In the past 2 years, I was focus on the vintage multibit DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). I think all popular vintage multibit DAC IC has been use in my DAC project built. Those built are various in many different approach for each DAC section, solely to find what is the best variation among them.
I really like the sound characteristic coming from the vintage multibit DAC. For the example a complete audio system can be optimized in the sound quality by using a better source (media player). This what I found when I was a kid playing around making my own amplifier and speakers but when the same setups are using, and then I only changed the source from cassette tape to CD player, the sound quality was improving so much. The reason was because of the CD player specification are far superior than cassette tape. That finding was shocking me and then I keep continue to do the audition from many kind CD player that they are actually sound different one to another. Lately I was aware that the good sound quality CD player are mostly depend on what DAC use inside.
The vintage multibit DAC is an old technology. The latest is Delta Sigma DAC or anything they called it Bit-stream or 1 bit DAC are comes after it. Delta Sigma DAC is intended to contend the tolerance issue and the expensive production process of the vintage multibit DAC. But it cannot deliver the music lively compare to the vintage multibit DAC that sound more like human and musical. My love to the vintage multibit DAC are simply not for any nostalgic reason at all. I tried to convinced myself about today Delta Sigma DAC are better, but again, they never satisfy me to fulfilled my listening pleasure especially for realistic music performance experience.
In this post, I will explain my experience when building vintage multibit DAC.
Hope you enjoy this post and happy reading:)
