How good is ESS Sabre 9118 DAC chip?

[Lifted]

I have it on my motherboard.Currently because of my Firewire losing lock, I synced to the optical SPDIF of ESS 9118, and saw no loss of lock on my device.

It does change how the sound is...a bit. It makes it cleaner compared to Saffire Pro 40, and transients are tighter, but ultimately doesn't change the sound of my output too much. Bass is less pronounced, but everything is more tight.

How is ESS Sabre Hi-Fi 9118 DAC chip in your opinion?How does it rate in terms of ESS chips and AKM comparisons?

I usually NEVER use motherboard audio, but this time I am actually pretty impressed. Even compared to Saffire Pro 40 that I really like for its' midrange and such a deep and full low end.Sabre 9118 cleans up the transients, and cleans up the signal, but takes away low end response. Not too drastic. Like I am using 2 different DACs, but both sound unique and great.

I can't find any info on that ESS 9118 chip, and I also can't tell if it is QM or PRO version

 

[RayDunzl]

I can't find any info on that ESS 9118 chip

This?

https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ES9118_Datasheet_v0.9.pdf

 

[bogi]

I can't find any info on that ESS 9118 chip, and I also can't tell if it is QM or PRO version

The first result of query https://www.google.com/search?q=ESS+9118+datasheet
brings the datasheet document link https://www.esstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ES9118_Datasheet_v0.9.pdf
(I am curious that this 2018 document is marked on each page header as confidential but public download is available.)

 

[Trell]

Yet another thread on ESS and AKM DAC IC and what you claim to hear.

 

[Music1969]

I usually NEVER use motherboard audio, but this time I am actually pretty impressed. Even compared to Saffire Pro 40 that I really like for its' midrange and such a deep and full low end.Sabre 9118 cleans up the transients, and cleans up the signal, but takes away low end response. Not too drastic. Like I am using 2 different DACs, but both sound unique and great.

Most of the technical performance of a DAC is the analogue stage and power supply section design

There are some products with great DAC chip used, but less good measurement at the RCA/XLR output - basically the product designer stuffed up the good work of ESS and AKM

 

[DVDdoug]

A DAC doesn't affect transients. And it's very rare for a DAC to have frequency response that's not excellent (better than human hearing). I have no idea what "clean" and "tight" mean.

If there is an audible defect it's usually noise (hum, hiss, or whine in the background) but you didn't mention that.

I'm confident that you won't hear a difference in a level-matched blind ABX Test.

 

[VintageFlanker]

@Lifted why are you still here, asking for anything, after that mess:

before you started giving me sentence by sentence break down, while saying they sound the same?
"Below human audibility levels." is also some crap of a statement.

?
Don't ask questions if you don't wanna hear the answers. Especially when these come from people infinitely more knowledgeable people than you actually are.

Bye.

 

[bogi]

If there is an audible defect it's usually noise (hum, hiss, or whine in the background) but you didn't mention that.

Then you think that distortion is not a usual thing. Distortion is base source of audible differences between audio components. It is more usual than separately audible noise.

 

[Koeitje]

Depends on the implementation. Its transparant if implemented well. Same goes for AKM.

 

[fpitas]

The truth is, modern DAC chips are only as good as the surrounding circuitry. That includes the op amps, resistors, grounding etc. You should learn circuit design if that really interests you, not just peruse datasheets.

 

[fpitas]

Depends on the implementation. Its transparant if implemented well. Same goes for AKM.

Yes, this

 

[AdamG]

I have it on my motherboard.Currently because of my Firewire losing lock, I synced to the optical SPDIF of ESS 9118, and saw no loss of lock on my device.

It does change how the sound is...a bit. It makes it cleaner compared to Saffire Pro 40, and transients are tighter, but ultimately doesn't change the sound of my output too much. Bass is less pronounced, but everything is more tight.

How is ESS Sabre Hi-Fi 9118 DAC chip in your opinion?How does it rate in terms of ESS chips and AKM comparisons?

I usually NEVER use motherboard audio, but this time I am actually pretty impressed. Even compared to Saffire Pro 40 that I really like for its' midrange and such a deep and full low end.Sabre 9118 cleans up the transients, and cleans up the signal, but takes away low end response. Not too drastic. Like I am using 2 different DACs, but both sound unique and great.

I can't find any info on that ESS 9118 chip, and I also can't tell if it is QM or PRO version

This is your fourth thread where you are basically asking the same questions and also telling us that DACs are not transparent. I’m closing this thread because you either need to read more and post less or you are just here to Troll our members by asking the same question in multiple threads using slightly different terms and phrases. Your original question has been answered multiple times. You apparently don’t like the answers. The answers will not change by you asking them differently.

You are new here and we are considerably different from your regular Commercially focused Audio Forums. We are a community of Engineers, Scientists and other professionals who wish to discuss and debate actual Scientific/Engineered derived data and designs that can be verified by the application of science and measurements.

We have no Commercial Endorsements and we have no Advertising on this site. That fact alone is why we are different and it should tell you something.

We rely almost entirely on Engineering and Science. Not feelings, impressions and opinions. Science demands “proof of function and performance”. If you make any statements or observations, expect to be asked for measurements and/or data that supports your claims/positions. This specific Engineering based Forum model does not suit all visitors. I kindly suggest you do some homework and reading about who and what we are/do here. We’re not being rude or mean. And it’s not personal. We don’t go in for flowery words and fancy tales about how it feels to actually hear it. We want to know exactly how it works and how it measures. If you claim that there are just some things that can’t be measured. Your talking about Science Fiction and we have just not yet achieved the breakthrough knowledge to fully understand the experience. We don’t do Fiction here.

Think twice about the next Thread you open.