ezkcdude said:Ray, I visited your website tonight. I love the fact that you use my disclaimer! I must disclose (or disclaim) my own disclaimer, which is to say I am not a lawyer, so I'm not sure it will keep you or I out of real legal problems, if they ever were to occur.
Hope you don't mind
. When I visited your website I realized it would be a good thing to add a disclaimer to mine too. I like the lawyer part, made me think it would cover all legal issues in case somebody blew up their cd-player, so I simply copied your's (lazy @ss...) .I'm planning to add an 'EzDAC' section to my website, do you mind if I link to your website there?
Cool, i'll send you some hi-rez pics soon, for now I just took a few quick shots to post here, but you may have those too if you like.
Regards,
Ray
Re: Re: Re: Re: EzDAC in progress...
Yep, I have a second board. When i'm finished with this DAC, i'm thinking about building the PCB without the input receiver and experimenting a bit with the ASRC directly connected to the I2S lines in my SA8400 and see what that does. It avoids the transportation of the S/P-DIF signal through a coax cable and the digital-out circuitry in the player. I'll probably hook it up to the discrete output stage as well while i'm at it
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I don't have much comment on your design, it looks very neat as it is! A silkscreen would be nice though, and separate connections for the analog +12V, but those are minor issues. I agree with you: it should be a modders board, with lots of possible ways to connect it to various PSUs or output arrangements. Maybe it's an idea to do the I/V conversion with a transimpedance-amp and use a dual opamp for that, and leave the dif-to-single-ended part outside the board (or make the board a bit bigger...)? But I don't know if the benefit of a virtual GND at the DACs output will beat the passive way of the 25R resistor. Or make the filter just a tad bit more flexible and use something like this: AN048Rev2.pdf.
Or something that supports DSD would be nice too.
The camera I use is just a compact Canon A520 4MP. But I use good lighting so I can work without flash at 50 or 100 ISO, that works pretty neat and the noise is still within limits this way. It's a very nice camera. Only a bit of fish-eye distortion sometimes, when I get too close.
Regards,
Ray
ezkcdude said:Of course.
Yep, I have a second board. When i'm finished with this DAC, i'm thinking about building the PCB without the input receiver and experimenting a bit with the ASRC directly connected to the I2S lines in my SA8400 and see what that does. It avoids the transportation of the S/P-DIF signal through a coax cable and the digital-out circuitry in the player. I'll probably hook it up to the discrete output stage as well while i'm at it
.I don't have much comment on your design, it looks very neat as it is! A silkscreen would be nice though
, and separate connections for the analog +12V, but those are minor issues. I agree with you: it should be a modders board, with lots of possible ways to connect it to various PSUs or output arrangements. Maybe it's an idea to do the I/V conversion with a transimpedance-amp and use a dual opamp for that, and leave the dif-to-single-ended part outside the board (or make the board a bit bigger...)? But I don't know if the benefit of a virtual GND at the DACs output will beat the passive way of the 25R resistor. Or make the filter just a tad bit more flexible and use something like this: AN048Rev2.pdf.Or something that supports DSD would be nice too
. The camera I use is just a compact Canon A520 4MP. But I use good lighting so I can work without flash at 50 or 100 ISO, that works pretty neat and the noise is still within limits this way. It's a very nice camera. Only a bit of fish-eye distortion sometimes, when I get too close.
Regards,
Ray
t. said:Excellent news Ray
As you can see my Ezdac further up http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1180743#post1180743 I've added a few bits and pieces to mine, PFM flea for the 5v, Burson disrete regs for the +/-12v, PFM Flea for the XO, THS4031 op-amps, linked out the input Spdif 10nf cap on the positive in (my transport and modded SB3 already have coupling and pulse transormer)
Funny thing is I compared a few different type of caps including ZA's, few BG NX Hi-Q's, tants for the decoupling, for some reason I liked tants the best, if you can try comparing the 2 x 47uf types for the VCOM pins, I compared a few here, in my system these two caps had quite an effect on the sound, I now have temporary little sockets fitted on the VCOM pins to allow quick comparing
Hi t.,
Looks very nice! I'm going to use The Flea for the XO too, but i'm waiting for Martin to do another board-run...
