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Post by Guitar on Apr 8, 2018 6:55:21 GMT -6
That Topping DX7S looks a little more like something I would want, compared to my ideal pro audio dac in my head. Specs are good. I really like the I/O on this one. Something about it though seems a bit unrefined the more I research it. Pro Ject has a good reputation and are a well known manufacturer, so I guess I lean that way still.
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Post by Guitar on Apr 8, 2018 7:04:02 GMT -6
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Post by jimwilliams on Apr 8, 2018 15:02:43 GMT -6
There are a bunch of these cheap DACs out now. The Project S2 is an all ESS design, ESS 9038 DAC chips, ESS 9311 voltage regulators, ESS 9602 output buffer/headphone amp. Those are some pretty good parts. I ended up buying a second one because it sounds so much better than anything else I have here. The clocking is doing something good, I'm hearing words much more clearly, guitars sound better in the mids, classical recordings like the Pony Canyon Classics (using Audio Upgrades mic pre's) grab you and pull you in. Todd Garfinkle's MA Recordings sound impressive too.
When a DAC makes a Rolling Stones record sound good, something good is going on.
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Post by Johnkenn on Apr 8, 2018 16:19:50 GMT -6
I haven’t had much DA gas since getting the Symphony II...it uses the same ESS chip right?
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Post by jeromemason on Apr 8, 2018 16:37:58 GMT -6
I haven’t had much DA gas since getting the Symphony II...it uses the same ESS chip right? I believe they are still using the ES9016's in those, same as the Motu's. They have an updated chip, the ES9026 which is getting closer to the chips in all these DAC's shown in here, but, from everything I've read the new ES9038PRO is head and shoulders above the rest. This is why I was saying in another thread that I wouldn't buy any new converters or interfaces from either Apogee or Motu because I bet everything I got the next generation boxes will have the ES9038PRO's in them and also as Jim was saying, the ESS regulators as well, which are supposed to dramatically improve the clocking and accuracy of the DAC chips.
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Post by Johnkenn on Apr 8, 2018 17:23:27 GMT -6
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Post by Johnkenn on Apr 8, 2018 17:28:57 GMT -6
Wonder if the new SE uses the 9038?
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,940
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Post by ericn on Apr 8, 2018 18:03:39 GMT -6
There are a bunch of these cheap DACs out now. The Project S2 is an all ESS design, ESS 9038 DAC chips, ESS 9311 voltage regulators, ESS 9602 output buffer/headphone amp. Those are some pretty good parts. I ended up buying a second one because it sounds so much better than anything else I have here. The clocking is doing something good, I'm hearing words much more clearly, guitars sound better in the mids, classical recordings like the Pony Canyon Classics (using Audio Upgrades mic pre's) grab you and pull you in. Todd Garfinkle's MA Recordings sound impressive too. When a DAC makes a Rolling Stones record sound good, something good is going on. Or in the case of the Stones record it’s doing something very wrong in a very nice way!
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Post by BradM on Apr 9, 2018 16:24:23 GMT -6
Ah.... Yeah I definitely wanted the true dual mono. I thought maybe it was something simple like the screen and MQA stuff. Reading the specs I don't see how this things wouldn't slay most near everything you'd throw at it, in hi-fi and pro audio. I'm still blown totally away by the 100 femto on the clock, that's just nuts. I'm trying to figure out how to best mate this up with my Antelope Satori though. My Focal's have the unbalanced RCA input, but I want to go from the S2 to my Satori and it only accepts 1/4"TRS balanced. I guess just trying a pair of RCA to 1/4" TS cables and seeing if there is any noise or other issues happening. If I can't get that working it'd take me out of the game for it, which would really suck as I know I won't be finding anything in the pro-audio market that can get near that box without spending $2,500 or more. Jerome Jerome, It's not hard to interface balanced gear with unbalanced gear and not have issues. Just make yourself a cable with the proper grounding. This should help: www.rane.com/note110.htmlBrad
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lucas
New Member
Posts: 8
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Post by lucas on Apr 9, 2018 18:27:20 GMT -6
Hello there. For Symphony MKI and MKII we have always used the ES9018S DAC. The ES9016 we use in Ensemble, Elements, Quartet, etc. The SE version we recently released has the 9028PRO as DAC.
For regulation we have our own ultra low noise discrete design, that we very likely will maintain. Nothing wrong with the ESS regulator, but our own design is more flexible for different applications and more multipurpose.
Cheers, Lucas @ Apogee
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Post by guitfiddler on Apr 9, 2018 18:29:03 GMT -6
I believe they are still using the ES9016's in those, same as the Motu's. They have an updated chip, the ES9026 which is getting closer to the chips in all these DAC's shown in here, but, from everything I've read the new ES9038PRO is head and shoulders above the rest. This is why I was saying in another thread that I wouldn't buy any new converters or interfaces from either Apogee or Motu because I bet everything I got the next generation boxes will have the ES9038PRO's in them and also as Jim was saying, the ESS regulators as well, which are supposed to dramatically improve the clocking and accuracy of the DAC chips. [/quote The waiting game...Don’t want to wait much longer...maybe Apogee will offer a new card to plug in the Chassis with the updated chips?
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Post by bram on Apr 9, 2018 23:09:50 GMT -6
Any more experiences with the S2? Lot's of great reports here for the headphones, how are they sounding through your speakers?
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Post by jimwilliams on Apr 10, 2018 19:23:55 GMT -6
In the shop use an Adcom GFA 545 power amp with a pair of $299 Emotiva B1 speakers. I added .1 and a .01 InfiniCap bypass caps to the mylar tweeter cap. It's a stunning sound with those AMT tweeters.
In the TV room it's the same S2 DAC feeding an Adcom GTP 400 preamp/GFA535 combo. The speakers are the $700 top rated Emotiva T1's with Kimber 8TC speaker cable. The sound is incredible on Blue Ray. Way better sound than any theater I've ever sat in including the special screening rooms at Warner's and Paramount Pictures in Hollywood.
Now I need a better TV, the sound is a cut above the video now. So far the only drawback is ugly records still sound ugly. This DAC is no make over expert. It will reveal warts.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Apr 10, 2018 20:25:41 GMT -6
Too bad they don't make an A-D converter too.
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