Please help to my choice

[Rock9]

Hi people I hope Im in right place to my question.

I will buy a new dac to my smartphone. I like big soundstage and neutral detailed sound.
My candidates:

1- Ifi nano black label (Burr-brown? Chip)

2- Any dac with 2 cirrus 43131 chips and 2 opamp chips)

3- Any dac with single Ess Sabre 9038Q2M chip.

Im thinking to upgrade my cable to balanced cable. 2 chips will be amazing to do that?
Im listening mostly soundtracks and orchestral.
My headphones sennheiser ie100 pro and hd 280 pro. Thanks bros.

 

[bachatero]

You'll do great with any of those options due to those DACs being so good that they all sound the same. Therefore, see which one is the cheapest and most convenient, and pick that one and breathe easy.

 

[Rock9]

You'll do great with any of those options due to those DACs being so good that they all sound the same. Therefore, see which one is the cheapest and most convenient, and pick that one and breathe easy.

Really? Have you ever tried dac's like those?

 

[Chrispy]

Really? Have you ever tried dac's like those?

What makes you think the dac will make a difference? Why would cabling particularly improve things? Have you spent much time reading existing threads at this site?

 

[bachatero]

I've never tried DACs like those. However, I have tried lesser versions with fancy headphones in a quiet environment, and I couldn't tell the difference. Consider that the reason for that is likely due to the SINAD of all but the worst of the worst DACs today is enough to be basically perfect for everything unless your music is as loud as a jet engine. Therefore, you can breathe easy knowing that you're in good hands no matter which of those options you choose.

 

[TurtlePaul]

I have a MiniDSP with a TI (Burr Brown) DAC. I have a JDS DAC with the ESS Sabre. They all sound the same.

If you are using an iphone, just get the Apple branded dongle for $10.

Please don’t spend as much on your dongle as your headphones. It is a waste. The physical transducers have more than 10x the frequency response errors and distortion ad the electronics, so spend the money where it matters.

 

[Rock9]

I have a MiniDSP with a TI (Burr Brown) DAC. I have a JDS DAC with the ESS Sabre. They all sound the same.

If you are using an iphone, just get the Apple branded dongle for $10.

Please don’t spend as much on your dongle as your headphones. It is a waste. The physical transducers have more than 10x the frequency response errors and distortion ad the electronics, so spend the money where it matters.

Thanks. You mean headphones most importand thing for sound quality?

 

[bachatero]

Speaker quality is the most important thing, and headphones can get you very good quality for cheap.

 

[Rock9]

What makes you think the dac will make a difference? Why would cabling particularly improve things? Have you spent much time reading existing threads at this site?

This site or anothers people say mostly "sabre, akm, burr brown or cirrus logic brands makes sound different." and I want to choice best for myself. Im using sabre 9218p dac and its 6 years old. Brands products new chips everyday. And I think this is something remarkable.
Am I thinking wrong?

 

[TurtlePaul]

Thanks. You mean headphones most importand thing for sound quality?

Yes, the transducers (headphones or speakers) sound orders of magnitude different relative to electronics which sound the same (or very nearly so). In blind test people have trouble distinguishing the DACs but can always identify their preferred speakers or headphones.

 

[Rock9]

Yes, the transducers (headphones or speakers) sound orders of magnitude different relative to electronics which sound the same (or very nearly so). In blind test people have trouble distinguishing the DACs but can always identify their preferred speakers or headphones.

Thanks for information.

 

[Chrispy]

This site or anothers people say mostly "sabre, akm, burr brown or cirrus logic brands makes sound different." and I want to choice best for myself. Im using sabre 9218p dac and its 6 years old. Brands products new chips everyday. And I think this is something remarkable.
Am I thinking wrong?

Haven't seen anyone prove such claims as to chip involved particularly. Some small differences in the entire chain involved are possible but generally not important. I think your current dac is just fine. Newer chips can have higher capabilities and better measurements, yes....but an actual listening difference is not likely.

 

[bachatero]

go put that saved moolah of yours in an investment account!

 

[Roland68]

Hi people I hope Im in right place to my question.

I will buy a new dac to my smartphone. I like big soundstage and neutral detailed sound.
My candidates:

1- Ifi nano black label (Burr-brown? Chip)

2- Any dac with 2 cirrus 43131 chips and 2 opamp chips)

3- Any dac with single Ess Sabre 9038Q2M chip.

Im thinking to upgrade my cable to balanced cable. 2 chips will be amazing to do that?
Im listening mostly soundtracks and orchestral.
My headphones sennheiser ie100 pro and hd 280 pro. Thanks bros.

