Audio interfaces and their AD/DA chips LISTED

[Chagalj]

There has been alot of talk about importance of conversion in recording chain, and lots of people want to know which AD/DA chip some interface is using, especially when something new comes up: "I wonder if they have put new converters in it?".
As if you would notice...
Not me, for sure. But I have found time to collect some lists from different forums and decided to put them here, dont think there is one yet.
This list is UNCOFIRMED and everyone is free to correct me if some information is wrong. Also, It would be great to add more devices here, there are alot missing. I will update as soon as I can.

But few notions before everyone starts comparing:

* analog circuitry surrounding the chip has just as much, if not more influence on converter performance
* specifications regarding SNR, THD, THD+N and other signal corrupted by noise values or digital dynamic range values in interface manuals are often misleading, cause many interface companies quote figures from the datasheets they receive from the manufacturers of the AD/DA chips (difference can be as much as 12 dB dynamic range, with a chip's DAC performance measured at 114 dB outside of the box, and 102dB inside the box)
*

Originally Posted by Faderjockey

But like already said..The analog in and out paths and clocks, power supplies are different and each of these units will have there own sound.

*

Originally Posted by Enlightened Hand

It says virtually nothing about why a unit costs anything. It says virtually nothing about the quality of the unit. So really what does it say that is of actual use to an end consumer?

*

Originally Posted by Enlightened Hand

Knowing you have a MOTU converter box, for example, with X converter chip is not a clear explanation of all of the particulars involved with that converter. We know nothing of the PLL, we know nothing of the noise suppression techniques employed, we know nothing of the filtering, the clocking, the circuit layout, the objectives and methodology of the evaluator when they are determining what to publish as specs, etc...

ALESIS
IO|26 CS5361

ALLEN&HEATH
R16 AD CS5368 DA Burr-Brown PCM1404 Main I/O CS4271

APOGEE
Ensemble CS4272
DUET: CS4272/MICPRE TI PGA2500/ 1394AUDIO Oxfw971
AD8000SE: A/D:AKM AK5391; D/A: Analog Devices AD1851
Rosetta 200: A/D:CS5361 D/A: Analog Devices AD1852
MiniDAC:AD1955 ARS
MiniMe: A/D AKM 5380VT, D/A (monitoring) AKM 4380VT
AD-16X DAC CS4398 ADC CS5381 or CS5361

ART
Tube Fire8: adc-AK5384; dac-AK4358

BENCHMARK
DAC1: D/A: Analog Devices AD1853 5532 opamp

BEHRINGER
SRC2496:AKM AK5393 AK4393 JRC 458

DIGIDESIGN
192 I/O PTHD: A/D:AKM AK5394A; D/A: AKM AK4394
001 CS4223 CS4223 OPAMP - TL074
002R: A/D:AKM AK5383vs D/A: AKM AK4393vs
003 A/D CS5381 CS5361 D/A CS4392
MBox AK5383 AK5383 TAS1020
MBox2 Mini: ADC - CS5361

ECLER
EVO5: A/D CS5366-CQZ and D/A CS4385

ECHO AUDIO
Indigo DJx - AK4396
Indigo IOx - AK4620B
Indigo DJx - AK4396
Indigo IOx - AK4620B
AudioFire 2 (Newer models) - AK4620B
AudioFire 2 (Older models) - AK4620A
AudioFire 4 (Newer models) - AK4620B
AudioFire 4 (Older models) - AK4620A
AudioFire 8 - CS4272
AudioFire 8a (Newer model w/ ADAT) - AK4620B
AudioFire Pre8 - AK4620B
AudioFire 12 (Newer models: FireWire ports' beveled edges pointing down) - AK4620B
AudioFire 12 (Older models: FireWire ports' beveled edges pointing up) - CS4272
Layla3G - CS4272
Gina3G - CS42426
Echo Gina24 A/D AK4393 D/A AK5383
Indigo dj - CS4392
Indigo i/o - CS4272
MiaMIDI - AK4528

