DAC All Around Part 1 - The Playstation SCPH-1002, Old Phillips DAC & ESS9018

The next few post will be all about DAC. It is become a very important roles to the good audio system. The importance of DAC is because this is the first analog output to the next stages, which is pre-amp or amplifier until reach the speakers. That is why spending lots of money in DAC will draw back to the overall audio quality. Will not become a regret since the DAC will least almost forever in the normal condition.

Perhaps you should know in the first place that my reference in audio system is mainly using the Sony Playstation SCPH-1002 for years. To be exact is about 7 years until it broke about 3 years ago. I trying to repair it but seems it is not worth anything. It is falls again for few weeks working. At the end, the replacement should be put in the table right away. You can find my post about the Playstation here here here here and here.

Next, I find the old Meridian DAC using dual Phillips SAA7321GP is very analog and musical. This DAC is publish in early 90's and still working good until today. You can find the post here.

Another Philips based DAC is my own built TDA1543 combo with Tripath TA2024. It is good little DAC and become my favorite since then. You can find my post about it here here and here. To be honest, the sound wise is still cannot match with the Meridian DAC. So I guess I will skip the review and put the weight on the Meridian.

Then again, this imported Chinese DAC is using quite new technologies, only few years back, it is the ESS Sabre 9018. The Hi-Res audio booming in the market since the new music format comes in DSD and no wonders the new DAC also comes to accommodate it.

I have DSD music files, but it is doesn't seems a fair comparison if I am using them to test the old DAC with it. So I back to the 16 bit CD quality files, the superior WAV.

The build quality of this DAC is like a tank! All inside is already hi grade components. I have no idea what should I do for upgrade.

The line out op-amp is four LME45720 surrounding with many Wima capacitors.

The power supply also using separate between digital section and the analog section. This method make the sound fuller and improve the head-room.

Big stuff over killed capacitor even my power amp doesn't have this much.

I am never publish this DAC on my post. It is already have a good sound. The dynamic and the resolution is better than the Meridian.

If I doing the A - B test between this ESS 9018 DAC and the Meridian, they have their own weak and strong point. The Meridian is too vocal oriented with music flow calm and natural. The instruments playing flawlessly at the background similar to the Sony Playstation SCPH-1002.

Thus this ESS 9018 has more noise level but very dynamic and detail. Makes the sound stage seems larger. It is quite blur and mixed especially on lower frequency notes. But this ESS 9018 still worth to keep for DAC comparison since today audio format are mostly using FLAC, DSD, or even the latest is MQA, so I will continue another DAC to compare in the next session.

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