Hi Al,
I will ask some questions regarding 8 channel version here instead of polluting your inbox
1. There are lots of reports that USBstreamer does not work well with ES9018 due to a significant jitter and clock of only 13MHz which causes lock issues. MiniDSP refuses to fix it. Do you have a work around for that?
2. USBStreamer does not seem to be isolated from PC and induces noise to I2S bus. I saw you have extra isolation and reclocking board for Amanero but how is it solved for USBStreamer?
3. If I provided you with transformers, would you be fine to fit them in instead of I/V boards?
Thanks,
Marek
I will ask some questions regarding 8 channel version here instead of polluting your inbox
1. There are lots of reports that USBstreamer does not work well with ES9018 due to a significant jitter and clock of only 13MHz which causes lock issues. MiniDSP refuses to fix it. Do you have a work around for that?
2. USBStreamer does not seem to be isolated from PC and induces noise to I2S bus. I saw you have extra isolation and reclocking board for Amanero but how is it solved for USBStreamer?
3. If I provided you with transformers, would you be fine to fit them in instead of I/V boards?
Thanks,
Marek
Hi Marek,
I'm working on two options to connect the USBStreamer to the ES9018.
In the first option the USBStreamer will connect to the DAC through an adapter board that provides galvanic isolation between the two devices. The DAC will operate in asynchrounous clocking using the on-board Crystek CCHD-575. The ES9018's jitter reduction process should do an adequate job in reducing any jitter from the USBStreamer. Should have it fully tested in the next week or two.
The second option is an adapter board similar to my Amanero synchronous reclocker but for 8 channels. Testing will start after I'm done testing option 1.
I can help you with the transformers. Email me what you have in mind.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks again for the interest.
Al
I'm working on two options to connect the USBStreamer to the ES9018.
In the first option the USBStreamer will connect to the DAC through an adapter board that provides galvanic isolation between the two devices. The DAC will operate in asynchrounous clocking using the on-board Crystek CCHD-575. The ES9018's jitter reduction process should do an adequate job in reducing any jitter from the USBStreamer. Should have it fully tested in the next week or two.
The second option is an adapter board similar to my Amanero synchronous reclocker but for 8 channels. Testing will start after I'm done testing option 1.
I can help you with the transformers. Email me what you have in mind.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks again for the interest.
Al
Hi CaféNoir and pchw,
Thanks for the suggestions on how to deal with the exposed vias. I've decided to make new boards with the vias covered by the top-side solder mask. I think it's the best way to go. I should have the new boards in about a week and half and the boards stuffed with some AD4898 in about two weeks.
I agree the AD4898 has some impressive specs. The THD at -93dB at 500KHz slopping down to -120dB at 100KHz peaked my interest. To bad the plots don't show THD at audio frequencies. Apparently it wasn't designed for audio. I'm really curious how it measures and sounds compared to the LME49990. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
Thanks again,
Al
Thanks for the suggestions on how to deal with the exposed vias. I've decided to make new boards with the vias covered by the top-side solder mask. I think it's the best way to go. I should have the new boards in about a week and half and the boards stuffed with some AD4898 in about two weeks.
I agree the AD4898 has some impressive specs. The THD at -93dB at 500KHz slopping down to -120dB at 100KHz peaked my interest. To bad the plots don't show THD at audio frequencies. Apparently it wasn't designed for audio. I'm really curious how it measures and sounds compared to the LME49990. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
Thanks again,
Al
I have the same concern about the USBStreamer. I have one of these (below) on order, hoping it will help. Maybe I'm dreaming?
USB REGEN - UpTone Audio
EXAU2I
Hi Al
I am interested in the project.
Could you calculate for me the Assembled option without MiniDSP Streamer, prepared for EXAU2I I will mount my on my own?
I am not sure about chooing the masterclock form the EXA (quite high quality) or take the 100Mhz 0.082 ps (82fs) Femto Crystek crystal in asynchronus mode - any sugestions?
So prepare two versions with and without the Crystek clock.
regards
Andrzej
Hi Al
I am interested in the project.
Could you calculate for me the Assembled option without MiniDSP Streamer, prepared for EXAU2I I will mount my on my own?
I am not sure about chooing the masterclock form the EXA (quite high quality) or take the 100Mhz 0.082 ps (82fs) Femto Crystek crystal in asynchronus mode - any sugestions?
