Ess Sabre Dacs

Charles thanks for the kind words ... I've also enjoyed good success with Buffering the output of SS players that use chip Op amps with an inexpensive outboard SS Buffer

These are 1 to 1 gain amps that maintain voltage while increasing amps ... I think they call them Current Dividing Buffers ... they can also help in lowering Tube based players high output impedance .... these buffers will lower it

The Buffer takes the respondsibility of driving the interconects off the Op amps ...

Because the load on the Op amp is less and more stable ...

They don't overload when a demanding passage comes along driving the negative feedback loop into oscillation

The player I use is a Ayre D1xe ... Class A no neg F/B FET analog out and an external power supply with Galvanic isolation between audio and video ... inductor choke input as well as caps for common and diff mode nose at the IEC

The dacs on the Ayre are seldom used multi bit ladder dac style ... 1704K Burr Brown ...

@Daverhab: Great post! Yes, the power supply is VERY important. One of the best DACs I've ever heard was the Altmann Attraction (battery powered). That DAC allows the music to flow.

Krell is also using Sabre chips in their Processors, which contain DAC functionality among other features. Unfortunately, Krell does not produce dedicated external DACs ...

my review of this dac appears on audiophilia.com. i welcome any feedback.

i may sell my ps audio perfect wave tdac, but i shall try a copper hdmi cable before taking such action.

it is a great product. i have experimented with digital cable and don't hear huge differences between, coax, xlr and toslink.