Bill_Janssen
(Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)
22
Yes, in that ENOB is one common way to express the combined effect of noise and distortion. But it’s usually calcuated merely as a function of SINAD, without much reference to SNR. Since the SINAD value already includes noise as a factor, that’s probably acceptable.
But you know, I think that treating it as a black box is a pretty good model, and that a better SINAD (ratio of signal to noise plus distortion) is a pretty good overall measurement. A SINAD of infinity is what we’re looking for in a perfect DAC, isn’t it? Perfect accuracy means no distortion, no noise.
Topping is certainly floating my boat just now. I wanted to have a back up for my Ayre QX-5 on hand for when the Ayre goes in for an update, so just bought a D30 Pro from Amazon, on a “used, as new” deal for £239. It has all the critical items for me - USB and SPDIF inputs, a pre-amp function, XLR output and a remote. Apart from an ethernet input, that matches everything I use on the Ayre.
I have had it in place for a couple of days now, and I am deeply impressed by it. I haven’t the faintest idea about measurements, but it just works and sounds far better than merely acceptable.
Just because a DAC has good numbers does not mean the sound it produces is “accurate”, whatever that means. I find Topping DACs to be unmusical and sterile. My Holo Audio May KTE measures great and sounds totally different than a Topping…thank goodness!!!
Bill_Janssen
(Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)
25
“Accurate” in this context means that it produces the analog waveform outputs described by the digital inputs.
That’s what the numbers measure, the accuracy. A listener might not like an accurate rendering of the input, but that’s a different discussion.
Measurements of DACs simply find audible differences of digital input and analog output. The standard set of tests is very comprehensive and if two DACs pass beyond the limits of human hearing, you will have a pretty hard time distinguishing the two in a proper AB testing. Topping uses standard components and if those would have artifacts resulting in clinical or cold sound, there would be a test for it now demonstrating it. That’s why many people here say DACs are pretty much a solved problem, not the bottleneck in most audio setups, and you should pick them based on features and/or build quality and looks.
3 Likes
Bill_Janssen
(Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)
30
Or price.
The set of measurements is not scalar, either. They’re really vectors in a multi-dimensional space, where some of the dimensions are continuous, like SINAD and linearity, and others are discrete (balanced outputs, yes or no). There’s a manifold, a surface, in that space, and on one side are good-enough DACs and on the other side, not-good-enough DACs. The actual manifold is different for each of us. For instance, one person might not care about balanced outputs, so any value in that dimension suffices, while others might require them.
Spot on. I bet there are close to zero folks around who could tell a dcs Bartok from a decent Topping. While everyone can tell one speaker from another. For reasons.
Yes many do, but most also might find if it measures badly it won’t sound so good either.
bottom line is one must trust ones own ears and listening experiences. This is why people get things and sell things when they don’t like the change…and it is essentially a CHANGE more often than it doesnt sound good.
Even a new pair of glasses takes some getting used to - I have just been through this and your brain does adjust to the difference surprisingly quickly even if its step backwards there is still some brain work going on to make it seem right/better.