So prepare two versions with and without the Crystek clock.
regards
Andrzej
Hi Andrzej,
Without the USBStreamer including the S/PDIF inputs the price is $1895.00 + shipping. Without the S/PDIF inputs it's $1670.00 + shipping.
Using the on-board 100Mhz 0.082 ps (82fs) Femto Crystek crystal in asynchronous mode I think is the best way to go.
Let me know what you decide? Thanks!
Best regards,
Al
Without the USBStreamer including the S/PDIF inputs the price is $1895.00 + shipping. Without the S/PDIF inputs it's $1670.00 + shipping.
Using the on-board 100Mhz 0.082 ps (82fs) Femto Crystek crystal in asynchronous mode I think is the best way to go.
Let me know what you decide? Thanks!
Best regards,
Al
Hi Al
Thank you for yor reply.
Could you tell me if it would be possible to connect 8 multichanels channels from PCIe card to spdif inputs of the dac?
Any way I think that I2S option vis Usb exaU2I is the best quality way,
so I woud decide for the I2S only option.
What would be the terms and time of order realization.
regards
andrzej
Thank you for yor reply.
Could you tell me if it would be possible to connect 8 multichanels channels from PCIe card to spdif inputs of the dac?
Any way I think that I2S option vis Usb exaU2I is the best quality way,
so I woud decide for the I2S only option.
What would be the terms and time of order realization.
regards
andrzej
Hi andrzej,
The built in S/PDIF decoder on the ES9018 is for stereo only and it accepts one S/DPIF at a time. For multichannel I2S is really the only option. The exaU2I is really a nice device it should work great. If you decide to buy I'll need to know the dimensions of the exaU2I to figure out how to make it fit in the enclosure.
As far as terms and time realization I'll provide details tomorrow since it's the last day for the group buy. In a nut shell I'm looking at 50% down to start followed by the remaining amount plus shipping and payment fees like from Paypal when the product is completed. Once I get the 50% from everybody I estimate six to eight weeks for delivery.
In case you're interested I'm working on providing the option to connect multichannel I2S signals from and HDMI unit like the one below to my Blackbird DAC. I've had a lot of questions about HDMI and since I'm selling a multichannel DAC I think it's worth looking into. Stay tuned for more information. If anybody has any thoughts or information on other options please let me know.
HDMI Multi-Channel PCM 5.1 7.1 Surround Audio Decoder
I hope the information helps.
Best regards,
Al
The built in S/PDIF decoder on the ES9018 is for stereo only and it accepts one S/DPIF at a time. For multichannel I2S is really the only option. The exaU2I is really a nice device it should work great. If you decide to buy I'll need to know the dimensions of the exaU2I to figure out how to make it fit in the enclosure.
As far as terms and time realization I'll provide details tomorrow since it's the last day for the group buy. In a nut shell I'm looking at 50% down to start followed by the remaining amount plus shipping and payment fees like from Paypal when the product is completed. Once I get the 50% from everybody I estimate six to eight weeks for delivery.
In case you're interested I'm working on providing the option to connect multichannel I2S signals from and HDMI unit like the one below to my Blackbird DAC. I've had a lot of questions about HDMI and since I'm selling a multichannel DAC I think it's worth looking into. Stay tuned for more information. If anybody has any thoughts or information on other options please let me know.
HDMI Multi-Channel PCM 5.1 7.1 Surround Audio Decoder
I hope the information helps.
Best regards,
Al
Last edited:
Hi Everybody,
The GB period ended this weekend. I think I have enough to go ahead with the GB but I need confirmation to make sure everybody is still on-board. Please post here or send me an email at alsaudiokits@yahoo.com and just let me know whether you're still in or not. If you're in please include the last setup we agreed on just to make sure we're on the same page. If you can let me know this week I'd really appreciate it. I'll provide a status update by the end of the week.
The buying process is as follows.
1. Payment is via Paypal. If you prefer some other method please let me know.
2. Pay half to start on the unit cost only so I can purchase all the parts.
3. After receiving payment six to eight weeks for delivery.
4. The final payment includes the remaining unit amount plus shipping and paypal fee (about 3%). Shipping cost for a fully assembled Blackbird DAC in the US is about $40.00 and about $85.00 internationally using USPS. The shipping box measures 21" x 15" x 7" and weighs between 10 and 15 lbs depending on the option selected. If there's a cheaper way please let me know, I'll look into it.
