I came across a website for a smallish looking European firm that makes a dac claiming these figures: Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.000029% (–131 dB) at 1 kHz, 0.000035% (–129 dB) at 20 kHz. That's top notch, to say the least. It's called a Dacgear XR+. Not expensive. Anyone got one? To send to Amir for testing?
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Are these figures real?
- Thread starter daclogic
- Start date
Oddly, they have 2 Google Site websites, the one I got via Google Search didn’t have the specs. Here is the full one:
https://sites.google.com/view/ldrpre/xr-dac?authuser=0
That shows the 2nd harmonic at 110dB below the fundamental (unless the fundamental is more than +10dB), so I don’t see how they can make that claim.
https://sites.google.com/view/ldrpre/xr-dac?authuser=0
That shows the 2nd harmonic at 110dB below the fundamental (unless the fundamental is more than +10dB), so I don’t see how they can make that claim.
- Thread Starter
- #3
Odd, isn't it, that they use that graphic. Those measurements are for SPDIF – maybe the better figures are for USB? SPDIF and USB use a different power input, in this particular design. I wonder if that accounts for the difference?
Also, I clicked on the link you posted @MZKM, and the stats are there – above the pic above the one you posted.
Also, I clicked on the link you posted @MZKM, and the stats are there – above the pic above the one you posted.
Correct, when I searched for the product, I got this page, and seemingly no way to get to the one with the specs:
https://sites.google.com/view/dacgear/xr-dac
This is because lower screen has harmonics which come from measurement equipment that has been calibrated out in the software. The numbers are real, I know because I measured them
Well, no DAC out of the ~200 that @amirm or @WolfX-700 has measured have ever gotten higher than 125dB, so hard to believe this being a hidden gem that is the best ever measured thus far. Especially when it uses the TI PCM1794A, which is itself rated at a THD of 108dB.This is because lower screen has harmonics which come from measurement equipment that has been calibrated out in the software. The numbers are real, I know because I measured them
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Agreed. There's a lot more we would need to know about the test equipment and methodology to begin to think these numbers are credible.
This statement in particular creates a lot of questions:
What does "calibrated out" mean in this case? Sounds like whatever algorithm(s) that software is using are what would be driving the results that have been posted.
It means they've used their own fudge factor to calculate a better SINAD with no actual justification for doing so.
I'm glad you asked. Calibration means that it removes influence of other components of audio chain like Scarlet 2i2 for example, by measuring THD response with DUT out of the chain. When DUT is put back, it measures only the difference DUT brings into audio chain. It's the standard measurement procedure. It's not a professional setup by any means, but as such is more likely to introduce additional noise and artifacts rather than the opposite.
Anyway, I am happy to provide a sample to Amir to do a proper measurement.
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