Maybe i'm going to make a few boards myself, i've already transferred the design into Eagle, i'm getting impatient
. I have two more players waiting for a Flea-transplant 
. You know The Flea's current can be boosted with an external transistor?I'm going to try BG NX Hi-Q for the VCOM and after the +/-12V regs. Dunno if that will improve things much, but the ZA's are in there now because i'm waiting for my BG order to be processed. It's those holidays that keep us DIY'ers from DIY'ing in our holiday...
Regards,
Ray
6h5c said:
Hi t.,
Looks very nice! I'm going to use The Flea for the XO too, but i'm waiting for Martin to do another board-run...
Maybe i'm going to make a few boards myself, i've already transferred the design into Eagle, i'm getting impatient
Yes, I could do with a few more of them to, if Martins reading, please hurry with those flea pcbs
I have a modded flea with the current boost transistor in my TDA1541 dac but I think it still can only do 100mA, I don't know the exact current of the 3.3v on the Ezdac but all IC's 3.3v are run from that reg, I'd imagine its much higher than 100mA
The 47uf ZA's I tried gave a slight etched tone to the highs, BG NX-Hi Q was a little better.
Anyway keep us updated Ray, its great to have another member who's built one of these, theres always plenty of projects to keep us busy
You could potentially regulate each section with an external power source, and simply not use the LM317/37's. Just plug the line in where the Vout pin would go. The positive rail is connected along the regulator input pins, not output. Of course, you could still populate the output caps. And don't worry, it won't offend me, if none of the onboard regulators are used .
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Ok, i'll keep you updated . If I have some more pics i'll post them here. Maybe I can find some time tomorrow to assemble it further. And I have to update my website too. And listen to a new cable I aquired recently (Nordost Red Dawn). Oh, and some new (SA)CD's. Busy, busy...
I like the on-board regulators by the way. It seems a good thing to have the power regulated close to the IC's, that's why I still use them. IIRC the 3.3V current is under 100mA. Maybe i'm going to put in some nice shunt-regulators if I like this DAC enough. And raise my Tentlabs stock a bit. I saw there is a 24.576MHz XO on the website by the way . Time for another order soon I think...
Ray
. If I have some more pics i'll post them here. Maybe I can find some time tomorrow to assemble it further. And I have to update my website too. And listen to a new cable I aquired recently (Nordost Red Dawn). Oh, and some new (SA)CD's. Busy, busy... I like the on-board regulators by the way. It seems a good thing to have the power regulated close to the IC's, that's why I still use them. IIRC the 3.3V current is under 100mA. Maybe i'm going to put in some nice shunt-regulators if I like this DAC enough. And raise my Tentlabs stock a bit
. I saw there is a 24.576MHz XO on the website by the way . Time for another order soon I think...Ray
t. said:
A maxed out PCM1794 would give it a good fight
Based on Ray's comments in the CD63/7 mods list thread I'd expect it to better a CD63 by miles. But Ray hasn't heard a fully "tricked out" CD63, so it's not clear cut by any stretch. This is a project I must try, but first I have a holiday to pay for and one or two other high priorities. When I can afford it I want to do this!
My CD player gives me loads of grief, so I'd love to at least abandon the moving parts and just use a PC/squeezebox as the source.
I've never owned one but I've heard three different souped up 63's, a standard 63KI and the Cd6000KI, the standard units sounded quite poor IMO, lookng at the circuit they are decent units but seem to need a lot of money and time spent on them, tbh if I had one I'd concentrate on just turning it into a decent transport.
