Yessss. When you want to use low value resistors for low noise, you need a much powerfull opamp, not OPA1612, OPA1642, etc...
Despite not personally finding that to be likely at all (unless the source was mastered to be "lifeless") - I'm pretty sure a sufficient amount of your beverage/substance of choice would resolve any deficits. Your speakers and room make all of the sound you hear - so probably best not to listen too closely to those either.It's really tempting to stick one of these infront of a Benchmark AHB2 in preamp mode. Or would this combination, be so perfect, it's ultimately lifeless.
If something is lifeless, it is your music. Just play something else.
Bluesound has digital outputs... so you wouldn't do the decoding there but in the DAC... so zero impact on the sound. If the Node 2i was used as the DAC instead... then it wouldn't (based on specs at least) be quite as transparent as this DAC... but unless they completely made up the specs it would still likely be measurably worse, but audibly indistinguishable in a blind test.Exactly . I guess with that combo, the notion of ™Source first, would come into play. Would something reasonably priced, like Bluesound Node 2i, be a dragging potential sound quality down?
Makes sense. https://hifiduino.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/es9018iv.png is a regular schematic for I/V.
I also found http://www.easyaudiokit.com/bekkan/manual/DAC9038DManual.pdf and here's a small paragraph translated via web:
"(ii) When used in current mode (part 1)
This is a pattern where voltage conversion is performed with a general IV amplifier and then differential synthesis is performed. IV Amplifier positive input side is grounded
Because it is connected to the IV amp, it will flow into the IV amplifier up to 130mA as described above. Resistance used for IV
In order to be able to withstand the power consumption of the current (47Ω R5, R12 in the figure),
I need resistance. Also, for the OP amplifier (U1, U2 in the figure) used for the IV amplifier, the output current must be 130mA or more.
It is necessary to make it a power type that can flow. It cannot be used with ordinary OP amplifiers. Discretype
Requires POWER-IV."
Bluesound has digital outputs... so you wouldn't do the decoding there but in the DAC... so zero impact on the sound.
Right, however are all digital output stages created equally? Or are there levels of implementation that audibly effect sound quality? I have no idea!
Nope, OPA551 is simply not recommended for such application, nor I/V stage, nor LPF. OPA1622 is a recommended opamp, so again...I'm puzzled.
They upsample the music ( changing the music file ) before playing it. Maybe the analog section is not perfect or the best as per amirm measurement.That seems to make no sense whatsoever. Can you explain this directly, without a handwave or analogy?
DACs - all other DACs have very large noise floor modulation, Mojo has
zero measurable noise floor modulation (I have plots at home proving
this). This is a major reason why Mojo sounds so smooth and natural.”
They upsample the music ( changing the music file ) before playing it. Maybe the analog section is not perfect or the best as per amirm measurement.
As Per Rob Watts about Mojo upsampling:
“Yes all my DAC’s up-sample to 2048 times that is at least 16 times
more than typical. What does this do? Well its not just about up-
sampling but filtering out the RF noise that is present on a digital
signal. Its essential to do this, as it gets you closer to the original
analogue signal in the ADC (and this is the DAC’s job to recover the
analogue signal not the digital data). This extensive filtering reduces
jitter sensitivity by a factor of 64, and allows the DAC to eliminate
noise floor modulation. Now this is a very important problem, as it
makes the DAC sound hard and less smooth and is a major problem with
DACs - all other DACs have very large noise floor modulation, Mojo has
zero measurable noise floor modulation (I have plots at home proving
this). This is a major reason why Mojo sounds so smooth and natural.”
They upsample the music ( changing the music file ) before playing it. Maybe the analog section is not perfect or the best as per amirm measurement.
As Per Rob Watts about Mojo upsampling:
“Yes all my DAC’s up-sample to 2048 times that is at least 16 times
more than typical. What does this do? Well its not just about up-
sampling but filtering out the RF noise that is present on a digital
signal. Its essential to do this, as it gets you closer to the original
analogue signal in the ADC (and this is the DAC’s job to recover the
analogue signal not the digital data). This extensive filtering reduces
jitter sensitivity by a factor of 64, and allows the DAC to eliminate
noise floor modulation. Now this is a very important problem, as it
makes the DAC sound hard and less smooth and is a major problem with
DACs - all other DACs have very large noise floor modulation, Mojo has
zero measurable noise floor modulation (I have plots at home proving
this). This is a major reason why Mojo sounds so smooth and natural.”
I think this is the painful truth.So absolutely measurable, contrary to what you posted.
It's painful to see someone who knows better (like Watts) spew this kind of nonsense, but I guess you do what you have to do in that market to extract dollars from the gullible.
So absolutely measurable, contrary to what you posted.
It's painful to see someone who knows better (like Watts) spew this kind of nonsense, but I guess you do what you have to do in that market to extract dollars from the gullible.
So the wonderful Chord DACs (I do think they're not rubbish, just overhyped and overpriced) need another £3.5k box to work at their best? Where does this absurdity stop?End of they day I'm not an expert but I still have to believe a 30 years DAC designer. And I don't see it difficult to believe that some different approach to up sampling will change the sound. his latest upsampler Hugo Mscaler if connect it to any DAC you will hear something almost everybody will like ( Which is only Digital to Digital ). And I will be interested to see how DAC will measure with/out M scaler considering sound change.
Unfortunately yes and it is overpriced but end of the day it sound better ( Significantly better like you listen to new version of the song) that my experience with it and even though I will not buy it even and rather invest in a better speaker for example. The point is upsampling will improve the sound and some approach seems better.So the wonderful Chord DACs (I do think they're not rubbish, just overhyped and overpriced) need another £3.5k box to work at their best? Where does this absurdity stop?