ES9018K2M vs PCM5102A "other things equal"

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dandreye

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Joined 2019
#1
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#2
Hard to say. It isn't usually that dac chip itself that mostly limits sound quality. Usually it has more to do with the implementation of all the circuitry around the dac chip. Power supplies, clocking, well laid out 4-layer PCB, high quality passive components, etc.
 
#3
No way to tell by looking, but I think I see one additional regulator perhaps on the es9018 board. There’s maybe better bulk decoupling for the output op amps on one also, but again, hard to tell without listening to them...
 
#4
Markw4:
phase:

Thanks for your replies: perhaps I should just buy them both and report back.. Over the last few years I've been sending ValdikSS's SBC-HQ/XQ at this one, which I bring home from the car on those rare days:
HIFI Bluetooth receiver Board CSR64215 4.2 Stereo Audio Bluetooth Box Car Bluetooth loudspeaker Modified Support APTX speaker|bluetooth receiver board|audio bluetooth receiver boardhifi bluetooth board - AliExpress

, so either of the 2 in question will probably do at least as good. Whether I'll be able to hear any SQ difference between all 3 on my Harman Kardon Soundsticks stereo is another question (I doubt so tbh) but it's with a different amp+speakers in mind I was asking it - a Denon PMA-355UK + a pair of hardly known RRR S90, which I use a lot while on holidays when any SQ improvement would be particularly pleasing. Coincidentally I was looking at a Topping D90 selling at GBP500 on Ebay UK today - but I'll hardly hear even 5% of its better SQ w/o a major upgrade of my amp+speakers, so thinking of something cheap now.
 
#5
That would be fascinating to know what the subjective differences would be between the two!
I’m just wondering why they made them both and hadn’t just selected one direction from the start.

I was going to suggest that you buy both, but didn’t want to sounds like a smartass. 🙂

You should know that the newer 5.0 spec Bluetooth is much improved over the 4.2, just something to consider anyways. I hadn’t noticed that before.
 
#6
I've seen some mention here that PCM5102A-based solutions are somewhat easier to implement (can't remember vs what exactly), so perhaps it was just time to market. Just a guess though.

Sadly all my BT sources are v4.x to the best of my knowledge, just hope they'll pair and play at least.

OK just ordered them both as having no backup just in case may put my summer parties at risk anyway ) Will get back after testing them. Shipping from China is quite long lately, may take quite a while.
 
#7
Well I mean the 9018 has significantly better specs than the 5102. One area where this is important is the noise floor. The 9018 should be quite a bit better in this regard. If you were using the digital attenuation, built into the DAC, as your system volume control and were using a high gain power amplifier through decently sensitive speakers then you could hear hiss with the 5102 but this would be gone with the 9018.
 
#8
5th element:

Thank you: will pay particular attention at it when testing. By trial and error with the CSR64215-based device mentioned above I figured out I tend to like the sound more when my digital source is at 100% volume rather that at a fraction of it - but distortions start for some of those sources for some reason: e.g. Samsung A3 (2016) is fine while Samsung A3 (2017) is not. Might be an SQ issue in a more recent Android in the latter one though: a lot of BT audio code changes reportedly went into 8 Oreo.
 
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