Idea for a AS review - Topping, Matrix, ProJect...

[mansr]

8 minutes ago, Miska said:

Ayre is certainly not pro-audio. Mytek is only niche in that respect and no ESS ADC there. RME is mixture of TI and AKM with some Cirrus Logic. MOTU gear I have is not ESS. Focusrite, Lynx, Prism, Tascam, Korg, M-Audio, nor I think Antelope or Universal Audio. And I cannot recall Apogee being either. I cannot think of many that would be ESS ADC + DAC. In fact, I have hard time thinking of anything that would have ESS ADC...

 

Focusrite stuff I have is Cirrus Logic.

There is no ESS ADC chip.

[mansr]

19 minutes ago, Miska said:

They used to have, but obviously they abandoned it, or went underground. ES9102/ES9112 or something like that. Sabre ADC.

https://pdf1.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-pdf/view/485880/ESS/ES9102.html

 

But I don't remember seeing actual products around those. Ayre used now unavailable chip model from a now defunct company and I think Merging used the same for a while.

The evolution of the ESS lineup is mildly interesting. Starting out in generic PC audio, they meandered considerably with products as diverse as modems and DVD processors. Eventually, they settled on audiophile DACs and a few supporting chips. Presumably, the profit margins were best there.