![]() While R2R is not new, and in fact predates the more commonly used Delta Sigma DACs used in most modern DAPs, DARWIN is less about R2R and more about the flexibility and configurability of the system as a whole.ĭARWIN’s biggest selling point seems to be how easily it allows users to tweak the sound to their preference. ![]() I’m not sure why that particular name was chosen, or what it stands for, but I assume it’s meant to evoke the idea of evolution. The RS6 is the first in a new series of DAPs based on HiBy’s so-called ‘DARWIN’ architecture. That’s why R2R is said to sound more ‘analogue’ than Delta Sigma, because it preserves the original timing in the music, and as such comes across as more natural and effortless when we hear it. Because there is no digital modulation taking place, R2R DACs theoretically have better time response and are also far less noisy than Delta Sigma DACs (remember all that noise is digitally filtered, so you won’t hear it, but bit-for-bit, R2R is far less noisy by design). Timing is in fact where R2R DACs are said to have an audible advantage over Delta Sigma. The best Delta Sigma DACs are those that manage this process as close to the time domain of the original signal as possible. ![]() This is done up to hundreds of thousands of times per second (192,000 times for a 192kHz file, for example) and relies on a constant feedback loop for optimal performance. In contrast, a Delta Sigma DAC works entirely in the digital domain, taking a 1-bit signal input and noise shaping any errors away from the audible band. You can only imagine how difficult this was to do from an engineering perspective, considering the R2R ladder and circuitry doesn’t have the space and cooling benefits of a large desktop DAC, and also has to account for other factors like battery heat and EMI from surrounding circuits. The RS6 uses a separate linearity circuit as part of DARWIN to minimize calculation errors from the R2R ladder and ensure noise-free performance at all resolutions. By design, an R2R DAC also doesn’t have a feedback loop, so any errors need to be eliminated at source. This is even more important in a NOS array that doesn’t use signal oversampling and a digital filter to help shape the signal and remove noise from the analogue output. Most R2R DAC manufacturers struggle to match this precision level, and so need to look for other ways to compensate for the inevitable calculation errors from the DAC array. To fully realise the proper bit depth and noise-free operation of a well-implemented discrete R2R DAC, each set of resistors needs to match precisely, with a tolerance of 0.1% or less required to achieve true 10-bit output, let alone 24-bit. While the design looks simple enough, making it work well – i.e. There are other ways to package R2R DACs, as in chip-based R2R solutions from companies like Ti, who make the famous and rare Burr-Brown PCM17xx series of R2R chips found in DAPs like the Hifiman R2R2000 and the LP P6. The discrete part of discrete R2R means it looks exactly like the image above, a discrete resistor network or ladder. We can always debate the importance of the experience of using a DAP later, but in my opinion, it goes hand-in-hand with sound quality and IEM pairing. You may already be familiar with other HiBy DAPs like the R8 and R6 2020, both of which have essentially the same hardware and software platform (other than the new R2R-related stuff), in which case feel free to skim over the big chunk of the review that covers the software, and make your way to the Sound Impressions section.īut if you’re entirely new to Android DAPs in general and HiBy in particular, I encourage you to read through the Setup and Software and Personalising the RS6 sections in more detail, as I feel that’s where a large part of the value of the RS6 ‘experience’ resides. In that regard, the achievement is arguably even more impressive, because frankly, the RS6 aces both. ![]() This is a significant technical achievement given the inherent difficulty of engineering discrete R2R technology into a device the size of a deck of cards – especially considering all the other components that need to fit in alongside the actual DAC.īut overcoming technical hurdles is one thing what most DAP buyers care about is how good it sounds, and how well it performs the various tasks a modern Android DAP should be able to perform. It is the first-ever DAP built on relatively current hardware and an open Android software platform that features a fully discrete non-oversampling resistor ladder (R2R) DAC. Without pulling any punches, the HiBy RS6 heralds a new dawn for DAPs.
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