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Topic: Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's (Read 8268 times) previous topic - next topic
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Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #1 –
Quote from: oatmeal769 on
Test II from  THIS POST in CD-R and Audio Hardware > Audio Hardware > GOOD non-oversampling DAC?

Clip is from "Night On Bald Mountain" composed by Modest Mussorgsky

Each clip is under 30 seconds in length.



There is also an approximate 1.8 dB difference in average RMS level.

I noticed that the average RMS levels differed by amounts that were significantly different from the difference in peak values. This may indicate that one of the DACs had considerable nonlinear distorion and thus failed the criteria of being "a good DAC".

The supplied samples pretty much *have* to sound different because of the apparent RMS level mismatch.

Once I corrected for most of the level mismatch, the spectral responses were nearly identical over the range from 40 to 16 KHz, and varied only by a fraction of a dB outside that.

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Arnold B. Krueger on
There is also an approximate 1.8 dB difference in average RMS level.
I noticed that the average RMS levels differed by amounts that were significantly different from the difference in peak values. This may indicate that one of the DACs had considerable nonlinear distorion and thus failed the criteria of being "a good DAC".
The supplied samples pretty much *have* to sound different because of the apparent RMS level mismatch.
Once I corrected for most of the level mismatch, the spectral responses were nearly identical over the range from 40 to 16 KHz, and varied only by a fraction of a dB outside that.
Would you please re-post them with your changes?

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #3 –
Could you post the original sample, so that it can be seen which of the two DACs is adding distortion?

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #4 –
Progress with RMAA so far.  There are two .htm files, two .png archives, and a .jpg of the spectral analysis typical of what I saw prior to initiating the tests.
Will upload test .wav's if needed as well.

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #5 –
This is just the MoBo's onboard set-up.

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #6 –
E-Mu 1212m RMAA test using balanced to balanced at +4 dB input levels, and +10dB output settings.  There is a default RMAA test setting that does this in the E-Mu software.  Pretty handy.

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #7 –
The PSA DL-III Balanced XLR to balanced TRS, unbalanced RCA, and balanced XLR / unbalanced RCA tests.  Note the polarity differences...
Also included is the ZERO test.

These are "so far"  my next experiment is to make a 'turnaround' set of RCA cables to test polarity with just RCA connections.
 

Comparison between ZERO and PSA DL-III DAC's

Reply #8 –
Latest Attempt.  There are two files for each DAC.