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The Border Patrol DAC - Maybe linearity in a DAC is bad ... Spitballing

Hi Everyone,
I've been thinking about a few things related to DAC's and how they behave and how we hear. Also thinking about a couple of audiophile comparisons I've heard and how we interpret what we hear.

Let's talk about this simple measurement called linearity.

In a DAC what we mean is that as the magnitude changes the output changes the same amount. That is, if the signal says "3 dB softer" you want to get exactly 3 dB softer output on the jacks.

And with modern, top tier DACs this is usually really good until around -90 dB where noise becomes the limiting factor.

For a long time I felt that a DAC which allowed me to hear the decay of a note, so that it fades instead of stops suddenly was the mark of a truly excellent sounding DAC.

I'm wondering if what I'm actually hearing is compression? Lack of linearity.

The reason I bring this up is that I was reading a long article about the complexities of reviewing a DAC from Border Patrol. One of the main failings, from measurements, is that it is really not linear at all. Sounds don't get softer fast enough. And ... low and behold, Herb Reichert actually makes many comments about how much more he can hear with this DAC than with others.

I'm going to link to a critique of the "scandal" so you all can get a better look:


https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/01/06/border-patrol-dac-revisited-audio-fur/


Also, take a look at the linearity charts in the original review. Honestly, awful. Not up to what we expect in state of the art DACs today, but ....


https://www.stereophile.com/content/borderpatrol-digital-analogue-converter-se-measurements

What do you all think? Do we need a compression feature in DACs so we can hear more details? That would make more sense to me than a lot of the current fad in having multiple filter types.

Best,
E

erik_squires

Showing 1 response by mac48025

mac48025's avatar
mac48025
672 posts
 
Thanks for pointing out that very interesting article by part-time audiophile, Eric.

I recently acquired and love the Border Patrol DAC SE. I find it to be the most transparent DAC I’ve owned ( previously owned Schiit Yggdrasil, PS Audio Perfectwave and Concert Fidelity DAC 040-BD) and Herb Reichert along with Scot Hull praised it for being so. Measurements are meaningless to me, I only care how a device sounds and the BP DAC SE is musical bliss. Both Herbs review and Scots article are spot on in my opinion. 

I’be never read such a review as Jons’ before. One where JA seemingly recruits Jon Iverson to confirm the DAC can’t be all that good because it didn’t perform on his test bench well and where Iverson admits to his preconceived bias from the start. Very interesting to say the least. 

Not sure if DAC’s require more compression or not to reveal more detail but whatever Gary at Border Patrol did with his DAC has it revealing things in my CD’s previously unheard yet doing so in a very “analog” manner....ie, unfatiguing and natural. 
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