Friend wanted to buy something cheap but with coax-optical-usb input..
I convinced him that it would be a waste of money..
It is much wiser to spend some more money and buy something like that..
AK4495 - I2S over USB Audio
I convinced him that it would be a waste of money..
It is much wiser to spend some more money and buy something like that..
AK4495 - I2S over USB Audio
c3474,
You were right. I tried another computer running windows 7 and it loaded with bo problems. What threw me off were the number of sites (including the smsl website) and forums saying 'oh yes, you can run it on xp you just need a special driver', but nowhere did it say where to get said driver. Anyway, many thanks for responding to my post.
HAGD
You were right. I tried another computer running windows 7 and it loaded with bo problems. What threw me off were the number of sites (including the smsl website) and forums saying 'oh yes, you can run it on xp you just need a special driver', but nowhere did it say where to get said driver. Anyway, many thanks for responding to my post.
HAGD
Have you tried the XMOS original driver? I am not sure but I think it may work USB Audio Driver Support
You can make a huge difference by replacing the stock power supply with a better one. It produces load of details and dynamics when I use it with a large size linear power supply.
Attachments
My take:
Your friend should save his money by not buying into your recommendation, the reason, I bought many DACs(4-6) from Ebay all of them of Chinese designs and made only 2 DACs did not come up to my expectations. All of these DACs I did not perform any modifications to them. My last one is a dual AK4490 sounds very good for the price highly recommended. I will buy it again.
I modded my m8 by way of the caps in the opamp power rails and lower esr on the main caps. Improved the bass, soundstage, and slight bump in the hf, not that it needed it there. This simple mod puts this DAC in out performing DACS over a 1000+
Attachments
Last edited:
Hi Erik,
Are the 3 small caps the Panasonic polymer hybrid caps?
Also which panasonics did you use on the power rails?
Regards
Scott
Are the 3 small caps the Panasonic polymer hybrid caps?
Also which panasonics did you use on the power rails?
Regards
Scott
Erik
What are those stacked smd caps near the opamp? The I found that treble bump is more noticeable with the minimum phase digital filter. At the same time the sound is more coherent with this filter than the slow and fast roll off filter.
I also have problem that this dac doesn't lock stably with my airport express base station (two different versions have the same issue) even though I have a Beringer DEQ2496 between the airport express and the DAC. when I use other digital sources such as PS audio lambda transport or a usb to spdif device. I don't have this problem (all connected to the DEQ2496 for room correction).
Except for the slight treble bump the sound is on par with the famous NAD M51 DAC when I use the M8 with my linear PS.
Except for the slight treble bump the sound is on par with the famous NAD M51 DAC when I use the M8 with my linear PS.
Hi,
What linear supply are you using?
Regards
Scott
QUOTE=quantran;4762241]I also have problem that this dac doesn't lock stably with my airport express base station (two different versions have the same issue) even though I have a Beringer DEQ2496 between the airport express and the DAC. when I use other digital sources such as PS audio lambda transport or a usb to spdif device. I don't have this problem (all connected to the DEQ2496 for room correction).
Except for the slight treble bump the sound is on par with the famous NAD M51 DAC when I use the M8 with my linear PS.[/QUOTE]
What linear supply are you using?
Regards
Scott
QUOTE=quantran;4762241]I also have problem that this dac doesn't lock stably with my airport express base station (two different versions have the same issue) even though I have a Beringer DEQ2496 between the airport express and the DAC. when I use other digital sources such as PS audio lambda transport or a usb to spdif device. I don't have this problem (all connected to the DEQ2496 for room correction).
Except for the slight treble bump the sound is on par with the famous NAD M51 DAC when I use the M8 with my linear PS.[/QUOTE]
The PS is a DIY one. I use a huge 70 watt toroidal transformer (12vac). the rectifier bridge uses schottky diodes. The regulator chip is LT3080. One LT3080 is enough for this DAC but you can parallel this reg chip to obtain as much power as you want.
LT3080 is very easy to use. It can replace LM317 with some minor tweak. the LT3080 sounds much better than the common LM317.
LT3080 is very easy to use. It can replace LM317 with some minor tweak. the LT3080 sounds much better than the common LM317.
Thanks,
I thought about building one and using 7809 regulator.
QUOTE=quantran;4762256]The PS is a DIY one. I use a huge 70 watt toroidal transformer (12vac). the rectifier bridge uses schottky diodes. The regulator chip is LT3080. One LT3080 is enough for this DAC but you can parallel this reg chip to obtain as much power as you want.
LT3080 is very easy to use. It can replace LM317 with some minor tweak. the LT3080 sounds much better than the common LM317.[/QUOTE]
I thought about building one and using 7809 regulator.
QUOTE=quantran;4762256]The PS is a DIY one. I use a huge 70 watt toroidal transformer (12vac). the rectifier bridge uses schottky diodes. The regulator chip is LT3080. One LT3080 is enough for this DAC but you can parallel this reg chip to obtain as much power as you want.
