DAC general question


As I understand it the actual DA function is done by a single chip. If true do all these DAC makers use custom chips or are there limited manufacturers of the chips? If so then the goodness or badness of a DAC is dependent on the circuitry around the chip.

Am I wrong?
128x128ibmjunkman

Showing 1 response by jjss49

input stage
clocking
d/a conversion (chip, fpga, or r2r ladder)
power supply (linear, switch mode, separate/combined for various stages needing power)
output stage (ic, tube, transformer, ss discrete...)
isolation (physical and electrical)

it all matters in determining what a dac sounds like