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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 takes over the entire amplification and the N6II serves as a pure DAC / transport via the line-out.
Structure
- 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 (only 4.4mm PO / LO)
- rather neutral with a touch of warmth
- certain frequencies slightly emphasized with very good Detailing
- clear, soft highs
- pronounced mids, very intimate on certain recordings
- well controlled, more pronounced, multi-layered bass with more depth than A01
A02
- rather neutral with a touch of warmth
- certain frequencies slightly emphasized with excellent attention to detail
- clear, silky smooth highs
- pronounced mids, very intimate / i ntensive for certain recordings
- very well controlled, accentuated, fine-layered bass with more depth than A01 + E02
Takeaways
The DAC (AK / ESS) used is apparently not as important as its implementation. This becomes particularly clear when you compare E02 (2xESS) and A02 (2xAK) with each other. Both are characterized by a very clear and detailed reproduction, whereby a certain warmth is retained, which gives the music an emotional touch.
The implementation of the AKM 4497EQ DAC in the boards A01 and A02 shows that a and the same DAC can sound quite different. The A01 sounds flatter and more neutral, while the A02 is much more musical and detailed. Of course, the circuit of the A02 is only implemented as a line-out, while the A01 is an all-rounder.
Finally, I would like to point out that I am only describing my personal impressions here. ;-)