Anybody using the new ESS Vout DAC (ES9022)?

[woodturner-fran]

Enjoying it as I type.... Lucinda Williams is entertaining me at the moment...........

[EUVL]

You are lucky in that you have another solution with the same chip set. So it is a direct comparison between implementations.

I am of course interested in your comparison with the other solutions you have on hand, especially the ES9008 or ES9018.

A pity that you are still on a 2-clock solution (Shigaclone is on a difference clock) with SPDIF and a PLL in between.
Maybe you could borrow a QA550 from your neighbour and try a one-clock solution one day.




Patrick

[jonners]

Originally Posted by woodturner-fran

The other thing I forgot to mention above was that the dac also presents vocals differently - they move forward in the soundstage. I know it seems strange but I tried several different cds and found the same thing.

I found the same thing - not just with voices but instruments too. When compared to my NOS TDA1541A, the images with the 9022 seem to come slightly forward and out of the ambient acoustic. Helps when listening at low levels.
Btw I'm using a EUVL 9022 with an on-board clock that also feeds my QA550. I like the sound a lot.

[EUVL]

Fran is using my ES9022 also with on-board clock (48MHz) to feed the WM8804 SPDIF receiver.
BUT he has another 16MHz clock at the source (Shigaclone).
And there is a PLL at the input to the WM8804.

You should try using separate supplies for the QA550, ES9022 Xo and ES9022 DAC one of these days.
Another level of improvement.


Patrick

[jonners]

Originally Posted by EUVL

You should try using separate supplies for the QA550, ES9022 Xo and ES9022 DAC one of these days.
Another level of improvement.


Patrick

Yes - I have tried battery supplies as you suggested, and I agree.

John

[EUVL]

I am very glad that you both like the sound.

: )


Patrick

[woodturner-fran]

Maybe you could borrow a QA550 from your neighbour and try a one-clock solution one day.

Hopefully over this weekend!

I also plan on comparing with the buffalo and the audiosector NOS one. The audiosector has proved pretty tough to beat in the past- its survived many tryers!

I already know that it pretty much knocks the pass D1 out of the water - and I always liked that DAC


Fran

[EUVL]

> Hopefully over this weekend!

That is not what I meant.

I meant you should try something like jonners has -- a ES9022 module with a 45.1584MHz XO, divied by 4 to drive the QA550 (remove the original TCXO from the 550) via I2S. Not QA550 via SPDIF. No advantage there.


Patrick

[woodturner-fran]

Ah, fair enough.

I wouldn't mind having a look at the QA550 anyway - but if I recall rightly, the interface is not exactly user friendly....

Fran

[EUVL]

Talk to jonners. (Don't just take me word....)




Patrick