R2R Ladder Implementation - Chip vs Discrete

[longinc]

I am in the market for a new DAC, and am considering a R2R DAC. And have noticed 2 approaches to such DACs:

1. Using off the shelf R2R ladder chips (e.g TDA 1541, AD1862) but coupled with very expensive power supplies & output stages (using pricey transformers/chokes)
2. Using premium (pricey) discrete resistors to implement the R2R ladder network, and good power supply & output stages (but not to the extent of the former approach in terms of super premium components for the power supply and output stage)

I am sure there is a trade-off made between the 2 approaches to hit certain price points. Is there a preferred approach? In an ideal world, I would have a few of these DACs home for audition/comparison at the same time but logistically that is not feasible at this time. Would appreciate any insight from this highly knowledgeable group.

Thank you!

 

[Ian B]

I've seen a pretty close correlation between discrete R2R and good quality power and output stages. I also notice a correlation between R2R chip DACs and tubes/more colored output sections.

What I do know is that the discrete designs can usually resolve to higher bit depths, whereas the chips tend to be limited to 16 bit, or occasionally 20 bit. And there are excellent performing, well-liked DACs of both designs.

 

[JohnP]

I have an Abbas Psyche R2R DAC. It uses three tubes on the analog board and five tubes on the digital board. It uses a TDA1541A S1 DAC chip
I also owned an Aqua La Scala DAC. It uses discrete resistors to do the digital-to-analog conversion. It uses one tube for the single-ended connection and a second tube for the differential connection.
I owned both of them for awhile so I was able to compare them. I liked the Psyche better but not by much. I can see how someone would like the La Scala better. The Psyche is more open, organic and airy. The La Scala has better nuance and dynamics.
I’m not sure I can say the discrete R2R was better than a chip with R2R but both were excellent. I think the best way to know which DAC is better is to try them in your system but that isn’t always easy.