EGO Systems/ESI
ESU1808 Akm Ak5384 ADC Akm Ak4358vq
MAXIO EX8K: A/D:AKM AK5394A; D/A: AKM AK4395
MaXiO 032e AK5394, AK4395
Juli@: A/D:AKM AK5385A; D/A: AKM AK4358

E-MU Systems
0202 USB: CS4392 AK5385m
0404 USB AK5385a AK4396
TRACKER PRE AK5385, CS4392
0404: PCM1804 AKM AK4395
1820: PCM1804 CS4392
1212m AK5394 CS4398
1616m AK5394 CS4398
1820M AK5394A CS4398 JRC2068

FOCUSRITE
Saffire CS42428-CQ
Saffire LE CS42432-DMZ
Saffire 6 USB CS4272
Platinum 8 OctoPre AKM5383 AKM5383
Saffire Pro CS4272
Liquid Saffire 56 CS4272

KRK
Ergo A/D AK4620 D/A AK4396 ASRC AK4122

LEXICON
fw810s CS4272-CZZ CS42426 dbx TypeIV

LINE 6
TonePort/Studio UX1/UX2 : AK4528
TonePort UX8 : CS4272
Pod X3 : CS4272

LUCID
AD9624 A/D:CS5396
DA9624 D/A:CS5396
ADA8824: A/D:AKM AK5392; D/A: AKM AK4324

LYNX Studio
TWO/L22: A/D:AKM AK5394A; D/A: Cirrus Logic CS4396
AES16?AK4114x8
AES16-SRC?AK4114x8?AD1896x4
AURORA CS5381

MACKIE
FIREWIRE CARD ONYX A/D AK5384 D/A AK4528
ONYX 400/F 1200F A/D AK5385 D/A AK4358

M-AUDIO
Audiophile 192 AKM AK5385A AK4358
Audiophile 2496 AK4528VF AK4528VF CS8427
Delta44 & 66 AK4524
Delta1010 A/D AK5383 D/A AK4393
ProjectMix A/D AK5381 D/A AK4358
Firewire Solo ADC AK5357?DAC AK4381
Firewire 410 : Envy24 HT, AK4355/AK4381, AK5380
FireWire 1814 Input 1&2 A/D AK5385A, Ins 3-8 A/D AK5381, D/A AK4358
Profire 610, 2626: AK4620

MOTU
MOTU 828 AK4321VF CS4223-KS OPAMPS - 4580
MOTU 828 Mk2 AK4528*8/AK4382 DAC for main outs
MOTU 2408 mk3 AKM AK4528VF
MOTU 828mk3 TI PGA2500,CS5364 8in CS5368, volume CS3308 8out AK4358 AK4382 MAIN AK4396
MOTU 8pre AK5385 AK4382
MOTU HD192 AK5394
MOTU 896HD AKM 5385
Motu Ultralite: AK4620AVF
Motu Traveller: A/D AK5385AVS, sorry no info for D/a

METRIC HALO

Mobile I/O 2882?DSP A/D AK5383 D/A AK4393
ULN2: A/D is the AKM 5383 and D/A is the AKM 4393
ULN8 AKM 5394 AKM 4395
Lio-8 AD AK5394 DA AK4395
MYTEK
8X96:ADC - CS5396 (or CS8427?) DAC - CS5396
Stereo192 ADC - AKM 5394A
8x192 AD Burr Brown PCM4202 DA Analog Devices ad1955


KRK
Ergo DAC AKM4396

NOVATION
nio 2 | 4(CS4272,AK4394)

PRESONUS
Presonus Firebox ADC:AKM AK5384 DAC: AKM AK4358/ST Micro MC33078,33079
PreSonus FireStudio 26in26out(8in8out)AK5384 AK4358?
PreSonus FIREPOD 10in10out(8in8out) AK5384 AK4358?
MSR (monitor studio remote) for Presonus FireStudio WM8590GEDS
Presonus Firestudio Mobile AD PCM4204 DA PCM4104

PRISMSOUND
Orpheus A/D CS5381 D/A CS4398, Mic pre PGA2500, Line ins OPA2134, Line outs venerable 5532 (TI ver), Headphone out OPA2134
DA-2 TDA 1547
ADA-8XR AKM AK4395

