Mmm Phillips Double Crown Dac Chips are in

[Icarium]

What's your experience with them? You've heard the double crown in action? I mean even Filburt hasn't heard it himself, though he theorizes quite logically that it shouldn't sound that much different since he's heard other hyped/normal variations of other chips and noted there to be very little difference. So while I find it totally believable that it may not sound all that different... but have you actually heard it? I haven't so I'm investing. Might be a waste of money but it wouldn't be the first or last time.

[Nanoha]

Probably not the double crowned version, but the I've heard the TDA1541 in CD players (Phillips CD820 and Marantz CD-80). Of course, there is a difference between CD players with a DAC chip and a standalone DAC with that chip. Even though I've heard them in the house, I wouldn't say that my experience is enough and my opinion is worthy. They're just not as good as people are led to believe.

[grawk]

The short answer is yes, it does help. The long answer involves a lot of math which I don't understand anymore, as I've been out of university too long and my Calculus is pretty damn rusty.

The Long Answer (PDF File)

Try as I might, I can't hear calculus. I have to judge how things sound by listening to them.

[Icarium]

Yeah that's fine. The DAC design is pretty cool to and asebastian is going to probably at least swap out the opamp output stage for either a pass labs designed discrete output stage or mod it to use a superior opamp that Filburt recmomended. Either way though I'll probably mostly use the tubed output stage. I still have high hopes for this sucker.. I think whether or not the chips are normal TDA1541s or double crown it mayyy sound pretty similar but the design is pretty badass.

[aerius]

Try as I might, I can't hear calculus. I have to judge how things sound by listening to them.

Well, based on actual listening, the 20-bit PCM1702 in Biggie's CD player sounds better than the 18-bit PCM1700 in my modded Denon CDP, and the 24-bit PCM1704 in the Simaudio Eclipse sounds better yet.

[Nanoha]

Well, based on actual listening, the 20-bit PCM1702 in Biggie's CD player sounds better than the 18-bit PCM1700 in my modded Denon CDP, and the 24-bit PCM1704 in the Simaudio Eclipse sounds better yet.

Haha, but that is just improvements within the same school of thought.

[philodox]

Ummm... but there is a LOT of other stuff that is different about your CD player and Biggies, no? And I would think that the Simaudio Eclipse is significantly different than a modded TEAC.

[Icarium]

Yeah it's not all about the chip itself, obviously implementation plays a huge role as well ;p Sooo its tough to say if the differences you are hearing are all due to the change in bits.

[en480c4]

I know I like 1702s in my Denon DA-500... My DVM-4800 has the 1704s, and while I remember it as a big jump up from the DCM-560 with the 1700s, I have't compared it to the DA-500 yet.