Converter Layout
Converter Layout describes how a DAC’s conversion hardware serves the left and right audio channels. It is separate from conversion technology and the chip’s model name.
Here, Stereo converter means one chip or module handles both channels. Dual mono uses a dedicated converter chip or module for each channel. Multiple converters per channel uses more than one per channel.
Converter Layout — DAC
Check the manufacturer’s description of the converter arrangement. A single chip can contain several internal converters, with configurable channel routing, so chip count alone is not a universal guide. “Dual mono” applied only to power supplies, analogue stages or separate chassis does not establish this layout. Missing converter details mean unspecified.
More converters do not guarantee better sound. Compare the finished DAC’s noise and distortion measurements under comparable stated test conditions, rather than ranking it by layout alone.
Sources
Sources
- Texas Instruments PCM1792A datasheet, revision B — Texas Instruments
- ESS ES9038PRO datasheet, version 3.7 — ESS Technology