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Comparison of latest DAC chips

I own a Bluesound Node 2i which greatly improved sound after I added the Cat 6 cable.  I do not own a separate DAC but am told it would be the next step improvement.  I have done enough reading that it appears the two latest chips are the Sabre or ESS ES9038PRO and the AK4499.  The brands I have looked at are Sabaj d5($469) and a Topping D90($699).  I saw a great review on Audiocircle of the Sabaj D5 which is now a year old.  The Topping D90 is newer and I hear the build quality of the Topping as well as customer service are both better.   Other brands cost more and most don't use these new chips. 

Is there a difference in how these chips sound?  I would appreciate any comments. 
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turnbowm
353 posts
 
I was looking for an inexpensive DAC to extend the life of a Sony X303ES CD Player and the Schiit Modi 3, with its AKM 4490 DAC chip and DC-coupled output, was exactly what I was looking for. I actually like it better than the Peachtree DAC-iTx and Rega DAC-R that I briefly owned. At $99, I consider the Modi 3 a real bargain and an easy recommend.
erik_squires
15,647 posts
 
Audio Science Review is the Julian Hirsch of DACs. They fail to do science and instead bake-in confirmation bias to everything they hear.
jburidan
803 posts
 
Yeah, I wouldn't pay much attention to ASR.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
ASR recently did measurements on the Mola Mola Tambaqui and said it was  the best dac he ever tested. Bruno Putzeys chimed in on the comments as well. ASR is a source like any other.
audionoobie's avatar
audionoobie
354 posts
 

So is the Sabaj D5 a DAC giant killer? I was going to buy the Chord Qutest as an upgrade to my Mytek Liberty.

Anyone here with first hand experience with both the Sabaj D5 and Qutest?

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