I'll keep the GB open during this process.
Quick update. I ordered the HDMI device in post #29. Basically what I'm looking to do is tap into the multichannel I2S signals and connect them to an LVDS transceiver adapter board with a Cat5 connector mounted to the units chassis for easy access. The same adapter board will connect inside the DAC to convert the differential I2S signals back to single ended to connect them to the DAC. I'm currently working on the adapter board. Hopefully my idea works out as planned. Stay tuned for updates.
I also completed the new I/V_2 with the vias solder masked so I can test the AD4898 for CaféNoir. The boards will go out for fab tomorrow.
If anybody has any questions please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
The GB period ended this weekend. I think I have enough to go ahead with the GB but I need confirmation to make sure everybody is still on-board. Please post here or send me an email at alsaudiokits@yahoo.com and just let me know whether you're still in or not. If you're in please include the last setup we agreed on just to make sure we're on the same page. If you can let me know this week I'd really appreciate it. I'll provide a status update by the end of the week.
The buying process is as follows.
1. Payment is via Paypal. If you prefer some other method please let me know.
2. Pay half to start on the unit cost only so I can purchase all the parts.
3. After receiving payment six to eight weeks for delivery.
4. The final payment includes the remaining unit amount plus shipping and paypal fee (about 3%). Shipping cost for a fully assembled Blackbird DAC in the US is about $40.00 and about $85.00 internationally using USPS. The shipping box measures 21" x 15" x 7" and weighs between 10 and 15 lbs depending on the option selected. If there's a cheaper way please let me know, I'll look into it.
I'll keep the GB open during this process.
Quick update. I ordered the HDMI device in post #29. Basically what I'm looking to do is tap into the multichannel I2S signals and connect them to an LVDS transceiver adapter board with a Cat5 connector mounted to the units chassis for easy access. The same adapter board will connect inside the DAC to convert the differential I2S signals back to single ended to connect them to the DAC. I'm currently working on the adapter board. Hopefully my idea works out as planned. Stay tuned for updates.
I also completed the new I/V_2 with the vias solder masked so I can test the AD4898 for CaféNoir. The boards will go out for fab tomorrow.
If anybody has any questions please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
Hi Samuel,
Good question. The AD4898-2 has a quiescent current of about 16mA versus 10mA for the LME49720. I plan on handling the increased quiescent power/heat by lowering the rail voltages on the AD4898-2 to somewhere between +/-8V to +/-10V.
If you're concerned about THD rising with lower rails look at Fig 21 & 23 of the attached data sheets. You can see the difference in THD between H2 & H3 at +/-5V vs +/-15V is negligible at 100KHz and I doubt it's audible at audio frequencies. And since I plan on setting the rails higher than +/- 5V it's even less of an issue.
While testing I'll check THD at different voltages and report the results here. Of course I'll also make sure the op-amps are running at a safe temperature.
I hope you're still in. Thanks for question.
Al
Good question. The AD4898-2 has a quiescent current of about 16mA versus 10mA for the LME49720. I plan on handling the increased quiescent power/heat by lowering the rail voltages on the AD4898-2 to somewhere between +/-8V to +/-10V.
If you're concerned about THD rising with lower rails look at Fig 21 & 23 of the attached data sheets. You can see the difference in THD between H2 & H3 at +/-5V vs +/-15V is negligible at 100KHz and I doubt it's audible at audio frequencies. And since I plan on setting the rails higher than +/- 5V it's even less of an issue.
While testing I'll check THD at different voltages and report the results here. Of course I'll also make sure the op-amps are running at a safe temperature.
I hope you're still in. Thanks for question.
Al
Last edited:
as we last exchanged via PM!Hey jp,
Thanks for pointing out miniDSP's miniSHARK Kit. It should easily integrate with my design since it has up to 4 I2S outputs. The board at 3" x 3" should fit nicely in the enclosure.
For those interested in the miniSHARC Kit here's miniDSP's site link.
miniSHARC Kit | miniDSP
Thanks again,
Al
Thanks for pointing out miniDSP's miniSHARK Kit. It should easily integrate with my design since it has up to 4 I2S outputs. The board at 3" x 3" should fit nicely in the enclosure.
