Yesterday my DAC PCB kit and Amanero board were delivered by DHL
Nice professional finish. Well done Quanghao !
At first I panicked a bit thinking that the Amanero board was missing Finally I found it: a tiny thing wrapped in plastic film in a corner of the box. I hadn't realized that it was so small !.
As I ordered the DAC PCB (plus Amanero USB) and not the entire assembled unit, I have yet to set-up my output stage, drill the holes for the chassis etc. so I can't listen the DAC right now. However, after connecting provisionally my PSU trafo to the unit, its seems that everything works O.K. The coax. input recognizes and locks signals of 44 and 96 Khz,.and the Amanero USB works fine too, although both 44kh and 48kh sampling rates are displayed in the front panel as 44Khz.. I'll have to check this in the future
There was a little accident too. The front panel PCB was so tightly wrapped in plastic film that the rod of one of the panel switches arrived broken and the switch is now unusable. Not much of a problem because I intend to use the remote and anyway those switches are cheap.( I ordered a set of 5 for 2 Euro). It's a question of desoldering the broken unit and soldering the new one. I'd say Quanghao that you maybe shouldn't wrap so tightly the plastic film around the PCBs. Those tiny switches aren't very strong
I can't wait to have all the remaining work done and listen to the DAC, but daily tasks are in the way and I'll have to postpone everything till next week.
A question to the people who didn't buy the chassis from Quanghao: what do you use for front panel buttons/knobs?. Common potentiometer knobs have an inner diametre of 6mm. or 1/4" and the rods of the microswitches are 3.5mm in diam. I couldn't find anything suitable in the RS catalog.
BTW, the aluminum RC, apart from working fine, looks terrific and feels really solid in the hands.
Feriandas, I see that you have a problem with the RC. Have you checked that the IR sensor of the front panel PCB is situated exactly behind the small round hole at left of the front display ?. If it's offset a bit it won't detect the RC signal.
Nice professional finish. Well done Quanghao !
At first I panicked a bit thinking that the Amanero board was missing Finally I found it: a tiny thing wrapped in plastic film in a corner of the box. I hadn't realized that it was so small !.
As I ordered the DAC PCB (plus Amanero USB) and not the entire assembled unit, I have yet to set-up my output stage, drill the holes for the chassis etc. so I can't listen the DAC right now. However, after connecting provisionally my PSU trafo to the unit, its seems that everything works O.K. The coax. input recognizes and locks signals of 44 and 96 Khz,.and the Amanero USB works fine too, although both 44kh and 48kh sampling rates are displayed in the front panel as 44Khz.. I'll have to check this in the future
There was a little accident too. The front panel PCB was so tightly wrapped in plastic film that the rod of one of the panel switches arrived broken and the switch is now unusable. Not much of a problem because I intend to use the remote and anyway those switches are cheap.( I ordered a set of 5 for 2 Euro). It's a question of desoldering the broken unit and soldering the new one. I'd say Quanghao that you maybe shouldn't wrap so tightly the plastic film around the PCBs. Those tiny switches aren't very strong
I can't wait to have all the remaining work done and listen to the DAC, but daily tasks are in the way and I'll have to postpone everything till next week.
A question to the people who didn't buy the chassis from Quanghao: what do you use for front panel buttons/knobs?. Common potentiometer knobs have an inner diametre of 6mm. or 1/4" and the rods of the microswitches are 3.5mm in diam. I couldn't find anything suitable in the RS catalog.
BTW, the aluminum RC, apart from working fine, looks terrific and feels really solid in the hands.
Feriandas, I see that you have a problem with the RC. Have you checked that the IR sensor of the front panel PCB is situated exactly behind the small round hole at left of the front display ?. If it's offset a bit it won't detect the RC signal.
I checked that the Amanero is taking the 5V from the USB line and regulate that to 3.3V and then another regulator.
When I disconnect the USB cord from the DAC, the 3.3V marked on the list of connectors at the edge were zero voltage. It is only when I plug in the USB cord that that 3.3V become life.
This is opposite to what Quanghao said that the Amanero board is taking 3.3V from the mother board. The current setup of the Amanero boards leaves a lot of modding potentials and improvement area.
I thought that Quanghao will take care of such important point as he mentioned but he didnot.
I will need to experiment with it and add bypassing capacitor to help smooth out those noisy power lines.
When I disconnect the USB cord from the DAC, the 3.3V marked on the list of connectors at the edge were zero voltage. It is only when I plug in the USB cord that that 3.3V become life.
This is opposite to what Quanghao said that the Amanero board is taking 3.3V from the mother board. The current setup of the Amanero boards leaves a lot of modding potentials and improvement area.
I thought that Quanghao will take care of such important point as he mentioned but he didnot.
I will need to experiment with it and add bypassing capacitor to help smooth out those noisy power lines.