RME
RME ADI-2: A/D:AKM AK5385 D/A: AKM AK4395
RME ADI-8: A/D AK5392 D/A AD1852
RME ADI-8 DS: A/D:AKM AK5393A; D/A: Analog Devices AD1852
RME Digi96/8 PST/PAD: A/D AK5383 D/A Analog Devices AD1852
RME HDSP 9632: A/D:AKM AK5385A; D/A: Analog Devices AD1852
RME HDSPe AIO ADC - CS5361 DAC - AD1852
RME FIREFACE 800 A/D AK5385 D/A AK4395(AK4396 since March 2005)
RME FIREFACE 400 A/D D/A AK4620A
RME FIREFACE UFX A/D CS5368 D/A PCM4104
RME Multiface 1: A/D D/A AK4528VF
RME Multiface 2: A/D D/A AK4620A

ROLAND
Edirol UA-101 USB 2.0 A/D CS5340 D/A AKM 4385
EDIROL UA-25 DAC AK4385 ADC AK5381 DAI AK4114?USB TUSB3200
EDIROL UA-1EX DAC AK4385 ADC AK5357 DAI AK4114 USB TUSB3200
EDIROL FA66 AKM 4385VT CS5340

SM PRO AUDIO
ADDA 192-S: A/D CS5381 D/A CS4398

STEINBERG
MR816 AD AK5385BVF-E2 DA AK4358VQ
Yamaha N-12 AD AKM AK5385 DA AKM AK4393 and AK4382A for AUX and phones. Discrete preamp -> JRC2068MD Op-amps for unbalancing -> insert jack -> NE5532DA for balancing before the ADC

TASCAM
TASCAM US-144 A/D AK5385 D/A AK4384
TASCAM US-122L DAC AK4384 ADC AK5381
TASCAM US-800 ADC: AKM 5359ET DAC: AKM 4384ET

T.C.electronic
TC KONNEKT 24D/live: AK4620b INA163
Studio KONNEKT48 DA AK4359 AK4385, AD AK5358 AK5359 OPAMP JRC 2068
TC Impact Twin AD/DA AK4620 Output opamps 4-NE5532.


TERRATEC
terratec x24 phase cs42426

UNIVERSAL AUDIO
Apollo AD AKM AK5388EQ (Quad AD) DA CS4398 DA(Headphones) AK4480 Preamps x4 - PGA2500

OTHER BRANDS
AQVOX USB 2 D/A MKII PCM17964
Audioresearch DAC7 PCM1792
Berkley Audio Design Alfa Dac AD1955A
Bryston BDA-1 CS-4398
Cambridge Audio Dac Magic WM8740
Cary Audio Xciter Dac AK4399
Lavry Da11 Analog Devices 1955
Logitech Transporter AKM AK4396
Matrix mini-i AD1955
Musical Fidelity V-Dac Burr Brown DSD1792
Northstar Extremo PCM1792
Ps Audio Dac III: Burr Brown 1798
PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC WM8741
Stello Da-100 signature AK4395, AD1896 upsampler
Sutra DAC 1 Burr-Brown 1740
Weiss Dac2 Burr Brown PCM1792
Weiss Dac 202 Sabre ESS9018
Weiss Medea DAC AD1853

[dobz]

Just remember for all you new people to electronics.
Just because some interfaces share the same converter chip doesn't mean they will sound the same.

The chip is just one part in the circuit and it's all the parts around it (opamps, caps, power supply etc) and there layout and design that makes the difference. 2 different designs with the same cheap can either sound like poo or high class glory depending on everything else.

Cheerio

[andonwego]

That was on the level of god. I'm not even going to ask how you extracted and assembled that information.

+1, dude, whoever you are.

Plus ****ing one.

[loopy]

Great post....should be made a sticky and updated as needed IMHO.

[Faderjockey]

SSL's use AKM as well.. Can't remember the model. I have pics of the inside when I had it opened..

But like already said..The analog in and out paths and clocks, power supplies are different and each of these units will have there own sound.

[tomlee]

Originally Posted by dobz

Just remember for all you new people to electronics.
Just because some interfaces share the same converter chip doesn't mean they will sound the same.

