Abrax… are you Richard Dudley… inventor of the superb Ling dac? Or is that Kubelik?
Philips TDA1387 and TDA1545A digital-to-analog converter (DAC)
A popular misconception, especially among the DIY audio/hifi community, is that classic multi-bit digital-to-analog conversion is "superior" (both subjectively and objectively) to more-modern delta-sigma.
This debate has raged for years ...
Unfortunately, those making these claims base their opinions on highly-subjective and (more importantly) non-standardized "tests".
Potentially seeing a sales opportunity, the Chinese market has been flooded with "Philips TDA1387" SOIC DAC chips. One can readily see abundant availability by simply visiting...eBay or Alibaba/Taobao.
Prices for the 8-pin SOIC chips are not high ($2.50 - 5.00 each, plus shipping, all from China/HK sources) -- but are they genuine Philips [debate about fake Chinese TDA Philips is not new]? And even if they are real (and now avail , from China, in the thousands) -- and sooooooooooo multi-bit good!!! -- why aren't they being used by high-end mass-market manufs. (Ayre, Bryston, Classe, Bel Canto, Rega, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, NAD, etc.)?
There are also some TDA1387-based DAC+I/V kits or ready-to-go (in chassis) units, from China/Hong-Kong.
The recent (and abundant) availability of these kits, concomitant with fanboy threads on myriad DIY sites, seems a bit suspicious.The very-similar TDA1545 has proven to be quite unspectacular.
In any case, the DAC chip, by itself, is only ONE SCIENTIFIC PART OF THE DIGITAL STORY. The entire implementation (how carefully it is planned/designed and executed) is the bulk of the story. In other words, a decent (clean) power supply, pcb layout, I/V stage and output topology can make even poor-reputation 1-bit ** bitstream (or MASH) DACs sound decent. (Pejoratively stated, this is sometimes referred to as polishing a turd).
This debate has raged for years ...
Unfortunately, those making these claims base their opinions on highly-subjective and (more importantly) non-standardized "tests".
Potentially seeing a sales opportunity, the Chinese market has been flooded with "Philips TDA1387" SOIC DAC chips. One can readily see abundant availability by simply visiting...eBay or Alibaba/Taobao.
Prices for the 8-pin SOIC chips are not high ($2.50 - 5.00 each, plus shipping, all from China/HK sources) -- but are they genuine Philips [debate about fake Chinese TDA Philips is not new]? And even if they are real (and now avail , from China, in the thousands) -- and sooooooooooo multi-bit good!!! -- why aren't they being used by high-end mass-market manufs. (Ayre, Bryston, Classe, Bel Canto, Rega, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, NAD, etc.)?
There are also some TDA1387-based DAC+I/V kits or ready-to-go (in chassis) units, from China/Hong-Kong.
The recent (and abundant) availability of these kits, concomitant with fanboy threads on myriad DIY sites, seems a bit suspicious.The very-similar TDA1545 has proven to be quite unspectacular.
In any case, the DAC chip, by itself, is only ONE SCIENTIFIC PART OF THE DIGITAL STORY. The entire implementation (how carefully it is planned/designed and executed) is the bulk of the story. In other words, a decent (clean) power supply, pcb layout, I/V stage and output topology can make even poor-reputation 1-bit ** bitstream (or MASH) DACs sound decent. (Pejoratively stated, this is sometimes referred to as polishing a turd).
7 responses Add your response
Here's an example of a polished turd (via massive tweaking of power supply) using the TDA1387. HINT: The confused designer of this device seems convinced it is the multi-bit DAC (1387) that's pulling most of the weight: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5BX6gosaI6ZGYxywrxqY0by3kq4ZUuDKVKmJMSAyJUWHGd_6Y-chL6EZAysdFV1FgzbuUg=w1280 (above: PFFFTTT and LOL !! Utterly ridiculous -- even for proof-of-concept -- and entirely impractical) |
hollowman
A popular misconception, especially among the DIY audio/hifi community, is that classic multi-bit digital-to-analog conversion is "superior" (both subjectively and objectively) to more-modern delta-sigma.It's not a "misconception" if someone says they prefer a certain DAC. Preference needs no proof or justification. Some prefer chocolate to vanilla and others vie-versa, and neither side is right or wrong. This debate has raged for years ...Only for those who are compelled to debate preference. Unfortunately, those making these claims base their opinions on highly-subjective and (more importantly) non-standardized "tests".What tests have you conducted? Are you suggesting that we're allowed to express preference only after conducting what you consider a "standardized test?" ... the DAC chip, by itself, is only ONE SCIENTIFIC PART OF THE DIGITAL STORYALL CAPS is "shouting" and really isn't necessary, especially when you're stating something so glaringly obvious. |
