ES9038 DAC Overhaul: Sockets, Capacitors, Resistors (Video Included)

HL tears the ES9038 DAC down to the bones for a full hardware upgrade! In stage 1 of upgrades, I worked on the analog side of the board, replacing nearly all the stock parts, including: resistors, DIP-8 sockets, and capacitors. The results have been impressive, giving a much more reference leaning tone. (ELNA SILMIC Super Gold included)

Preview of Hardware Reviews in Progress with sAp-10 – Balanced Headphone Amp under $200 (also the Burson Play DAC/Amp)

Finally got a balanced (XLR in) headphone amp. 2.8 MHz is native DSD64 converted by DOP (DSD over PCM). This is a picture from my phone, but I wanted to get something for readers to see on the reviews in progress between this combo and the Burson Play DAC/Amp combo. I plan to focus more […]