Just a had thought. Again, could be talking out of my ass. All conjecture. Could differences among the types of DACs, resistor ladder, 1-bit, multi-bit/hybrid, SABRE (who knows since no public documentation) be a result of the types of linearity errors. For resistor ladder DACs, the linearity errors would be of a certain sort. Resistors trimmed slightly off. Like bit 4 output is 16.3 (instead of perfect 2^4=16) to 32768 from bit 15 output(assumming bit 15 output is perfect). No matter what, the bit 4 output is always going to be in slight error, and consistently of that slight error.For sigma-delta, noise shaping would be used. This of course would introduce a entirely different type of linearity errors, but given how sigma-delta works, the overall error would be less. It would seem much more difficult to get the ladder DACs to be just as linear given the difficultly of precision trimming of the resistors.Now how does this correlate to what we hear? Those of you who have heard enough DACs, quality DACs that is of both kinds, know that resistor ladder and sigma-delta sound different and have different strengths. The best sigma-delta implementations sound highly detailed with sharp attacks. The best resistor ladder DACs sound smooth with natural timbre.Would in interesting to see some linearity plots (output vs. bitcode), DNL, and INL plots of both kinds. Maybe there is something. Maybe not.Maybe greater linearity = more resolving (it's true mathematically, but is it true subjectively?) Maybe linearity error plots with certain more predictable patterns = smoother more natural sound?
The DLE graph is pretty good, though.
TI DAC8581. Industrial DAC chip which could be the one used in a well known NOS DAC.It's a "16-bit" DAC. Well sort of. Look at the LSB error in the INL plot. I believe that INL error pattern is typical of ladder DACs.
Um. Wow.
Quote from: Clemmaster on October 01, 2014, 12:55:29 AMThe DLE graph is pretty good, though.Of course, it's a differential.Anyways. This DAC is scary. Scary good. It's a 20-bit ladder (with tweaks I don't understand or are unclear) DAC with better than 1 LSB accuracy.AD5791. $55 a pop at Mouser. And not because crazee audiophiles want it so Kingwa needs to buy 100s of them.This DAC chip is definitely for missiles or MRIs.