How different is a 30 yr old DAC vs a new one ?

[DMill]

2nd bottom line - can you hear the difference between -80dB and -120dB in regular music playback?

This is a very smart question.

 

[LTig]

Oldest DAC measured here I think:

Denon DA-500 Vintage R2R DAC Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the vintage (?) Denon DA-500 DAC. It was kindly purchased by a member on the used market and drop shipped to me. Interest was to find historic products with something cool about them. In this case, it is the "alpha" processing in the DA-500 which...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Or the Arcam Black Box 3. I bought it in 1989.

The main difference is that vintage DACs support only digital formats up to 48/16. Whether one can actually hear differences in controlled tests using CDs is questionable.

 

[raif71]

Methinks you're so used to the ps dac ie burned in(to) the sound that new the DAC is quite different. You've to let yourself get some burn-in time for the new DAC.

 

[Platypus20]

Buy yourself an ADC, like the Topping E1x2 OTG, as an example, and measure the frequency response of each DAC.

You may do that by burning a CD with a REW Periodic noise test signal at 44.1kHz, 16 bits, (REW RTA set for 32kFFT), -4.4dBFS, 40s duration ("save file", from REW generator window. Sampling frequency to be set in preferences)
Also burn a white noise.

Then run it and use REW RTA to display the FFT from the ADC input, with same 32k FFT and Rectangle function.
(More details on demand.)

NB: Be ready to be disappointed. You probably won't see any difference.
You may use this to set both DACs' output level to exactly the same (+/- 0.2dB) before comparing them by ear, though.

First off I wish to thank all of those who responded

My observation were level matched the best I could with a cell phone app

I’m one of the few in this world that does not own a internet usable computer, I have a Gateway netbook running Windows 7, that only here to run the printer and the keep the LP and CD inventories. I surf the net using a first generation iPad. For the last 12-15 years of work, I installed, programmed and repaired computerized control systems on boilers, ventilation and water systems, that never actually benefited anyone but my owner’s checkbook. Went from systems that usually could be fixed with a VOM and a few hand tools, to where you need 2-3 laptops to find the problem, not fix it, find it. Repairs that use to take 1-2 hours, now were at 8-10 hour at a minimum to 2-3 days. The only real benefit was some young engineer could view (not control) the equipment operation from a cell phone. The thought of a computer having anything to do with my stereo, sends chills up my spine and not good chills. So no REW, EQ or charts.

After watching my friends multiple Toppings amp failures and my multiple SMSL DAC failures, would never consider buying any equipment that does not have a direct US based service and sales organization.

The original post was made late at night, maybe too late, I probably should kept my observations to myself and not posted anything.

 

[Doodski]

First off I wish to thank all of those who responded

My observation were level match the best I could with a cell phone app

I’m one of the few in this world that does not own a internet usable computer, I have a Gateway netbook running Windows 7, that only here to run the printer and the keep the LP and CD inventories. I surf the net using a first generation iPad. For the last 12-15 years of work, I installed, programmed and repaired computerized control systems on boilers, ventilation and water systems, that never actually benefited anyone but my owner’s checkbook. Went from systems that usually could be fixed with a VOM and a few hand tools, to where you need 2-3 laptops to find the problem, not fix it, find it. Repairs that use to take 1-2 hours, now were at 8-10 hour at a minimum to 2-3 days. The only real benefit was some young engineer could view (not control) the equipment operation from a cell phone. The thought of a computer having anything to do with my stereo, sends chills up my spine and not good chills. So no REW, EQ or charts.

After watching my friends multiple Toppings amp failures and my multiple SMSL DAC failures, would never consider buying any equipment that does not have a direct US based service and sales organization.

The original post was made late at night, maybe too late, I probably should kept my observations to myself and not posted anything.

The monitoring of equipment and sensors happened in my late life line of work too. Manufacturing oil and gas heavy wheeled and tracked equipment and vehicles. The change over was actually good for me though because I was a wiring assembler. I made the control panels, dashboards, main wire looms for huge drills and other stuff and installed sensors and I would wire the heavy equipment right from the bare flanges stage to commissioning of the gear. So for me I welcomed the new overlords monitoring my work... LoL. Their work made more work for me!