The chip is just one part in the circuit and it's all the parts around it (opamps, caps, power supply etc) and there layout and design that makes the difference. 2 different designs with the same cheap can either sound like poo or high class glory depending on everything else.

Cheerio

I was aware that this was the case, just as well because the saffire pro & duet use the same chip - And having stumped for duet over the cheaper saffire pro, I am incredibly impressed with the quality other than the slight noise floor.

I assume (the internet says so) that the Duet is the higher quality of the two (wasn't able to A/B), the noise floor apparently isn't recorded as it is only on the outputs (hav't tested the line/pres yet) as reported by others in the thread linked above. - and it is barely noticeable - but *is* there.

it is more obvious on cheap nasty earbuds, and can only *just be* heard through the monitors when the monitors are cranked up to a volume level that i wouldn't want to play music through.

Other than that the Duet *is* stunning.

.

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by Faderjockey

The analog in and out paths and clocks, power supplies are different and each of these units will have there own sound.

Originally Posted by dobz

Just remember for all you new people to electronics.
Just because some interfaces share the same converter chip doesn't mean they will sound the same.

The chip is just one part in the circuit and it's all the parts around it (opamps, caps, power supply etc) and there layout and design that makes the difference. 2 different designs with the same cheap can either sound like poo or high class glory depending on everything else.

Cheerio

I updated a topic with some words regarding that and misleading digital dynamic range values. Check it out.

[Enlightened Hand]

I guess the primary question I can ask with a thread like this is: Why does it matter to the end user?

If the assumption is that for whatever reason certain high quality manufacturers will only use certain high quality converter chips then I think it's important to continually point out what has already been stated: It's not mostly about the chip that causes the quality of a converter to be either ordinary or of extreme high quality. It's all of the circuitry going to and from and around that chip in the converter's design that makes or breaks high quality. That being the case I don't see the relevance to an end user of specifying the conversion chip. What is the benefit to the end user in knowing that?

If this list is about debating the qualities of particular converter chip designs then I think this is certainly not the environment where such a debate could be productively held. Very few end users are even vaguely familiar with the esoteric details of analog to digital conversion and how it's implemented in a converter chip. The vast majority of people ever to read this thread will not know the differences between a third order crystal and a fifth order crystal and how that makes any difference to anything audio related. Also, these types of discussions are full of special caveats and debatable issues that are all dependent on the specific designs of entire conversion circuits and the preferences of converter designers with respect to noise suppression techniques and all kinds of other stuff. It's just not a productive thing to discuss among relatively uninformed end users. So what is the benefit in the list within that context?

Awful lot of trouble to go through just to be doing it.

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by Enlightened Hand

I guess the primary question I can ask with a thread like this is: Why does it matter to the end user?

If the assumption is that for whatever reason certain high quality manufacturers will only use certain high quality converter chips then I think it's important to continually point out what has already been stated: It's not mostly about the chip that causes the quality of a converter to be either ordinary or of extreme high quality. It's all of the circuitry going to and from and around that chip in the converter's design that makes or breaks high quality. That being the case I don't see the relevance to an end user of specifying the conversion chip. What is the benefit to the end user in knowing that?

If this list is about debating the qualities of particular converter chip designs then I think this is certainly not the environment where such a debate could be productively held. Very few end users are even vaguely familiar with the esoteric details of analog to digital conversion and how it's implemented in a converter chip. The vast majority of people ever to read this thread will not know the differences between a third order crystal and a fifth order crystal and how that makes any difference to anything audio related. Also, these types of discussions are full of special caveats and debatable issues that are all dependent on the specific designs of entire conversion circuits and the preferences of converter designers with respect to noise suppression techniques and all kinds of other stuff. It's just not a productive thing to discuss among relatively uninformed end users. So what is the benefit in the list within that context?

Firstly, one can check chips specifications on official manufacturers page and check its spcifications. If the values are the same, potential buyer knows he is being fooled. It is not possible to have same digital dynamic range values once its inside the interface enviroment. (Ive read this somewhere)

Secondly, one can have clearer sight on why some interface costs 5k$ and other 200$. And much clearer sight on what he is going to buy.

