Comparison of latest DAC chips

Hey daledeee1,

am in similar shoes as you. Have the Bluesound node 2i and am considering adding a topping d90 to the chain. Would you let me know if there was a noticeable difference in the sound when listening to Bluesound node 2i direct as against when listening through topping d90, and was that difference for the better in terms of over all sound quality? Any negatives of adding the d90?

thanks!

Hi charan11. 

I have listened to the D90 about 4 hours so far. This is the first stand alone DAC I have ever owned. 

I don't want to down play the Node 2I.  I think it is a pretty good item considering it cost me $420, 

I bought a $30 coax and plugged in the Topping into the Schiit Aegir power amp. Right out of the box it sounded better. There is a way to bypass the preamp but for now I am running it at full volume. I haven't spent much time evaluating the 6 filter settings. It has a better, wider, taller sound stage with accuracy and clarity.  Differences in placement of percussion is easily recognized.  Good tight bass, wonderful piano and vocals which I think are difficult to get right.  Bass guitar string vibrations I have never heard before.

I am kind of rusty on all this audio stuff since I just replaced my whole system in the last few months.  Oh how times have changed.  I have a kind of old school speaker set up.  Big Bob Crites boxes with horn mid and tweeter with a couple powered sub woofers There is no evidence of speaker anywhere in the listening experience.

There are several other brands to look at, most cost more.  From what I have been reading and am experiencing, value and performance is pretty high with the D90. 

Apos Audio is excellent to deal with.  I got my piece from Hong Kong is 7 calendar days.  They price matched, kept me updated, helped me with operator error, added a year warranty and have 30 day return.  They don't sell a wide variety of stuff but are good to deal with.

Thanks Daledeee1! Thats very helpful! Especially happy to hear that the DAC does a good job with vocals👍 They are always difficult to get right. 

There are R2R DACs that beat Delta Sigma DACs, and some Delta Sigma DACs that beat R2R DACs.  So it’s not so much as the technology type used but the “execution” that is different.  

However, it does seem that as you move up the food chain $, R2R DACs appears to be more prevalent as the preferred choice.

Also, as with most things tech, I’d expect better and better DAC chips will be introduced/upgraded over time.

#1 There is nothing simple about a turntable receiver and speakers. The OP must have no experience with cartridges, tonearms, turntables and phono preamps, the best of which will have an overall cost of at least 2x the best DAC. 

#2 Whoever mentioned that it's not really about the DAC chip, but about implementation, is absolutely correct. The best wolfsons and burr browns can still compete given the proper circuitry engineering. Manufacturers have put in a lot of time money and effort to develop and utilize them over time. The newer dac chips may just me more adaptable to changing times and easier/cheaper to utilize properly. Needless to say that newer chips are more future proof, hence, more practical to buy.
 
#3 My CA Azur 851N uses dual AD1955 and I'm completely happy with it as a streamer (preamp mode sucks for some reason connected straight to a power amp) but I'm researching the topping D90 vs the Node 2i for a friend so here I am. The comments about the AK4499 chip in the Topping DAC reminds me a lot about the consumer feedback on the CA Azur 851N. Lots of air, wall to wall sound, incredible staging,  punchy, not slouchy, etc. It makes me want to believe that chips with this AK4499 is superior but I'm sure its success is based much more in its implementation. I am just wondering if the bluetooth function of the topping d90 dac will work as well as vs connected to a streamer like the node 21 or azur 581n....