What is the difference between these chips?

[Knuckledragger]

First off, I'm about as much of a DIY audio builder as I am a bronze sculptor. Secondly, I recently bought an enclosure from dsavitsk that has some parts in it that were once a DAC. Specifically, it needs a 12AX7 tube and a CS8412 chip. The tube I have already of course. I did some shopping on the 'Bay and found what I believe is the right DAC chip for $6 from a Chinese seller. The rest of the iterations mentioned in this post are strictly for academic purposes. I'm genuinely curious what the differences (if any) are.

The version I bought.

Monolithic CMOS Receiver

Low-Jitter On-Chip Clock Recovery 256x Fs Output Clock Provided

Supports:AES/EBU,IEC958.S/PDIF,&EIAJ CP-340 Professional and Consumer Formats

Extensive Error Reporting Repeat Last Sample on Error Option

On-Chip RS422 Line Receiver

Configurable Buffer Memory(CS8411)

CS8414CS for $13

Features

lSample Rates to >100 kHz

lLow-Jitter, On-Chip Clock Recovery

256xFs Output clock Provided

lSupports: AES/EBU, IEC 958, S/PDIF, &

EIAJ CP340/1201 Professional and

Consumer Formats

lExtensive Error Reporting

Repeat Last Sample on Error Option

lOn-Chip RS422 Line Receiver

lConfigurable Buffer Memory (CS8413)

lPin Compatible with CS8411 and CS8412

Description

The CS8413 and CS8414 are monolithic CMOS devices

which receive and decode audio data up to 96kHz according

to the AES/EBU, IEC958, S/PDIF, and EIAJ

CP340/1201 interface standards. The CS8413 and

CS8414 receive data from a transmission line, recover

the clock and synchronization signals, and de-multiplex

the audio and digital data. Differential or single ended inputs

can be decoded.

The CS8413 has a configurable internal buffer memory,

read through a parallel port, which may be used to buffer

channel status, auxiliary data, and/or user data.

The CS8414 de-multiplexes the channel, user, and validity

data directly to serial output pins with dedicated

output pins for the most important channel status bits.

The main difference here is that this one can speak hibit (24/96) and purports to have lower jitter. I assume that in order facilitate high bitrate playback, the rest of the digital circuit would have to support it as well?

DIR9001 to CS8412 or CS8414 Pro Version Converter Board for $70.

This is a DIR9001 to CS8412 Professional Version Converter Board, is as a replacement of CS8412 chip, can be used to upgrade for the CS8412 directly. This Converter Board has a Low-Jitter is much lower than the CS8412/CS8414, it sounds much better than the CS8412/CS8414.

The DIR9001 has a Low-Jitter : 50 ps, CS8412/8414 with >200ps Jitter

Audio Data Output Formats support: 16-Bit MSB-First, Right-Justified; 24-Bit MSB-First, Right-Justified; 24-Bit MSB-First, Left-Justified; 24-bit I2S.

Using a AM26C32 for RS422 receiver, compatible with CS8412/CS8414's RS422 Input function.

Replacement of CS8412, Pin compatible with CS8412 & CS8414 (DIP)

This is either serious business or an enabler of audiophilia nervosa. Look, it has capacitors on it!

My question is this: What are the realworld differences between these chip iterations? Is there something major I'm missing? Would there be any detectable difference in them when placed in a circuit designed to use a CS8412?

[Pars]

I used to have a Pedja Rogic NOS DAC (which morphsci has now) which used a CS8412 (DIP). I also bought a CS8414 SMD on a converter board. I did not do any serious listening tests between them, but the CS8414 provided quicker lock as well as locked on more/higher rates (24/96), so this is what I left in it. Never tried the DIR9001, but it might provide more of the same?

[jezz]

I just bought one of those CS8414 SMD-to-DIP boards because I had a DAC with a dubious CS8412. I decided on the CS8414 only because its jitter specs are better--24/96 is meaningless in my application. It works fine; I don't notice any sound quality difference between them, and I can't comment on if it locks any faster because that was the issue with the part it replaced.

I saw that DIR9001 board (there's a slightly cheaper version here), but I didn't pursue it because I couldn't tell if it was truly compatible. It seems unlikely that it has all of the original functionality the CS8412/4 has--channel status bits, frequency reporting bits, etc.

[dsavitsk]

Even if the DIR9001 "sounds" better, I'm very doubtful it will make any difference in this particular DAC.

[Knuckledragger]

The CS8412 arrived yesterday. Late last night I installed it and the first 12AX7 I could scrounge into the CAL Sigma DAC. The installation process was relatively painless. What I've observed is that the Sigma wants a good 45 seconds upon being powered up before it will do anything, but then it locks on to the SPDIF output from my Edirol USB interface with no drama at all. I've had it running most of the day today and I've observed a few things: First, the sound is quite good. In fact, other than having a slightly hotter output, I can't barely differentiate between it an my Quad 99 CDP-2. Not bad for a design originally from 1990. Of course, the similarity in sound might have more to do with me having tin ears. Secondly, it runs surprisingly cool. The 12AX7 kicks almost no heat at all.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the Sigma yet. Maybe I'll tuberoll (lie) or chip-roll (bigger lie) it. As of this writing I have ...six DACses in the house. I'm becoming Dinny writ small. In any event, this first blunder into DIY was relatively painless, even if it was essentially a training wheels session.