You add some of those nice regs, clockcircuitry and a discrete output stage to the Ezdac it really sings!! only dac I've heard so far that rivals it is my Pedja dac using a double crown TDA1541A
Since buying a SB3, modding it to feed the dacs I've never looked back tbh I've messed about with enough CDP's now and none have come close to the sound I'm getting now
You add some of those nice regs, clockcircuitry and a discrete output stage to the Ezdac it really sings!! only dac I've heard so far that rivals it is my Pedja dac using a double crown TDA1541A
Since buying a SB3, modding it to feed the dacs I've never looked back tbh
I've messed about with enough CDP's now and none have come close to the sound I'm getting now
Well I'm sure your 63 sounds very good, its nice to start these projects just to see what you can squeeze out of a standard unit
At least the dac does not cost to much to build, you can try it as standard, if you like it just add various bits like better regs etc when you can, maybe even take some of the upgraded parts out of your Marantz output stage to save you a bit
I keep meaning to try out that discrete output stage you you guys use in the Marantz as soon as I can get the board etched, the thing I like about the current op-amp in there at the minute for the gainstage is that no coupling cap is needed
At least the dac does not cost to much to build, you can try it as standard, if you like it just add various bits like better regs etc when you can, maybe even take some of the upgraded parts out of your Marantz output stage to save you a bit
I keep meaning to try out that discrete output stage you you guys use in the Marantz as soon as I can get the board etched, the thing I like about the current op-amp in there at the minute for the gainstage is that no coupling cap is needed
It's always nice not to have a coupling cap, but Ray's stage sounds miles better than any op-amp I've heard even with a mediocre cap in the path! Especially nice now as it's fed from low noise regulators. I could hack this out (although that would feel sad!) and put it in a different DAC project if it was significantly better sounding than the CD63KI.
It just depends what you want to spend, if possible you could try the modded SB3/Dac route and keep your modified CD63 as is, like you say seems a shame to hack it after all the work that’s gone into it, it'll still beat the crud out of a lot of other commercial CDP's costing much more
I'm looking forward to Rays output stage, I'll try it without the input filter and run it straight after the I/V resistors, it only needs the resistors feeding the THS4031 op-amps I use in the Ezdac removing
I'm looking forward to Rays output stage, I'll try it without the input filter and run it straight after the I/V resistors, it only needs the resistors feeding the THS4031 op-amps I use in the Ezdac removing
Hi guys,
Did some serious listening to my new EzDAC last week, and I found it already outperforms the CD section of my SA8400 while it's not even finished yet! Very nice first listening results! Not finished yet, as I want to fit a Flea in there, and i'm still waiting for a few BG's to arrive, hopefully next week... I wonder if it's also going to beat my SA8400 SACD playback, it's already somewhere in between now...
Anyone happen to have a spare Flea PCB? Or two, as I have a CD63KI waiting also.
Regards,
Ray
Did some serious listening to my new EzDAC last week, and I found it already outperforms the CD section of my SA8400 while it's not even finished yet! Very nice first listening results! Not finished yet, as I want to fit a Flea in there, and i'm still waiting for a few BG's to arrive, hopefully next week... I wonder if it's also going to beat my SA8400 SACD playback, it's already somewhere in between now...
Anyone happen to have a spare Flea PCB? Or two, as I have a CD63KI waiting also
. Regards,
Ray
6h5c said:Hi guys,
Did some serious listening to my new EzDAC last week, and I found it already outperforms the CD section of my SA8400 while it's not even finished yet! Very nice first listening results! Not finished yet, as I want to fit a Flea in there, and i'm still waiting for a few BG's to arrive, hopefully next week... I wonder if it's also going to beat my SA8400 SACD playback, it's already somewhere in between now...
Anyone happen to have a spare Flea PCB? Or two, as I have a CD63KI waiting also
Regards,
Ray
Ray, I'm very happy you are enjoying the DAC! I saw your positive comments in the Marantz thread, as well. Maybe if enough people get interested I can place a larger order of boards, and get them silkscreened/solder masked...without increasing the price at all.
Ray, one last thing...I always like to know whether people used 1% or 0.1% matched resistors for the output section. What did you do there?
Me very happy too !
I think I would be interested in another two boards, especially if they have a solder mask. I know a few fellow-DIY'ers, who'd like to build the DAC, that would appreciate that very much, considering their soldering-skills.
I used 0,1% resistors in the output-section. I didn't match them any further, they should be nearly identical. I have very low offset at the output now, only one or two mV. Maybe if I build another one I'll match them even further, with a six-digit 4-wire ohmmeter I can use at work.
Regards,
Ray
!I think I would be interested in another two boards, especially if they have a solder mask. I know a few fellow-DIY'ers, who'd like to build the DAC, that would appreciate that very much, considering their soldering-skills
.I used 0,1% resistors in the output-section. I didn't match them any further, they should be nearly identical. I have very low offset at the output now, only one or two mV. Maybe if I build another one I'll match them even further, with a six-digit 4-wire ohmmeter I can use at work
.Regards,
Ray
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