Amanero external powering was explained by Quanghao back in April 2013 -
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/quanghao-audio-design/228755-dac-end-r-es9018-full-assembled-board-33.html#post3435398
Two points:
- the Amanero board must be modified to disable the incoming USB 5V power
- 3.3V USB supply on the DAC-END-R must be enabled with a jumper
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/quanghao-audio-design/228755-dac-end-r-es9018-full-assembled-board-33.html#post3435398
Two points:
- the Amanero board must be modified to disable the incoming USB 5V power
- 3.3V USB supply on the DAC-END-R must be enabled with a jumper
Yes, I see now what you mean. It would have been nice if Quanghao had modded the standard Amanero board installing a jumper to disable/enable the inboard 3.3V regulator. I haven't really the adequate solder iron nor the skills/sight to remove such tiny components.
Isn't possible though to do the same simply modding a regular USB cable by cutting the +5V line ( red wire ) ?.
Isn't possible though to do the same simply modding a regular USB cable by cutting the +5V line ( red wire ) ?.
Hi Artur5,
Like you said, I am also very reluctant to and do not have the eye sight to work on SMD component.
Many DIYers that play CAS, are doing what you said. They cut the 5V supply on the USB cable from the computer and feed a clean 5V to it. I did not bother to go this path. Instead I purchased a AQVOX which basically feed another 5 V to the USB. It did improve the sonic of USB source in my case.
As a DIYer, I am always having 'itchy' hand problems. So today I go about to tweak the DAC. For the Amanero board, I add capacitor to the power supply after both ap150 regulator. They are indeed very small physical size and difficult to work with.
There are 6 x 100uf solid caps around the ES9018. I did try to add bigger caps for the Vd 1.2V and 3.3V for the 9018. But they are small and limited space to work with. I give up at the end. Instead I add capacitors (good grades-Vishay 146 type) after the 2 main LT1963 regulator but before the Shunt regulator.
On top of that I add a 6800p bypass cap on top of the existing bypass cap for the output transformer. I will leave it as it is for now.
Like you said, I am also very reluctant to and do not have the eye sight to work on SMD component.
Many DIYers that play CAS, are doing what you said. They cut the 5V supply on the USB cable from the computer and feed a clean 5V to it. I did not bother to go this path. Instead I purchased a AQVOX which basically feed another 5 V to the USB. It did improve the sonic of USB source in my case.
As a DIYer, I am always having 'itchy' hand problems. So today I go about to tweak the DAC. For the Amanero board, I add capacitor to the power supply after both ap150 regulator. They are indeed very small physical size and difficult to work with.
There are 6 x 100uf solid caps around the ES9018. I did try to add bigger caps for the Vd 1.2V and 3.3V for the 9018. But they are small and limited space to work with. I give up at the end. Instead I add capacitors (good grades-Vishay 146 type) after the 2 main LT1963 regulator but before the Shunt regulator.
On top of that I add a 6800p bypass cap on top of the existing bypass cap for the output transformer. I will leave it as it is for now.
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Hi,
Thank you for your answer.
I dont know if there is a battery or not in the remote control.
I try to join Mr Guangao for several days and I have no answer to my messages.
And impossible to open this remote control.
I removed the screws of the remote control but it is impossible to open it.
The hood of the remote control does not come out.
It is because I am waiting answer from Guangao.
I would like to know if battery is on the remote or not.
If I have to buy a battery and How to open the remote.
Best regards.
Philippe
Thank you for your answer.
I dont know if there is a battery or not in the remote control.
I try to join Mr Guangao for several days and I have no answer to my messages.
And impossible to open this remote control.
I removed the screws of the remote control but it is impossible to open it.
The hood of the remote control does not come out.
It is because I am waiting answer from Guangao.
I would like to know if battery is on the remote or not.
If I have to buy a battery and How to open the remote.
Best regards.
Philippe
I have found what is the problem: the battery not include.
The rear face of remote control is very hard to remove because brought in in force.
Then having pull out the printed circuit I found the batterie place.
Now all is OK
Tnank you very much for your help.
Regards.
Philip
With the Gangao Dac and lundahl transformer version.
The rear face of remote control is very hard to remove because brought in in force.
Then having pull out the printed circuit I found the batterie place.
Now all is OK
Tnank you very much for your help.
Regards.
Philip
With the Gangao Dac and lundahl transformer version.
Hi, Quanghao and Andrea!
Could you please explain a couple of strange things in the coax spdif input schematics?
1. Isolation transformer is shorted;
2. Termination resistor is not 75ohm;
3. There is a 1uF cap in series with Spdif +, which is huge (it was 0.1uF on previous version of the dac).
The problem is: when i change my socket to true 75R bnc dac does not receive spdif anymore.
Thanks!
Daniil
Could you please explain a couple of strange things in the coax spdif input schematics?
1. Isolation transformer is shorted;
2. Termination resistor is not 75ohm;
3. There is a 1uF cap in series with Spdif +, which is huge (it was 0.1uF on previous version of the dac).
The problem is: when i change my socket to true 75R bnc dac does not receive spdif anymore.
Thanks!
Daniil
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