The CS4398 ...

[Andrea:]

is a wonderful DAC chip. It sounds pretty much perfect!


Especially coupled with a simple one-stage buffer made with the LT1028.

[Kurt von Kubik]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

is a wonderful DAC chip. It sounds pretty much perfect!


Especially coupled with a simple one-stage buffer made with the LT1028.

The CS4398 is a cool chip, and in addition it is pretty cheap.
To make it really sing, try to pay the utmost attention to its powersupplies.
Fast series regulators for both 5 and 3,3V will improve sound.
Tha analog section can be decoupled with the best caps available with great advantage. We use these: http://www.evoxrifa.com/cap_catalog/generalp/smr.pdf with very good results.

[Andrea:]

Good information, thanks!

What opamps (if any) do you choose to pair with it? I've tried a whole lot... the LT1028 has remained my favorite so far, but there were a few more which paired very well with the CS4398.

[Kurt von Kubik]

Originally Posted by Andrea:

Good information, thanks!

What opamps (if any) do you choose to pair with it? I've tried a whole lot... the LT1028 has remained my favorite so far, but there were a few more which paired very well with the CS4398.

It is pretty hard for me to recommend any op-amp, since I do not really fancy any of them. But if I had to use op-amps myself, I´d fit in sockets, so that I could interchange them easily.
Then I´d try the most interesting ones out, and compare them to a chosen reference, for which I´d choose NE5534/5532. This is not because I think they are the best, but they are a very well known op-amps with a soundquality way better than their reputation amongst audiophiles.

As a peculiarity, it can be mentioned, that NE5534/5532 in defferent makes and versons, are almost the only op-amp used en pro gear around the world.
So everyone listening to recorded music will know them anyway

We did not use any opamps in our analog stage though, we build it completely discrete, and with all discrete power regulations, DC coupling and NFB design was also chosen.
IMHO this is much better than the op-amp solution of various reasons, but design is a lot more complicated.