Currently I would choose a Topping G5 or a TANCHJIM Space, both tested here on ASR.
A Fiio Q5/Q5s or Topping NX4 DSD from the used market are also in my selection.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

This site or anothers people say mostly "sabre, akm, burr brown or cirrus logic brands makes sound different." and I want to choice best for myself. Im using sabre 9218p dac and its 6 years old. Brands products new chips everyday. And I think this is something remarkable.
Am I thinking wrong?

No. This site proved many times over that there is no audible difference between these chips. It is all hearsay and audiophile myth. Utter nonsense to be frank. Ask for facts from anyone claiming the opposite and not just anecdotes.

Headphones (speakers) and EQ influence sound by many orders of magnitude more than electronics.

And nowadays those IEMs offer very nice Harman compliance plus low distortion so you can EQ them to your preference. All at very low price. Many have been reviewed here as well.

So don’t be fooled by people wanting your money and telling you stories.

 

[voodooless]

The only reason to buy a new dongle is if the old one doesn’t play loud enough.

You may be better off with a new set of Earbuds:

TANCHJIM One IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Tanchjim One In-ear Monitor. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $27. Unlike many of its competitors, the ONE doesn't attempt to look like fake jewelry and instead, conveys a modern and stylistic design. The...

www.audiosciencereview.com

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99. The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring...

www.audiosciencereview.com

7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the 7Hz Salnotes Zero IEM. It was kindly donated by a member and costs US $22 ($20 on Amazon now). The molded plastic looks cheep and the left and right markings barely visible. The included tip was extra soft/thin which may be a...

www.audiosciencereview.com

There are all (close to) reference quality, don’t need a lot of power and cost less than a 2-person visit to McDonalds

 

[antcollinet]

This site or anothers people say mostly "sabre, akm, burr brown or cirrus logic brands makes sound different." and I want to choice best for myself. Im using sabre 9218p dac and its 6 years old. Brands products new chips everyday. And I think this is something remarkable.
Am I thinking wrong?

Yes, really you are thinking wrong.

Dac design has been a solved problem for at least 10 years - in fact more like 20. Newer models with better measurements keep coming out - but it is only a measured improvement. We have long gone past the point where we are able to hear those improvements (DACS from years ago were already audibly perfect).

And the DAC chip is not the important part anyway. What is importent is the quality of the design that is built around the chip. This is why this site measures complete DAC components, and not DAC chips.

If you tell us which specific DAC (manufaturer/model) you are currently using we might be able to look up some measurements for you to confirm if it is likely you can get a sound improvement by changing. Most likely you will not.

Instead save your money for better headphones if you really think you need better sound. Changing your electronics won't deliver that.

 

[Rock9]

Yes, really you are thinking wrong.

Dac design has been a solved problem for at least 10 years - in fact more like 20. Newer models with better measurements keep coming out - but it is only a measured improvement. We have long gone past the point where we are able to hear those improvements (DACS from years ago were already audibly perfect).

And the DAC chip is not the important part anyway. What is importent is the quality of the design that is built around the chip. This is why this site measures complete DAC components, and not DAC chips.

If you tell us which specific DAC (manufaturer/model) you are currently using we might be able to look up some measurements for you to confirm if it is likely you can get a sound improvement by changing. Most likely you will not.

Instead save your money for better headphones if you really think you need better sound. Changing your electronics won't deliver that.

Thanks. Im currently using LG v30 smartphone and its uses Ess Sabre 9218p. In headfi forum they say this is economized dac. For less energy consumption. Im thinking ifi nano black label. But I want to make my cable swap to balanced.
There is no sound quality change or stage wideness when balanced?
4.4mm and 2 dac chip make no difference? They are only marketing thing?

 

[bachatero]

4.4mm and 2 dac chip make no difference? They are only marketing thing?

those who make a huge deal out of a high end DAC being better than a slightly less high end one are largely fueled by FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

unfortunately, humans are very susceptible to FUD, which is why marketers use it so much.

fortunately, you won't need to worry about this because even "average" DACs are perfectly fine unless you're doing something specific which requires something specifically better.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Thanks. Im currently using LG v30 smartphone and its uses Ess Sabre 9218p. In headfi forum they say this is economized dac. For less energy consumption. Im thinking ifi nano black label. But I want to make my cable swap to balanced.
There is no sound quality change or stage wideness when balanced?
4.4mm and 2 dac chip make no difference? They are only marketing thing?

No. No Difference. See our comments and explanations above.