DAC nuances

By reputation, your Esoteric tilts warm.  So one modern DAC brand that leans in that direction is GoldNote.  My DS-10. which I love, uses the AK4493 chip, which has a reputation for warm, more “natural” presentation.  In some applications, Gold Note uses Burr Brown/TI chips, which also have that rep. 

Btw, generally agree with @mulveling , but the AK4399 chip in your old cd player had a 123 db snr, and in multiple parallel mode, you could add a couple db to that.  Do that was absolutely state of the art at the time, and nothing to sneeze at today! 

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. This morning an article from Headphonesy, A Compilation of 50+ Blind Tests Reveal the Only Gear Upgrades That Actually Matter was in my feed. There is section DACs included as one study. The Esoteric, Technics and Eversolo DACs all sound "good", it was the nuances between them that I found interesting. 

A good Dac is a good Dac regardless of age. Happily listening to a circa 1995 Audio Note Dac-3 Signature and it sounds fantastic. 

Blessed is the one who owns an Esoteric DAC or CD player. There’s no need to debate how good it is—it’s a device that will last a lifetime.