Thirdly, I visit GS for having fun. Knowing what chip is inside some box amuses me. Dont get too serious about this, as we get misled and PR-d and silently bombarded with marketing every day here. This list is just plain facts, everyone can make out of it what they will.

[TurboJets]

Chagalj, you are a righteous man.

[Remeniz]

MOTU 2408 mk3 AKM AK5393 ???

They use the AKM AK4528VF

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by Remeniz

They use the AKM AK4528VF

Thanks, updated.

[jrakarl]

Originally Posted by TurboJets

Chagalj, you are a righteous man.

Dito

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by TurboJets

Chagalj, you are a righteous man.

Originally Posted by jrakarl

Dito

Chagalj of Nottingham, at your service.

[Enlightened Hand]

Firstly, one can check chips specifications on official manufacturers page and check its spcifications. If the values are the same, potential buyer knows he is being fooled. It is not possible to have same digital dynamic range values once its inside the interface enviroment. (Ive read this somewhere)

Secondly, one can have clearer sight on why some interface costs 5k$ and other 200$. And much clearer sight on what he is going to buy.

Thirdly, I visit GS for having fun. Knowing what chip is inside some box amuses me. Dont get too serious about this, as we get misled and PR-d and silently bombarded with marketing every day here. This list is just plain facts, everyone can make out of it what they will.

Fair enough, but this is exactly why the reading of tech specs isn't particularly helpful with these sorts of matters. Tech specs are based upon the conditions and methodology of measurement that the evaluator is using, and they're easy to obscure either intentionally or accidentally. They also mean very little when taken out of context, which they are when the entire circuit design is unknown. Perhaps I've taken your actions too seriously, but I can't help but see listing the converter chips as largely unnecessary to an end user. It says virtually nothing about why a unit costs anything. It says virtually nothing about the quality of the unit. So really what does it say that is of actual use to an end consumer?

It's not like I'm going to be able to say: Oh this unit uses that chip. That's why it costs so much/little and sounds so good/bad! You can't get that information by simply knowing the chip and the unit it's used in because there is too much vital info left out of the matter that really tells you what's going on with the price and quality.

Also, as I mentioned before, tech specs aren't particularly useful in these types of things because we have no official standard of context from which to derive meaning from the specs. Every evaluator does their own thing.

But no worries, I'm not trying to give you a hard time. It just seemed like a lot of work for no particular purpose.

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by Enlightened Hand

It just seemed like a lot of work for no particular purpose.

I didnt quote your whole post again because you said all that in your first post. And all about importance of analog circuitry alongside converters chips was mentioned by me and few other guys in start of this thread, so whats YOUR purpose in repeating all that?

Few of the things you said are wrong:

Converter chips DO make significant change in overall price of the unit. and there IS a standard for AD/DA specification values, check AES17 in google.

And now back to MY purpose.

It is fun to know that you can buy an interface with the same AD/DA chip as some interface which is 2-3 times more expensive, even if they dont sound the same. But many of them do. And I bet there would be many of cheaper ones picked over expensive ones in a blind test by lots of pros here on GS.

All those who can hear "Apogee sound", unmistakebly recognize Lavry, Lynx or Prism conversion should work for those brands and tell them what are they hearing exactly, so that they can remove it in the next interface.

Dont get me wrong, I think those converters are great, even own one. But there nothing wrong with those other interfaces either. Its not like were talking about some noise, distorsion or hum with Presonus, M-audio and Behringer AD/DA units. They are all clean and very real. But its not enough for us, we want to see on paper that our AD/DA is better than other, and we are ready to pay for it up to 10 times more. Doesnt matter if some company is having faulty measurements, we will pay for that on-paper super clean AD/DA. Because when we hear it we will say: "Ah, yes. Huuuge step up from my old interface."

Whats more paradoxal is that in the same time we try to recreate all those things that engineers wanted to get rid of for so many years in audio recording. But thats for some other topic.

Ive read 1000s of posts and threads here on GS, listened to dont know how many shootout files and had been led in directions of all sorts of brands, gears from 30$ to 5000$ and more. And I had many in my studio for a try. And I gave it most back, few days later, realized that my gear is fine. You can say that I was enlightened and disenlightened many times because of threads with purpose.

