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Thinking about getting a R2R DAC

Dear community,

I currently have a chord qutest DAC. I like it a lot, very full sound, accurate detailed and exciting.  However, whenever I go back to vinyl (with a well-recorded nice pressing) I find the sound so much more satisfying.  There is a warmth, yes, but there is a presence, a 'there-ness' that I just don't get with the digital.  I'm wondering if an R2R DAC would get me closer to that?  my budget would be around the same as the qutest.  I was looking at the MHDT Orchid or the Border Patrol.  Don't get me wrong, I really like the Qutest.  I am thinking of putting it in the upstairs system to pair with the Node2i I have up there.  Any thoughts?  Will analog always just be a different animal than digital?

Currently in the main system I have a Sonore uRendu feeding the Qutest which is going to a LTA MZ2 going to a Pass XA 30.5

thanks!
adam8179

Showing 4 responses by abraxalito

abraxalito
93 posts
 
When you pass the very significant ultrasonic content of a typical unfiltered or lightly filtered NOS DAC through a non linear system which all audio systems are especially at ultrasonic frequencies and with tubes, that aliases into the audible band.
Again, misuse of the word 'aliases' - the correct term would be 'intermodulates'.
abraxalito
93 posts
 
It matters not one iota what I think a thing is. Aliasing is what happens when an ADC digitizes a signal with frequencies beyond half its sample rate. Aliasing has nothing to do with DACs its entirely an ADC phenomenon.

Took a look at the IEEE link, its entirely in harmony with what I'm saying here. To wit they say :

This paper is concerned with undoing aliasing effects. Such effects arise from discretely sampling a continuous-time stochastic process.
'Sampling' is what an ADC does.
abraxalito
93 posts
 
 
NOS DACs are not accurate. They used to have wicked phase issues due to the analog filters now they just have wicked aliased harmonics.
I'd just like to point out that this is hopelessly inaccurate. The OOB (out of band) signals from a NOS DAC aren't 'aliased' rather they are images. Nor are they 'harmonics' rather their frequencies are related to the difference between the sample rate and the reproduced frequency. So for example with a 10kHz signal, the OOB component (image) will be at 34.1kHz (with RBCD : 44.1k - 10k).
abraxalito
93 posts
 
 
 The Chip based are less expensive.
Indeed - its possible to get the flavour of R2R at a very low price - try for example Lite DAC-AH, which goes for under $200. Its using the same chip (but 8X as many) as the Border Patrol but the PSU is less elaborate.
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