Wednesday morning experiment - DAC vs. DAC

I was curious to find out what influence different DACs and their implementation have on the sound signature.

Since the Cayin N6II offers a variety of different interchangeable motherboards, it is the perfect device for such an endeavor.

The C9 handles all the amplification and the N6II serves as a pure DAC/transport via the line out.

Construction

- Cayin N6II + Cayin C9 (transistor operation, 4.4 symmetrical in/out)
- Motherboards A01, A02, E02
- Empire Ears Odin IEMs




A01 - AKM 4497EQ x1 (4.4mm PO/LO used, 3.5mm PO, 3.5mm LO)

- neutral
- rather flat with good details
- slightly sharp highs
- pronounced mids
- well-controlled bass

E02 - ESS 9038Q2M x2 (4.4mm PO/LO only)

- rather neutral with a touch of warmth
- certain frequencies slightly emphasized with very good detail
- clear, soft highs
- pronounced mids, very intimate in certain recordings
- well-controlled, more pronounced, multi-layered bass with more depth than A01

A02 - AKM 4497EQ x2 (4.4mm LO used, 3.5mm LO)

- rather neutral with a touch of warmth
- certain frequencies slightly emphasized with excellent detail
- clear, silky-smooth highs
- pronounced mids, very intimate/intense in certain recordings
- very well controlled, accentuated, fine-layered bass with more depth than A01 + E02

Takeaways

The DAC used (AK/ESS) is apparently not as important as its implementation. This becomes especially clear when comparing the E02 (2xESS) and A02 (2xAK). Both are characterized by very clear and detailed reproduction, while retaining a certain warmth that lends the music gives an emotional touch.

The implementation of the AKM 4497EQ DAC in boards A01 and A02 shows that one and the same DAC can sound quite different. The The A01 sounds flatter and more neutral, while the A02 is much more musical and detailed. Naturally, the A02's circuitry is designed only as a line-out, while the A01 is a more all-rounder.

Finally, I would like to point out that I am only describing my personal impressions here. ;-)