Wig, are you calling the 1704K chip outdated? Sure they are no longer produced, mostly because true ladder DAC chips were expensive to manufacture compared to cheap to make Delta-Sigma DACs. My understanding is that Saber DAC is a hybrid ladder/Delta-Sigma chip. The best CDP and DACs I've heard use the NOS ladder DACs (TDA1541, BB 1704, etc). The Saber DAC may look great on paper and sound ultra detailed, but many do not find them, well, very analogue sounding. Some of the NOS "outdated" chips are highly sought after because of their analogue sound, much like some NOS tubes. So far, my experience with new DACs using new generation chips have be a mixed bag. Many sound too sterile, too digital for my taste. But some like this sort of sound. I've heard the WFS DAC using the Saber chip and was not particularly impressed. The only new generation DAC that has me salivating is the MSB Diamond DAC. It is, however, a ladder DAC variant using aerospace grade ultra precision resistors.
Ayon CD2 is AMAZING
Guys,
Received my CD-2 on Friday and I'm still amazed and the unit has only about 20 hours. The soundstage extends beyond the boundaries of the speakers with palpable images you can almost touch. The Rega/Bryston combo is good but the CD2 is in another league. This unit captures the ambiance and nuances of the recorded venue with ease. I know layering and depth will come when the units has been run in and I'm looking forward to that day!
I'm definitely happy with my purchase
Received my CD-2 on Friday and I'm still amazed and the unit has only about 20 hours. The soundstage extends beyond the boundaries of the speakers with palpable images you can almost touch. The Rega/Bryston combo is good but the CD2 is in another league. This unit captures the ambiance and nuances of the recorded venue with ease. I know layering and depth will come when the units has been run in and I'm looking forward to that day!
I'm definitely happy with my purchase