Maybe good time for large chip makers Intel, AMD, NVIDIA to get into the audio chip business.Just imagine if ESS artificially holds back chips now that AKM will have inventory problems. Price hikes incoming?
Well, it looks like they may not be shipping these on the proposed release date due to lack of chips.
Note about shipping is changing ones every few days. When I put an order was said that unit would be shipped at the end of november. Then it changed to "unit would be delivered by middle of december. Now it says that will be ship when in stock.
So I hope that they have built some initial number of units for first orders. Otherwise If 50$ discount was to catch buyers and market investigation, we will wait forever for our units.
Maybe good time for large chip makers Intel, AMD, NVIDIA to get into the audio chip business.
It makes sense that there is a run on ESS chips as the retail business is going to shift to products based on their chip. No doubt there are middlemen who also try to corner the market as well.
Or maybe just more demand as expected for the ES9068...
And yet an analog preamp keeps -30 dB attenuation with SINAD above 100.The informed guess is that volume attenuation in the DAC is transparent, at least to reasonable levels (-30Db or so). If at max output the noise and distortion are inaudible, even assuming that they worsen linearly with the attenuation (so that a SINAD of 121 would become 91 at 30Db attenuation), which is a pessimistic approach, the effect is usually less detrimental than using a potentiometer.
The main issue with pots is not distortion or noise, and the preamp you mention has no pot .And yet an analog preamp keeps -30 dB attenuation with SINAD above 100.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ext90-preamplifier-extender.17635/post-573276
And yet an analog preamp keeps -30 dB attenuation with SINAD above 100.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ext90-preamplifier-extender.17635/post-573276
Exactly, I think we are chasing super numbers on the latest DACs, and the general consensus is assuming all analog attenuation is done by cheap and noisy pots. But when going high end, SINAD is better preserved with either with stepped attenuator or variable gain. This is significant.The main issue with pots is not distortion or noise, and the preamp you mention has no pot .
Main issue with pots is unbalance, which is far more audible than their impact on SINAD. So between DAC alone and DAC + pot, the DAC alone wins.Exactly, I think we are chasing super numbers on the latest DACs, and the general consensus is assuming all analog attenuation is done by cheap and noisy pots. But when going high end, SINAD is better preserved with either with stepped attenuator or variable gain. This is significant.
Main issue with pots is unbalance, which is far more audible than their impact on SINAD. So between DAC alone and DAC + pot, the DAC alone wins.
What I mean is that volume control is better done digital (DAC) than analog with potentiometer (most integrated and a lot of pre).Do you mean to leave all the volume control to the analogue path of the signal with integrates/pres ?.
What I mean is that volume control is better done digital (DAC) than analog with potentiometer (most integrated and a lot of pre).
Trying to get AKM chips is like trying to find Lysol during Covid.