Apparently RME still have AKM4493EQ chips, as they claim the current RME ADI-2 Pro is. Do you think the Pro DAC is a better choice over the home hifi DAC fs, or is the design so similar it should not make any difference?
May measure well, but boy do I prefer my Lampizator Atlantic TRP! Compared them back to back, no contest.
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Yes thatās fine. There are numerous examples of preferring something that is technically/objectively worse.
Nothing wrong with person choice/preference.
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Yes, I think they kept some stock for the Pro-line. You already have ADI-2 DAC with AK4493? If so, ADI-2 Pro only gives you ADC side and AES/EBU I/O. Otherwise it should be the same.
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I recently sold my RME now that RPi4 USB input is working well
Here was my multitone.
Note my measurement methods have improved since I did this 1 or 2 years ago?
Note the 120dB SNR range of the much cheaper SMSL D-6 running in DSD Direct, I think this is DSD512
This is why I love recommending it
This is non inter harmonic multitone
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Will be interesting if the Holo Cyan2 can do better than the D-6 , at 10x price
If it is at all like other Holo DACs, it will be much better out of band / wide band performance.
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For the price difference worse performance in 20 to 100kHz region is not really acceptable to be honest (just my opinion)
I love seeing great wider band performance but higher priority for me is clean <100kHz
Then at least the T+A DAC 200 or HA 200 is better in that respect than D-6. In both ways. Plus you get relay switched resistor ladder volume control if you like to skip preamp.
Gustard A26 is pretty good too (with the updated controller firmware) if you want to look at 20k band. THD harmonics peaking around -128 dB.
Multitone is nice too.
From subjective perspective, combine A26 with ASDM7EC-light modulator and you have ābass machineā 
. Although DAC 200 has more kick in it.
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In the bass region seems less than 120dB clean ārangeā than the SMSL D-6?
But not something Iād be concerned with
More just engineering and cost to performance ratio
For me, A26 doesnāt work properly when both balanced and unbalanced outputs are connected simultaneously. So obviously they donāt have independent buffers.
With Holo Spring 3 I can connect both outputs at the same time and the performance doesnāt sufferā¦
I didnāt try what D-6 likes about having all outputs loaded simultaneously.
And regarding multitone, Spring 3 and DAC 200 are not any worse either.
P.S. RME doesnāt have issue in this respect.
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Your own plots show less than 120dB clean range for DAC 200 vs D-6?
The bass region mainly
Iām personally happy with >110dB clean range
Hopefully Cyan2 can give good all round performance
Iām a bit dubious about the AKM DSD Direct function implemented by DAC companies
If you togggle it on/off you donāt see any difference
Maybe you can see modulator noise but I definitely cannot - if it is there it is wayyy down in the weeds
So Iād like to get away from these AKMs just personally . I dont have a way to verify
D-6 is more dirty in mid and highs which it is more important than in the bass range.
Yeah, and especially the AK4191+AK4499EX is even more buggy horror than ESS chips. So DAC manufacturers have to figure out their way around the bugs. SMSL didnāt figure out yet for the new combo.
I know pretty well how DAC 200 is implemented and it is discrete implementation. Iām also quite sure I know how Holo Spring is implemented which is also discrete. I also have TEAC UD-701N which is also discrete. And Marantz SA-12SE which is also discrete. And I make distinction between discrete and chip implementations.
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Yep I can trust RME and TI/BB supported DACs because those chips only run on DSDD mode. The Rohm I can trust although I havenāt seen a good implementation yet - I tried and returned D300 within 24 hours for full refund
So Iām looking forward to Holo Cyan2
Something more affordable than previous discrete designs
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These DACs certainly sound much more different when running with same settings than you would assume from these measurement resultsā¦
So I would give those a listen if possible when choosing one.
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Yes but 120dB down all the way 20-100kHz in my measurements. Which is more than what I look for
Actually to 176kHz for me
Comparing at same levels is important.
Output impedances are important too, in relation to amp input impedance
Thereās no 2 DACs that āmeasure the sameā
I actually always measure DACs out of my headphone amp . Measuring DAC alone is boring to me and I have the tools to measure out of the headphone amp so why not.
I only use DSD with headphones listening
For speakers I use multichannel DACs in PCM , with HQP managing DRC
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I had chance to check UK availability. The Holo Spring Level 3 KTE with pre-amp module seems to be around Ā£3.5k, which is feasible with a bit of saving. The T+A DAC 200 looks to be around Ā£5400 which I think is a bit too much money for me. Obviously also interested in the Cyan2 maybe too.
This is for my main listening area, I would be using embedded, to a rpi4 with NAA installed, before going onto the DAC. Should I consider changing the NAA device at all?
Finally, has anyone measured the topping d90?
RPi4 NAA should be perfectly fine with Spring.
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Question reg your measurement of Holo Spring 3 DSD256 ASDM7EC Super.
Is the noise really below -140 dB over the entire audible spectra??? I donāt question the measurement, just what I read. Do I read it right?