Comparison of latest DAC chips

Not even analytical, a good "discrete" R2R dac is even more detailed, yet it’s airier with much more musical sense and far more body to the mids, and then there’s the unmatched bounce and slam to the music they have as well.

Sorry, but this is complete rubbish.

Some of the best dacs out there use ESS chips - Ayre, Brinkmann, Lumin, Mytek.

I've owned a "good" R2R dac - a Metrum Pavane - and the Ayre QX5, Mytek Manhattan II and Lumin X1 with their ESS chips walk all over it. And, yes, I've owned all of them.

The idea that R2R dacs have "unmatched bounce" or are more detailed is just ridiculous. The current generation of ESS chips are outstanding which is why they are used in many very high end dacs.

+1 rossb

No way do R2R DACs have more detail, analytical, measure better than Delta Sigma DACs. Some might prefer the sound of a R2R DAC for the very reason they don't have the analytical detail of Delta Sigma DACs.

The audiophile community(I know it is just my opinion) have not come to grips with the fact that the ESS9038 PRO and AK4499 have showed up in DAC that cost less than $1000 and have outstanding performance. The intent of the new AK4499 was to be used in DAC costing over $3K. We shall see. I have a Topping D90 coming. I am NOT going to spend thousands for a component. I have kept my system under control cost wise. I went to Chicago and listened to several +100K systems and came back saying my system is "close enough". It has better bass, great sound staging, is dynamic and not fatiguing to listen to. I could spend lots of money for just a little more.

The above R2R detractors, obviously have never A/B'ed their ESS delta sigma dacs (listening to PCM) compared to a good discrete R2R dac, they have no idea what they're missing.
Yes their ESS dacs will "maybe" do DSD better, but that's a maybe, But not PCM 16/44, 24/96 or DXD.

Cheers George  

The above R2R detractors, obviously have never A/B'ed their ESS delta sigma dacs (listening to PCM) compared to a good discrete R2R dac

That is completely incorrect. As I said, I have owned a very good R2R dac and a number of ESS dacs and compared them. I only listen to PCM. The R2R dac was okay on its own terms but I much preferred dacs using the current generation of ESS chips.

You are over generalising about dac chips - suggesting that the chip is the only thing which defines the sound of the dac, when many other elements of the design also come into play - the filtering, power supply and analog output stage for a start. There are good R2R dacs and good ESS dacs. The chip is only one factor of many in the final sound of the dac.
You are also making ridiculous generalisations about "R2R detractors". How can you possibly know whether "R2R detractors" have compared R2R and ESS dacs. As, I said, I have done such a comparison and I am sure that many others have as well.

And no one is suggesting that there are no good R2R dacs. Just rejecting your preposterous statement that all R2R dacs are inherently better than all ESS dacs merely because of the dac chip architecture, which is patently absurd.