DAC expert needed

ohbythebay

ohbythebay

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So I have spoken about the DAC in my surface but not sure how to interpret the specs

This is Wolfson DAC
Audio Hubs (CODECs) | WM8962 | Wolfson Microelectronics

Just curious how good this is or is it insufficient information ?

DAC is in ORANGE SQUARE


kJPLhr5dsLNwXTAb.medium
 
The Wolfson DAC is a decent chip. But a DAC is more than the chip....its the sum of its parts.
 
Wolfson makes many DACs (typically Delta-Sigma designs). The one in your surface is optimized for use in portable electronics and as such is designed for low power consumption (leading to longer battery life). But as Mike and Mark have mentioned, as important as the DAC chipset used, is the implementation of the DAC in the circuit design and more importantly the associated analog output stage. For many designers, the hot DAC chip set du jour is the ESS Sabre 9018 and it can be found in $300 DACs and $6K+ DACs and trust me the SQ is very different among these DACs even though they all use the same DAC chip. So the DAC chip used is but one piece of the sonic outcome that you hear. How it is implemented and how it is bridged to the analog output stage and how robust that analog output stage is are the key drivers of what you hear (and ultimately how much you pay) for a DAC. Bryston for example has hit a home run with its BDA-1 and BDA-2 DACs. Bryston comes at digital from the perspective of having a core competence in amplification and building robust analog output stages (as opposed to dCS or Wadia or Esoteric or Meridian, etc... all of whom have a recognized excellence in the digital design domain). Part of the reason for Bryston DACs having gained such positive reviews for their DACs is because they have mated their DAC design with very competent analog output stage designs.
 
Makes sense...as to the sum of parts though ..I am not talking the 2w output to the onboard speakers but rather what it outputs to the 3.5 jack...and would it be different...does it bypass the DAC if you use the USB out to an external ? I would think so...so I have read..
 
The 3.5 jack is still an analog output, no? What are you connecting your Surface to?
 
ohbythebay said:
So I have spoken about the DAC in my surface but not sure how to interpret the specs

This is Wolfson DAC
Audio Hubs (CODECs) | WM8962 | Wolfson Microelectronics

Just curious how good this is or is it insufficient information ?

DAC is in ORANGE SQUARE
kJPLhr5dsLNwXTAb.medium
Click to expand...
And the Burr-Brown PCM-1704k (K grade: the best) is also a good DAC, and two per channel even better.
...Four per channel is la creme. ...More $$
(Used in combination with the PMD-200 (or 100) digital filter/HDCD decoder it works its magic digital/analog conversion.}

Also, the TI Burr-Brown PCM-1792 (or DSD-1792) is another top notch DAC.
And the ESS DACs in dual-differential or quad balanced configuration are sweet, smooth and detailed.

Some AKM DACs too are detailed all across the audio spectrum. ...And with excellent bass reproduction (tight and extended).

The Ring DAC is another great choice (Arcam, dCS). ...dCS knows how to get digital right. ...So much so that it ain't free. :)

* TIP: Look for more than a single DAC per channel if possible; it lowers the distortion level and expands the dynamic range.
...Not essential though, just generally better integration (sound quality), but not necessarily better implementation.

** Those above are my favorite DACs. ...Some Wolfson DACs are good too; smooth.

P.S. This is for your PC (tablet or laptop); don't sweat too much. :)

P.P.S. You're lucky Rob; I didn't go into deeper details (technical).

*** Another tip: Check over at PC audio forums. ...Or do you know about diyaudio?
 
ohbythebay said:
Surface goes 3.5 out to RCA L/R into my system

If I bought a good DAC, it would bypass and go USB out to the DAC to the system

Saw a good review on this also...but much pricier
Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus Review
Click to expand...

Rob...that's right. The RCA out is analog out so using the onboard DAC and the Surface's analog output stage that boosts the signal to a line-level signal (typically 2Vs). So if you were to get an outboard DAC and use the Surface's digital output (you need to make sure it has digital outs and what connection types: RCA, Toslink, USB, etc...) then the digital bits can be outputted to the outboard DAC which will have a better DAC chip set, implementation of the DAC and analog output stage than your Surface.

By the way, if you want to check out the Schiit stuff, I would definitely look at the Bifrost (not the Modi) and consider the USB upgrade for it, which will get you to the same price as the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus and both those would be very good options. Again, I would say only do this if you plan on playing CD-res or higher files because otherwise with low-res files, the ability to resolve differences between the DAC in your Surface and the outboard DAC will be limited. This is also notwithstanding Bryan's (radioactive's) comment about maybe upgrade dollars making a bigger difference for you if you wanted to consider upgrading the speakers first which I have no opinion on one way or the other.
 
Cyril...thank you...

So for my main purpose (XBOX streaming) its not really going to make a difference. Okay, kind of what I thought from prior posts and advice...but it was just an itch I was still scratching..LOL
 
Rob...it may be worth your while to test out by ordering one of these from a place with 30-day money back guarantee (or Jeff if he has similar policy). This way you can try at home and see if it actually makes a difference. I have no way of knowing except to give you my best guess but that could be way off, so I should not be definitively dismissing it as a waste of time. It may produce a difference worth your while or it may not. Only one way to find out. If you can score one of these with an in-home trial and money-back guarantee than nothing lost. Conversely, nothing ventured, nothing gained :D
 
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