Will Voltage-Out DACs Ever Be Good, Like Current-Out DACs?

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chris719,
CMOS is probably the nastiest technique you can utilize in audio. CMOS allows a high packing density and a cheap and unproblematic on-chip integration. Passive components take up much silicon space and are tricky to implement. In order to avoid a lot of headache, manufacturers do everything in their power to keep the number of the more human friendly resistors to a minimum. Obviously, it is easy to persuade the public of the superiority of modern voltage mode CMOS DAC.
 
chris719,
CMOS is probably the nastiest technique you can utilize in audio. CMOS allows a high packing density and a cheap and unproblematic on-chip integration. Passive components take up much silicon space and are tricky to implement. In order to avoid a lot of headache, manufacturers do everything in their power to keep the number of the more human friendly resistors to a minimum. Obviously, it is easy to persuade the public of the superiority of modern voltage mode CMOS DAC.

The fact is, the measured performance of newer parts are superior. Keep perpetuating your myths. I do not really care about the subjective impressions of deaf old men as a group.
 
What is your best sounding DAC ever? Not just the chip but also the implementation.

All good ones sound the same in properly done level-matched blind tests. I have owned and/or listened to the following: AD1865 (Rockna), TDA1543 (kit), PCM1738 (Channel Islands), AD1853 (Benchmark DAC1), AD1955 (Lavry), AK4396 (my own design), CS4398 (EMU 1820m), ES9018 (Anedio D1), AK4490 (RTX6001).

I think I've listened to a device with PCM1702 and someone's PCM56 Tent DAC also but can't recall.

It doesn't really matter because we won't agree on the audibility.
 
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