Seeming Absence of Fullness in the Reproduction

[AVphile]

I am fortunate to have two completely different DACs in my system. One is integrated into my music streamer and is based on two ESS Sabre 9028 chips and the other is part of my preamp/processor and is based on multiple boards of discrete components. Both, to my ears, decode the entire audible frequency spectrum quite well.

However, there is a trade-off. The “ESS DAC” is extremely detailed and clearly handles the deep bass, but the lowest octave seems to be somewhat “surgically removed.” The “discreet DAC” presents a fullness/richness in its sound the other lacks, but sacrifices that “Nth” degree of accurate detail the other provides effortlessly.

I recognize this this is a high class problem, but I really would like to determine whether one is adding to the tone of the music (in a most pleasant way) or the other is subtracting from it.

Does anyone have an idea how I can do that?

 

[mep]

I am fortunate to have two completely different DACs in my system. One is integrated into my music streamer and is based on two ESS Sabre 9028 chips and the other is part of my preamp/processor and is based on multiple boards of discrete components. Both, to my ears, decode the entire audible frequency spectrum quite well.

However, there is a trade-off. The “ESS DAC” is extremely detailed and clearly handles the deep bass, but the lowest octave seems to be somewhat “surgically removed.” The “discreet DAC” presents a fullness/richness in its sound the other lacks, but sacrifices that “Nth” degree of accurate detail the other provides effortlessly.

I recognize this this is a high class problem, but I really would like to determine whether one is adding to the tone of the music (in a most pleasant way) or the other is subtracting from it.

Does anyone have an idea how I can do that?

The bolded statement is in conflict with itself. You can't say the ESS DAC clearly handles the "deep" bass, but the lowest octave seems to be surgically removed. The bottom octave is 20Hz to 40Hz. Maybe you meant to say the ESS DAC handles the mid bass spectrum, but is MIA in the bottom octave.

If you want to know if the bottom octave is really MIA, play some test tones that go down to 20Hz from a test CD and you will figure out where your bass starts rolling off and where it is completely missing.

 

[Oly]

You will also want a spectrum analyzer

 

[Mike B.]

I use a Wyrd 4 Sound 2V2 Dac using the 9038 pro DAC chips and their own DA circuits. It has excellent low frequency response. My guess would be the digital to analog circuit in your dac.