But wouldn’t that be a step down from the original 272? My understanding is it was on par with NDX.
But remember the chipset is only part of the story.
For example the CDX2, Naim DAC, NDS and CD555 also used the PCM1704K but their performances were quite different. The reconstruction filtering, isolation, clock, I2V converter, analogue low pass filter/output stage and physical construction/components are all key parts of the process independent of the converter chipset
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If it was me i would strip out the Nova power amp giving more room to work on isolating the preamp, different casework, job done. But Steve Sells does not copy other hifi designs, he is passionate about the fun of designing new circuits for hifi. So i would expect it to move Naim designs further on…not long too wait, May?
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FPGA ( i think) - programmable chips could be a solution in theory …
Schiit Audio is also using a similar approach to nDAC etc. with their “multi-bit” D/A converters which employ up to 20-bit DAC chips from Analog Devices (e.g. AD5791BRUZ). These chips were not envisioned to be used in audio, but in medical/industrial applications and therefore Schiit Audio had to develop the appropriate interface to make them work. They also implement their own digital filters using a SHARC DSP processor, so in my (naive) view there is a similarity among the principles of these devices. And of course it means that if Naim wants to find a PCM1704K replacement for future products there might be some options out there.
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My new (second hand) Allnic D5000 dac which I’ve only had a couple of days but have been enjoying it so far, although it would be still too early to give any sort of recommendation for it at this time.
It boasts user-selectable conversion of PCM files to 128 DSD by means of a 5.6MHz upsampler. User-selectable upsampling of PCM files to (mathematically related) higher PCM rates, up to 384kHz, is also supported. With S/PDIF-compliant sources, it also supports incoming digital rates of up to 192kHz, and native DSD files are processed using the DoP standard.
It’s replaced my Dac V1 which I still currently have.
I would say that the Stereophile review write up is fairly accurate to my own listening experiences however it was later sent to be bench tested and gave the worst bench test results of any product they have ever tested which was later put down to faulty tube/s.
So it has an infamous pedigree.
There was some speculation as to whether that was true or not and as a repaired unit or new replacement was never re-tested an unresolved air of mystery still surrounds it to this day.
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Yes, that’s right. The TR808 needed a supply of broken chips for its manufacture. Indeed Roland had to cease product when the chip manufacturer improved its own production and made far fewer of the precious off spec chips that Roland needed to make the TR808, which was selling well at the time.
Yep it wasn’t a chip, it was a faulty/broken bipolar junction transistor (a regular transistor) where only two of the connections were used… I have a circuit diagram somewhere.
I stand corrected, it was actually the Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi who designed the 808 and used the rejected 2SC828-R NPN transistor. (R stands for rejected) About 2 to 3 % were rejected at manufacture .
https://secretlifeofsynthesizers.com/the-strange-heart-of-the-roland-tr-808/
Hopefully in a couple of days at the Bristol Hi-Fi show, it’s time for a new DAC!
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