DAC 2496 (AK4393) DAC KIT With CS8416+AK4393+5532

Well, thanks for the warning.

I was planning to add an external Singxer or DIYHINK board, through I2S. to my AK4396 DAC.

Then it might be better to use the DIYHINK DAC.

It still remains the question on how to add an USB input to the AK4396 DAC.

If we're talking about this board: PCB Board w/ AK4396 IC Support DAC 24 BIT/192KHZ | eBay all you have to do is get a USB to I2S board and connect its I2S signals (including the MCLK) to the 51R resistors (located to the left of the chip). You will of course have to pull these resistors up on their left side, so as to isolate the board's s/pdif receiver.
 
Well, yes. My idea was to pull up the 51R resistors onto a small piggy-back board holding two dual relays and a switch, to select between coaxial and USB.

But I thought I could use a more advanced USB board for that, like the Singxer or the DIYHINK.

If that's not possible through the I2S interface, then I thought I could use the coaxial output on those USB boards as interface.
 
The Otto-II can only do switching of I2S signals, nothing more. It's like a "solid state relay". It switches 4 signals in parallel. You get two inputs, each of them supporting up to 4 signals, and one output set of 4 signals.

So it wouldn't help with your DSD source if your DAC needs software control to support DSD.
 
Hi, I've just put my DAC back into my system after a long break.
Loved the sound straight away but when I took the lid off I discovered It had no op amp in.

Could you please tell me if the opamp just gives a bit more gain in this circuit or is it fundamentally wrong to use without the op amp.
I am driving a Linn LK100 amp via a passive pre.
 
I am converting the output to Broskie tubes (differential+Unbalancer). I am currently using a discrete symmetrical transistor design with high feedback and regulators.
I did previously a 'lampizator' type of output for other I out dacs and it is horrible, I disassembled it after 1 minute of listening. Then I designed my own one stage cathode follower i/v or Voltage buffer and it was better for pcm56k (not worth it) and I concluded this is a very bad dac.
I started with 6n2pev (12Ax7 equivalent kind of) and sound was better but lacked details and too flat.
I did a previous tube conversion for AK4396 with one end of the signal directly to a 6n6p cathode follower and parallel cathode follower 6n6p, sound was too dark and mellow.
Right now I am using the discrete high feedback transistors, it sound 100x times better than the stock opamps but it is not the best for sound separation and space around instruments. Everything is more homogenous and bass especially is too clean with the feedback design, everything lacks texture, too polite sound.
In conclusion the discrete design is way better than only a single cathode follower. I bet that the 6sn7 would give a 10times better sound that the 6n2p or 6n6p Russian tubes which sound very bad in anode sound even bad in cathode follower which is unusual.
sorry for the introduction, now I have the choice of valves:
6DJ8(ecc88) Siemens
6SL7 tung sol or russian
EF184(6EJ7) from russia or from Realistic (gold pins)
5751 GE
12au7(ecc82) Silvertone.
I can use a 6sn7 for the second tube, a NOS from tung sol red base, haltron, FAA, RCA, Electronic tube.
edit: this is my 'over stock' tubes which I don't really have a use for now, I don't want to use ecc99 or other similar tubes or big triodes/pentodes which I keep for power amplifiers because I have a limited stock and paid premium for them.
 
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Does anyone know why this DAC broadcasts all audio on 172.0375 Mhz?

I had a play with a ham radio, and I couldn't quite understand why my computer audio was coming on that frequency. Pretty poorly, but for the moment I thought my home is bugged.
After shutting the DAC off, the broadcast stopped.
And the interesting part is that I swapped the op-amp with another opa827 (different package, still on dip adapter). Same thing.
I get the broadcast if I have output set on 48 or 96khz. On 44.1 or 88.2 KHz that broadcast is not on 172.0375 MHz anymore. Maybe it's on another frequency. I'll have a scan later on.
So, after checking in my country, that frequency is for government use. I'm not sure how powerful the broadcast is, but it triggers the squelch anywhere in the house. And I can faintly hear everything coming out from the computer.
Another implication - privacy. I'm basically broadcasting what I'm listening to.
Can anyone alse confirm this? And also, is there anyone that can explain what is happening and how I can stop this? I'm really enjoying this DAC.
BTW I'm using optical with the toslink adapter.
 
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Is the DAC inside a metal box? Is it properly grounded to the box?


Yes and yes. It was when I last added the toslink adapter.
I can basically hear all audio output from my computer on a handheld radio on 172.0375 MHz, and it's enough to keep my radio channel squelch open anywhere in the house. In the bathroom I need to really focus on the words as there's static, but it's there. And it's dependant on the output settings.
I'm just getting into radio so I don't know exactly what I'm doing. I'm trying to figure out what's happening.
I'll use 44.1 and scan later on, to see if the radio frequency shifts.
 
I did a quick calculation to see if it's a multiplier thing and sure enough I found 88.2khz output on 158.0565Mhz. So are these harmonics? I can't find anything on 44.1khz output but it may be well below my handheld capabilities. And by this logic, 192khz output would be around 344.075MHz. Out of my handheld range.
 
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