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DAC chips
The converter silicon behind the DAC chip column. Every figure verified against the manufacturer datasheet. Note the DNR convention: multichannel ESS parts quote three valid numbers — per-channel, stereo, and the headline mono (all-DACs-summed) figure.
| Manufacturer | Chip | Ch | DNR / ch | DNR (best, mode) | THD+N | Max PCM | Max DSD | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESS Technology | ES9039PRO | 8 | 132 dB | 140 dB (mono, 8 DACs summed) | −122 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD1024 (native) | 2022 |
| ESS Technology | ES9038PRO | 8 | 132 dB | 140 dB (mono, 8 DACs summed) | −122 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD1024 native (DSD256 DoP) | 2016 |
| ESS Technology | ES9028PRO | 8 | 129 dB | 135 dB (mono, 8 DACs summed) | −120 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD1024 native (DSD256 DoP) | 2016 |
| ESS Technology | ES9027PRO | 8 | 124 dB | 130 dB (mono, 8-ch sum-diff) | −114 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD1024 (native) | 2022 |
| ESS Technology | ES9039Q2M | 2 | 130 dB-A | 133 dB-A (mono, 2-ch summed) | −120 dB (THD −126 dB) | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD1024 | 2023 |
| ESS Technology | ES9038Q2M | 2 | 128 dB-A | 128 dB-A (no separate mono boost) | −120 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD512 native (DSD256 DoP) | 2016 |
| ESS Technology | ES9028Q2M | 2 | 129 dB-A | 129 dB-A | −120 dB | 384 kHz / 32-bit | DSD512 | 2015 |
| AKM | AK4490EQ | 2 | 120 dB | 123 dB (mono mode, L+R summed) | −112 dB | 768 kHz / 32-bit | DSD256 | 2014 |
| AKM | AK4191EQ + AK4499EXEQ | 2 | 135 dB (stereo) | 138 dB (mono mode, summed) | −124 dB | 1536 kHz / 64-bit chip-native (768/32 in products) | DSD1024 chip-native (DSD512 in products) | 2022 |
| TI / Burr-Brown | PCM1792A | 2 | 127 dB @2 Vrms | 132 dB (mono mode, both DACs) | 0.0004% (≈ −108 dB) | 192 kHz / 24-bit | DSD64 (SACD input mode) | 2004 |
Corrections vs common spec-sheet shorthand
- ▸The headline DNR of a multichannel ESS chip is the MONO, all-DACs-summed figure (ES9038PRO/ES9039PRO = 140 dB), not the per-channel (132 dB) or stereo (138 dB) number — three valid figures for the same part.
- ▸ES9038Q2M tops out at DSD512 native (a stray datasheet bullet says DSD1024 — ignore it); ES9028Q2M’s PCM ceiling is 384 kHz, half its 9038/9039 siblings.
- ▸AKM part names: the streaming/DAC market’s “AK4490REQ” is AK4490EQ (no REQ ordering code exists); “AR4499EXEQ” is AK4499EXEQ.
- ▸TI PCM1792A maxes at 192 kHz / 24-bit (not 768 kHz) and DOES support a DSD64 input mode (SACD), contrary to “DSD: none”.
Sources
- ESS Technology datasheets (ES9039PRO v0.4, ES9038PRO v3.7, ES9028PRO v3.7, ES9027PRO v0.5, ES9039Q2M v0.2.3, ES9038Q2M v1.4, ES9028Q2M v0.41) — esstech.com
- AKM AK4490 datasheet MS1648-E-03; AK4191/AK4499EXEQ datasheets — akm.com
- Texas Instruments / Burr-Brown PCM1792A datasheet — ti.com