Experience with this DIY DAC ?

[data]

On mine the RCA's are isolated and so are the transformers.

The '-' outputs of the DAC chip are not the same as a ground reference as It's a differential DAC chip, at least this is how I think it is (I may be wrong?)

The only reference to ground in my DAC is the one from the mains socket to the 0v connection to the anolog section of the PCB.

Someone can please correct me if I'm mistaken

[Franz Gysi]

The only reference to ground in my DAC is the one from the mains socket to the 0v connection to the anolog section of the PCB.

Someone can please correct me if I'm mistaken

This is unsafe practices!

Connect the mains sockets safety ground with a thick yellow/green litz wire DIRECTLY to a big screw (why not M6, I remember a lecture by Morgan Jones) with star washers to the enclosure.

The connection should not be soldered but crimped and the yellow/green wire should be longer as the mains wires (when you pull out accidentally the mains socket, the ground should be disconnected as the last wire).

You can left the DAC's ground and circuit floating.

Should you have some hum problems, you can connect the DAC's ground to the same M6 screw.

Franz

[xTr3Me]

Should you have some hum problems, you can connect the DAC's ground to the same M6 screw.

Or disconnect it :P
In my symasyms i cant connect the safety ground to the ground of the amp, else i have strange noise on the speakers. but i dont recommend to do so, since its not 100% safe.

[shuggi67]

Originally Posted by xTr3Me

well theres no ground between transformer and dac board required but i thought u have no ground on the rca connectors?
maybe i missunderstand you.

Yes you are correct the tamura trans connection has a ground connection but I dont think its required for the UTC-A20 I read about a 200 threads ago I think, If someone has a UTC-a20 can they please confirm this.
Thanks

[data]

Originally Posted by Franz Gysi

This is unsafe practices!

Connect the mains sockets safety ground with a thick yellow/green litz wire DIRECTLY to a big screw (why not M6, I remember a lecture by Morgan Jones) with star washers to the enclosure.

The connection should not be soldered but crimped and the yellow/green wire should be longer as the mains wires (when you pull out accidentally the mains socket, the ground should be disconnected as the last wire).

You can left the DAC's ground and circuit floating.

Should you have some hum problems, you can connect the DAC's ground to the same M6 screw.

Franz

I'm not too sure how connecting the mains earth to my MDF case is going to be much good

No hum issues here, or any other issues.

[Franz Gysi]

I'm not too sure how connecting the mains earth to my MDF case is going to be much good

Aha, MDF! Yes, also M6 does not help...

Sorry!

Franz

[data]

That's OK Franz, how were you to know

So are you also saying that the PCB doesn't require a connection to ground?

[Franz Gysi]

Yes, it is not needed.

However: when you connect it to ground, you will shot the fuse as soon as some circuit failure should appear.

So if you have no hum problems: don't touch a running system

Franz

[data]

Cheers mate

[Ryssen]

I to have the DAC on a MDF plate and there is no hum.