LT3080 is very easy to use. It can replace LM317 with some minor tweak. the LT3080 sounds much better than the common LM317.[/QUOTE]
If you use the 7809 I recommend the STMicroelectronics brand. make sure you have a big heat sink. I like to use the extruded aluminium chassis as heat sink.
The three DC caps on the mains are 16V around 14 mOhm ESR.
The 6 stacked smd ceramics in parallel on the opamp power rails are low esr/low inductance, low leakage .20uF COG/NPO. We know that everytime you add a cap in parallel, the ESR improves by 50% each. With 6 in parallel the ESR is uber low, which I learned modding an class a/b amp, then later another dac, that opamps in general like an uber low ESR supply. Incidentally, the extra capacitance also adds to the overall improvement in the bass registry.
Last edited:
The stock ceramic I think was around .1uF
Consider .1uF X7R vs 1.33uF COG/NPO low esr on the opamp + power rail.
Anyone measure an HF "bump"??
So, I've got one.
Stock, unmodified.
Playing all redbook CDs for now. On for 48+ hours...
Interesting.
Gives the impression of "clean".
The SLOW filter sounds like the soundstage is compressed, dynamics compressed. Clean, but compressed.
The info says it rolls the highs. The highs exhibit a characteristic "tzing", especially on cymbals - all the cymbals seem to sound about the same. Not good. (guessing an overshoot with a characteristic frequency range, likely above 8kHz)
The mini (minimum) filter opens it up quite a bit.
Perhaps this is going to be right, I am thinking?
It does do some things very well. Certain pieces that are problematic otherwise come out without a certain sibilance I've heard here and elsewhere. KD Lang's Torch & Twang for example. A blaring orchestral horn section from a Dorian recording, surprisingly free of blare. Hopeful.
But the soundstage is rather flat, and while it seems like you can hear things, they're somehow lacking "space".
Try the "FAST" setting, that seems to add "life" to a range of recordings, without adding excessive brightness - but the "tzing" seems to be a characteristic throughout.
Bass seems "fat" but the midbass seems thinned out... not enough body.
Could it be the opamps? Dunno.
Compared to the PCM63 based DAC it's not as good in terms of making music sound real and throwing the soundstage. Otoh, it seems like a lot of potential in certain areas. Just not the whole package. 🙁
Maybe tomorrow I will get to putting a linear regulated supply in place of the SMPS and see what if anything that does.
It makes me want to like it, but I can't really because of the things that aren't right...
...the quest continues.
_-_-
Listening through DAC--> Discrete Stepped "L" Attenuator --> BEAR Labs DC Coupled SE Mosfet Amps ---> BEAR Labs Silver Lightning Speaker Cable ---> Quad 57 ESLs. All interconnects are BEAR Labs Silver Lightning. (very little to color the sound, the amp is super clean fwiw, passes lovely squarewaves, no output inductor)
So, I've got one.
Stock, unmodified.
Playing all redbook CDs for now. On for 48+ hours...
Interesting.
Gives the impression of "clean".
The SLOW filter sounds like the soundstage is compressed, dynamics compressed. Clean, but compressed.
The info says it rolls the highs. The highs exhibit a characteristic "tzing", especially on cymbals - all the cymbals seem to sound about the same. Not good. (guessing an overshoot with a characteristic frequency range, likely above 8kHz)
The mini (minimum) filter opens it up quite a bit.
Perhaps this is going to be right, I am thinking?
It does do some things very well. Certain pieces that are problematic otherwise come out without a certain sibilance I've heard here and elsewhere. KD Lang's Torch & Twang for example. A blaring orchestral horn section from a Dorian recording, surprisingly free of blare. Hopeful.
But the soundstage is rather flat, and while it seems like you can hear things, they're somehow lacking "space".
Try the "FAST" setting, that seems to add "life" to a range of recordings, without adding excessive brightness - but the "tzing" seems to be a characteristic throughout.
Bass seems "fat" but the midbass seems thinned out... not enough body.
Could it be the opamps? Dunno.
Compared to the PCM63 based DAC it's not as good in terms of making music sound real and throwing the soundstage. Otoh, it seems like a lot of potential in certain areas. Just not the whole package. 🙁
Maybe tomorrow I will get to putting a linear regulated supply in place of the SMPS and see what if anything that does.
It makes me want to like it, but I can't really because of the things that aren't right...
...the quest continues.
_-_-
Listening through DAC--> Discrete Stepped "L" Attenuator --> BEAR Labs DC Coupled SE Mosfet Amps ---> BEAR Labs Silver Lightning Speaker Cable ---> Quad 57 ESLs. All interconnects are BEAR Labs Silver Lightning. (very little to color the sound, the amp is super clean fwiw, passes lovely squarewaves, no output inductor)
Last edited:
- Status
- Not open for further replies.