Digital Audio at the Limit Observed DAC behavior

Digital Audio at the Limit Observed DAC behavior Bob Smith Sound. Smith Labs

Overview • Source of DAC overs List of DACs tested • DAC square wave response setup Data – square wave response • DAC inter-sample over recording setup Data – inter-sample over response

Monolithic DAC Architecture

Source of DAC overs Filter algorithms Overflow Underflow Word wrap Saturation arithmetic Power supply limits Buffer amp instability

List of DACs tested DAC mfg DAC name DAC IC mfg DAC IC id RME ADI-2 Pro AKM AK 4490 x 2 JDL Odac ESS Sabre ES 9023 x 2 Massdrop / Grace Sdac AKM AK 4452 Mousai msd 192 Wolfson 8741 Violectric V 800 Burr. Brown PCM 1792 Apple i. Phone 4 S Cirrus Logic CS 42 L 63

0 d. BFS - ADI-2 Pro

0 d. BFS - Odac

-3 d. BFS - Odac

0 d. BFS - Odac

-3 d. BFS - Odac

0 d. BFS - Sdac

-3 d. BFS - Sdac

0 d. BFS - msd 192

0 d. BFS - V 800

-3 d. BFS - V 800

0 d. BFS - V 800

-3 d. BFS - V 800

0 d. BFS - i. Phone 4 S

-3 d. BFS - i. Phone 4 S

0 d. BFS - i. Phone 4 S

-3 d. BFS - i. Phone 4 S

List of DACs tested DAC mfg DAC name DAC IC mfg DAC IC id JDL Odac ESS Sabre ES 9023 x 2 Massdrop / Grace Sdac AKM AK 4452 Mousai msd 192 Wolfson 8741 Violectric V 800 Burr. Brown PCM 1792 Apple i. Phone 4 S Cirrus Logic CS 42 L 63

craptastic - Odac

craptastic - Sdac

craptastic - msd 192

craptastic - V 800

craptastic - i. Phone 4 S

craptastic - Odac

craptastic - Sdac

craptastic - msd 192

craptastic - V 800

craptastic - i. Phone 4 S

craptastic - Odac spectrum

craptastic - Odac time domain

craptastic - Odac spectrum

timbale hit

timbale hit – section to analyze

timbale hit – section to analyze - zoom

Odac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS

Odac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS - zoom

Odac – timbale hit -3 d. BFS

Odac – timbale hit -3 d. BFS - zoom

Sdac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS

Sdac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS - zoom

Sdac – timbale hit -3 d. BFS

Sdac – timbale hit -3 d. BFS - zoom

Odac – timbale hit -3 d. BFS - zoom

Odac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS - zoom

Sdac – timbale hit 0 d. BFS - zoom

Closing thoughts • DAC behavior above -3 d. BFS varies considerably among vendors and models • Leaving headroom is more likely to result in consistent experience across DACs