For those interested in the miniSHARC Kit here's miniDSP's site link.
miniSHARC Kit | miniDSP
Thanks again,
Al
Update.
Hi Everybody,
So I checked the USBStreamer from miniDSP and I see no issues with lock. There's an occasional lose of lock at sample rates of 192KHz but considering I'm using their 4" inch cables it's not surprising. I can see on the scope what's going on. The galvanic isolation board will clean it right up.
The HDMI unit arrived yesterday and the modifications necessary to access the I2S for 7.1 surround sound on the back panel looks very doable. I just ordered the connectors and cables and I'll start the adapter board this week. I'm also making a new mounting plate to fit the I2S DA15 connector so the HDMI unit will look like it's never been modified. I'll add another slot on the Blackbird enclosure back panel for the DA15 to support HDMI as an input using the modified HDMI unit.
The I/V_2 boards arrive today so I'll be testing the ADA4898 this weekend.
The GB is still open but not for much longer. If you're interested in getting in please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
Hi Everybody,
So I checked the USBStreamer from miniDSP and I see no issues with lock. There's an occasional lose of lock at sample rates of 192KHz but considering I'm using their 4" inch cables it's not surprising. I can see on the scope what's going on. The galvanic isolation board will clean it right up.
The HDMI unit arrived yesterday and the modifications necessary to access the I2S for 7.1 surround sound on the back panel looks very doable. I just ordered the connectors and cables and I'll start the adapter board this week. I'm also making a new mounting plate to fit the I2S DA15 connector so the HDMI unit will look like it's never been modified. I'll add another slot on the Blackbird enclosure back panel for the DA15 to support HDMI as an input using the modified HDMI unit.
The I/V_2 boards arrive today so I'll be testing the ADA4898 this weekend.
The GB is still open but not for much longer. If you're interested in getting in please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
Hey Everyone,
I got around to assembling the new IV_2 board this week for the ADA4898 and testing it on Friday and everything checked out Ok. No oscillations, square waves look great, THD looks great, temperature is about 55C at +/-12V which is within a comfortable range. Unfortunately the solder mask didn't cover the vias underneath the op-amp entirely so I had to use some small thermal pads cut to size to prevent any shorts.
So I moved on to the listening test comparing two Blackbird DACs, one with an IV_1 that uses the LME49990 and the other with the new IV_2 board with the ADA4898. I attached THD plots for both DACs to compare. The first plot is of DAC one with the LME49990 and the second with the ADA4898. As you can see THD for both op-amps is basically the same.
So after listening to both DACs with a variety of different music the LME49990 just overall sounded better than the ADA4898. I wouldn't say it was a significant difference but enough to be noticeable. The sound-stage seemed wider, voices and instruments sounded clearer, just more lively. I'm not sure if the ADA4898 has a break-in period but I'll try listening some more later today.
An update on the GB. The GB is a go. I'm currently awaiting payment from several members. The GB will remain open until I start ordering components. I figure for at least another week.
Best regards,
Al
I got around to assembling the new IV_2 board this week for the ADA4898 and testing it on Friday and everything checked out Ok. No oscillations, square waves look great, THD looks great, temperature is about 55C at +/-12V which is within a comfortable range. Unfortunately the solder mask didn't cover the vias underneath the op-amp entirely so I had to use some small thermal pads cut to size to prevent any shorts.
So I moved on to the listening test comparing two Blackbird DACs, one with an IV_1 that uses the LME49990 and the other with the new IV_2 board with the ADA4898. I attached THD plots for both DACs to compare. The first plot is of DAC one with the LME49990 and the second with the ADA4898. As you can see THD for both op-amps is basically the same.
So after listening to both DACs with a variety of different music the LME49990 just overall sounded better than the ADA4898. I wouldn't say it was a significant difference but enough to be noticeable. The sound-stage seemed wider, voices and instruments sounded clearer, just more lively. I'm not sure if the ADA4898 has a break-in period but I'll try listening some more later today.
An update on the GB. The GB is a go. I'm currently awaiting payment from several members. The GB will remain open until I start ordering components. I figure for at least another week.
Best regards,
Al
Attachments
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.