Four dacs made
by Analog Devices make up the
heart of the digital engine. The 18 Bit
AD-1860 DACs are stair-case style (R-2R) chips, which still
outperform the so called bit-stream types in terms of
dynamics. Each channel is equipped with
a pair of these converters, piggy-backed directly on top of each
other. No lewd comments please.
|
| There are several ingenious benefits to this
configuration: |
|
Unlike transistors and
tubes, dac chips create
distortion that is random in nature. By summing the signal from two converters, Monarchy
has effectively cut the distortion in half, while increasing the
dynamic range of the sound.
|
|
Direct
soldering of the two sets of legs results in the shortest possible
signal path - NONE! |
|
Thermal
conditions remain identical between the two chips, thereby
reducing anomalies in the waveform that may occur if the two
chips were operating at slightly different temperatures. |
|
|
| Besides the
dacs by Analog Devices (considered by many to be the best), the
18b utilizes other high quality chips from Burr Brown and Philips. The digital input for example, is received
by a particular Yamaha chip, about which Mr. Poon says: |
|
|
"Probably
exclusively in our industry, we use a 4th
generation Yamaha receiver/decoder: the new YM3436D retrieves data from the CD several generations
better than the old work horse, the venerable YM3623B, that
almost everyone else used in the past. We
know of no competitor using the new Yamaha in
their DAC's." |
|
|
|
| 3436 vs
3623 comparisons aside, you can be sure that he has
selected the best components available. However,
converting
the digital signal to an analog waveform is by no means
the end of the task. This newly created analog
signal needs considerable hand holding before it is
ready to leave the box. So let's take a
look at the analog circuit. |
|
Analog
allies...
|
|
