CS43122 vs. AK4395 killer DAC's

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peranders

peranders

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Joined 2002
sjostromaudio.com
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Hi!

I going to upgrade my CS4328 project. When I was ready with the DAC the chip got "obsolete"! How fun is that?

Now my choices are CS43122 from Cirrus/Crystal or AK4395 from AKM. Does anyone out there have experience of these chips?

The Ak4395 has better damping 110 dB but 2 dB "worse" S/N. AK4395 is also impossible to solder for most DIY's. CS43122 is a standard SO package with 0.05 pitch, rather easy to solder. The AK-chip has 0.63 mm between the pins.... Did I mention that AKM cost half the price of Crystal?

Can anyone explain to me why AKM has NE5532/34 in their EV-board? Doesn't make sense!

http://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/akm/en/product/ak4395/ek4395.pdf
http://www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/akm/en/product/ak4395/ekd4395.pdf
http://www.cirrus.com/design/products/overview/detail.cfm?d=147
 
F

fmak

Member
Joined 2001
peranders said:
Hi!

ICan anyone explain to me why AKM has NE5532/34 in their EV-board? Doesn't make sense!

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The Japanese use it a lot, even in very high end stuff. So does Musical Fidelity. Loads of people copy this, including TACT. I think its due to the low noise. The sound sucks though.
Click to expand...
 
G

Gridstop

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Joined 2002
peranders,


Were you unable to get your hands on the CS4328?

Even if considered 'obsolete', it will sound way better than newer 1-bit DAC's (especially the newer crystal stuff).

For CD playback, the older 1-bit DACs and the Burr Brown multibits are pretty much the only way to go. I think Analog Devices has(had?) some good multibits, too.

Charlie
 
G

Gridstop

Member
Joined 2002
If you are looking for 24/192, maybe try the AD1853? I've heard pretty good things about it. I think it will sound a good deal better than the Crystal or AK units.

One caution is it is a SSOP with 0.65 mm pitch.

A comparable chip might be the Burr-Brown PCM1738, though I've never heard one. The design is very close to the AD1853.

Charlie
 
G

Gridstop

Member
Joined 2002
I have heard a couple of the newer crystal chips, and I'm pretty sure the 43122 was one of them, although it wasn't with 24/192 material. None of these chips are that great. The AKM shares the same switched-capacitor filtering that the CS chips have, and I would guess that is what is really limiting the performance of these new chips.

I'm not saying they'll sound BAD, though. They're limited in what you can get out of them. It's like having that NE5532 INSIDE the chip. You can still make it sound good, but you can never get rid of that thing.


Other than that, I would say that comparing specs like THD & S/N and such at these levels is pretty meaningless. You just have to listen to them.

If *I* had to choose, I'd go with the crystal, because I haven't heard the AKM, and while the crystal won't blow my socks off or anything, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

Charlie
 
weissi

weissi

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Joined 2002
Have that AK4395 DAC on my 0404 (heavy modified) and I must say that it sound far better than my nonOS TDA1541 (with AD797 I/V and sophisticated PSU) at least on my K271´s ... and headphones are the only reliable solution when comparing D/A´s
But then I´ve never heared the Cirrus chip...

But there´s the AK4396 already... should be better !?! although the digital filter inside isn´t as good as the 95 one...
 
weissi

weissi

Member
Joined 2002
For headphone use I find SigmaDelta D/A´s to be the better source... For some time I was also a bit biased, thinking that old multibit D/A are far better but - no, that´s definitely not true with newer D/A´s... with some electronic skills you can mod a EMU0404 to an very excellent sound source, not kidding. Seperate supplies are important though with that babies.
cheers ;-)
 
S

stefanobilliani

Member
Joined 2002
weissi said:
For headphone use I find SigmaDelta D/A´s to be the better source... For some time I was also a bit biased, thinking that old multibit D/A are far better but - no, that´s definitely not true with newer D/A´s... with some electronic skills you can mod a EMU0404 to an very excellent sound source.
cheers ;-)
Click to expand...

Very , very interesting .
I had good results with SigmaDelta (balanced) DAC to headphones too.


:)
 
weissi

weissi

Member
Joined 2002
what I miss when hearing the TDA1541 is accuracy, probably due to the use of SPDIF (and CS8412...) so lower jitter at AK4395.
No wouldn´t use another I/V conversion method- why...who knows... there are a lot of people who are able to tell the difference between OPA2134 vs OPA2604 when using a GC as amplifier... - first time I heared a difference was when I used High Speed opamps in D/A applications.
But that´s like comparing Sennheisers to AKG - propably...
 
C

carlosfm

Banned
Joined 2003
peranders said:
Can anyone explain to me why AKM has NE5532/34 in their EV-board? Doesn't make sense!
Click to expand...

P-A,

Delta-Sigma dacs with integrated I/V and filtering always look like cheap nasty things to me.
They have CMOS op-amps inside, and you are worried about NE5532/4 op-amps on the outputs?

The already suggested PCM1798 may be a good choice, and the AD1955 too.

Or the AD1862. :D
 
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