Luxury Precision E7 Audio Board Buying Guide

The Luxury Precision E7 is LP's flagship modular DAP, built around swappable audio boards. With the final, limited edition CS43122 board landing last month, we now have the complete story, and it feels like the right time to put together a proper buying guide.

Before we get into the boards, here is an interesting side note. We have received a lot of questions asking why LP chose these four chips, all Delta-Sigma, with no 1-Bit and no R2R in the lineup. To our understanding, LP set out to bring the most classic Delta-Sigma chips back to life with the E7 project, and the four they selected are arguably the most important milestones in Delta-Sigma development. The AKM4497 kicked off the golden age of portable audio, and it remains the best sounding AKM chip in our opinion. The ADI1955 and PCM1792 are the legendary chips found in nearly every flagship Delta-Sigma DAC of the 2000s and early 2010s. And finally, the CS43122, which on paper was the best chip of its era, yet was never truly tuned to its potential, even by some giant names in audio engineering. In Leo's personal opinion, that includes Prism Sound, perhaps the most authoritative AD/DA manufacturer of all.

We at MusicTeck have spent over a week comparing all four boards, and we now have a much clearer picture of which board, or boards, could be the ideal module for your music collection.

AKM4497: The Versatile All-Rounder

The board that kicks off the lineup. The AKM4497 board features three distinct tuning settings, which LP accomplished by writing three pre-amp presets into the board. LD (Low Distortion) gives you a smooth, refined, detailed sound that resembles the A&K SP3000 series signature. HT (Harmonic Tuning) is LP's classic house sound, similar to the P6 Pro to our ears, with rich timbre, a lush midrange, smooth treble, and an overall analog character. HD (High Dynamic) delivers the punchiest bass, vivid treble, and the strongest contrast between the low and high ends.

We found the AKM4497 to be the most balanced and versatile board of the four. Being able to pick your favorite tuning mode for whatever you are about to listen to is its most powerful feature.

ADI1955: The Reference

The most dynamic board of the four. It delivers deep, punchy bass, a neutral-warm tonality, and lively, engaging treble. The ADI1955 presents a large-scale, full-range sound with a holographic presentation, precise imaging, and accurate timbre. It is a dynamic, mature, unbiased, authoritative sound.

While not the most versatile board per se, the ADI1955 is an excellent neutral reference source that reveals the strengths and weaknesses of your IEMs and headphones. It also has the capacity to reproduce the most complex recordings and masterings. In fact, we have used the ADI1955 as our reference source when developing some of our collaboration IEMs.

PCM1792: The Vocal Master

The PCM1792 is unmistakable to any audiophile. It is built strictly for mid-centric music, and in most cases, vocals. Its sound signature reminds us of the UM Mason series, but in DAP form. It delivers a rich, lush, forward, dense, and realistic midrange that is tuned beautifully and full of soul. This is not the "Sony" type of colored midrange, but rather a realistic, truthful, yet emotional way of presenting music.

CS43122: The Grand Finale

We are always extra cautious with Cirrus Logic based DAPs, so we were initially surprised that LP chose a CS chip for the ending chapter. CS chips are known for a clinical sound that sits at the opposite end of what LP does best. However, the CS43122 board gave us the biggest surprise to date. It is the better, if not the best, CS implementation we have ever heard, including some famous desktop and pro audio DACs we have tried over our careers.

The CS43122 board combines the Cirrus Logic strengths of soundstage, separation, and layering with LP's musical, analog, rich, soulful tuning. The result is a musical, delicate, almost luxurious sound. The treble in particular has a glorified shimmer that is extremely hard to find in portable gear. It is a detailed, artistic, and refined presentation that still remains quite dynamic.

We found the CS43122 excels with genres that feature complex layering and demand excellent separation, such as ambient electronic, jazz fusion, instrumental jazz, and film or game OSTs. It also shines with music that requires an extremely high standard of timbre accuracy, like instrumental solos, Spanish guitar, indie pop, indie rock, and modern vocals and pop.

Final Thoughts

If you are only picking up one board, the AKM4497 is the safest and most flexible choice. Its three tuning modes essentially give you three DAPs in one, and it will handle just about any library gracefully. If you want the most honest truthful reference yet with strong dynamics to handle the largest music scene the ADI1955 could be a golden standard. If your library lives and dies by vocals, the PCM1792 is purpose-built for you and there is nothing else quite like it in DAP form. And if you chase soundstage, layering, and that rare touch of treble magic, the CS43122 is the crown jewel of the series. Just keep in mind that it is a limited-edition release, so if it speaks to you, we will not wait too long.

Whichever board you choose, the E7 is a rare project in this hobby: one device, four legendary chips, and four genuinely distinct listening experiences. If you have questions about pairing any of these boards with your IEMs or headphones, reach out to us at MusicTeck and we will be happy to help you find your match.