, Matrix, Neurochrome, Toppings, Okto Research , etc ... are on my want list ...
Need list would be much cheaper but less satisfying... JDS Atom, Khardas Tone, etc
 

Kane1972

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I have an Emu 1210m PCI card for sale if anyone is interested in it.
 
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