I saw some companies implementing the ESS Sabre32™ on its audio interfaces, mentioning this implementation as better audio quality,
is there somebody who have done a video for a blind test comparing with other brands who doesn’t have this new technology?
or what are your opinions?
Hello nl26,
No one else has jumped in so I’ll do so while I’m waiting for the next meeting. ESS Sabre{x} was originally developed as a platform implementation to enable firewire, then usb, audio interfaces to sound good when so many back in the first days did not. It involved chips, clocking, a bit of analog, etc. and was sort of a “look, we’re using this, so you know it sounds at least ok!”. ESS evolved and improved and the implementation you’re talking about emphasizes the chip.
Does it sound better? Not a complete question really. There are too many variables that have a large effect - analog, power, clock and it’s distribution, oversampling, etc. ESS makes some nice sounding chips if they’re implemented correctly, just as a nice mic sounds good if it’s recorded correctly. It’s a decent bet that if a manufacturer is using ESS chips and marketing as such they probably did things well and it sounds good but you won’t know until you’ve heard it or trust someone who has (and I don’t mean a youtube mouth).
In my opinion, which you’re welcome to dismiss, it depends on the individual manufacturer’s implementation and you or a trusted source needs to hear it.
Hugh