So now, Im not forming my opinion on ALMOST anything I read or hear on this forum. Too much BS, lots of marketing.

The purpose of this thread is simply not to contribute any of those two.

[Enlightened Hand]

I didnt quote your whole post again because you said all that in your first post. And all about importance of analog circuitry alongside converters chips was mentioned by me and few other guys in start of this thread, so whats YOUR purpose in repeating all that?

I repeated some of my original questions because you've made assertions but not substantive answers to those questions.

Converter chips DO make significant change in overall price of the unit. and there IS a standard for AD/DA specification values, check AES17 in google.

Maybe they do contribute to a change in overall price, but like I said, they tell you virtually nothing about WHY a unit costs what it costs. I suppose my implied point is that the analog circuitry to, from and around the converter IS the primary reason the converter is what it is in terms of overall quality and price. The chip IS NOT the primary reason for that, so once again you can't know anything of real value simply by knowing the chip unless we're to specify a circuit layout and everything else involved with the particular converter in question. Knowing you have a MOTU converter box, for example, with X converter chip is not a clear explanation of all of the particulars involved with that converter. We know nothing of the PLL, we know nothing of the noise suppression techniques employed, we know nothing of the filtering, the clocking, the circuit layout, the objectives and methodology of the evaluator when they are determining what to publish as specs, etc... It's just not as simple as knowing the chip and then you all of a sudden understanding the specs you're reading. That's not how it works, yet you seem to want to assert that it is.

[Coyoteous]

M-Audio FireWire 1814

From a GS post: fw1814 has AK5385a in Channels 1 & 2 @ 192Khz

From a Japanese dealer's website:

"AKM corporation 24Bit192kHz 114dB enhanced [deyuarubitsuto] ADC (AK5385A) loading
AKM corporation 24Bit96kHz 106dB enhanced [deyuarubitsuto] ADC (AK5381) loading
AKM corporation high performance 24Bit192kHz 112dB DAC (AK4358) loading
瑞 DM1000 of BridgeCo corporation (1394 interfaces processor) adoption
Zero ray ten sea hardware direct monitoring functions"

Inputs 1 and 2 have AK5385A, and 3 through 8 are AK5381

All four outputs use AK4358.

Also notice that "Zero ray ten sea" = zero latency.

[Enlightened Hand]

Okay?...

[fireberd]

The list is nice to know info. But I agree you can't base the audio quality or the overall quality of a device just on the A/D or D/A converters.

[cyrano]

Originally Posted by Coyoteous

Also notice that "Zero ray ten sea" = zero latency.

LOL

Nice list, thanks!

[Aerophone]

And the motu 24 i/o?

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by Coyoteous

M-Audio FireWire 1814

Added. Thanks.

[12Bass]

Echo Gina24 uses AK4393 and AK5383.

[TRJanuary]

Great list.

Haha Lynx Aurora uses same chip as digi 003

[djmukilteo]

Wondering about Allen & Heath converters...I didn't see those listed?
The ZED R16 and the new GSR24

[Faderjockey]

All cars use round tires.. Their performance can all vary.

[David Rick]

Clarification on the Prism Orpheus:

ADC is CS5381 as listed above
DAC is CS4398
Mic pre chips are PGA2500
Line inputs use OPA2134
Line outputs are the venerable 5532 (TI version)
Headphone outputs use OPA2134

David

[beingmf]

Steinberg MR816 anyone? i always wondered which chips they use...

[Chagalj]

Originally Posted by David Rick

Clarification on the Prism Orpheus:

ADC is CS5381 as listed above
DAC is CS4398
Mic pre chips are PGA2500
Line inputs use OPA2134
Line outputs are the venerable 5532 (TI version)
Headphone outputs use OPA2134

David

Thank you for this and thanks to Undertone who PMd me with few RME cards that were missing. List is updated.

Originally Posted by beingmf

Steinberg MR816 anyone? i always wondered which chips they use...

Id like to know also. We should just send a mail to Steinberg and ask.