Experience with this DIY DAC ?

... i got the version DAC3_V9 too ... and I´ve got no problems at all ...

... this pcb kit was fully functional ...

And this is what i´ve read due to the last 170 pages too ... nobody having really trouble with that pcb ;-)

well i didnt read it in this thread besides from 2 people that wrote that they have problems during the last few days. well lets see.

fortunately i received my backplate and and the gigaworks dac board today ;)
the monacors are also already here.

now i want to test the dac board with the opamp section and see if everything is fine.

i have made some pics of my assembly, maybe you could take a look at it and say if its ok for testing or not:

assembly_overviewl2gq.jpg
assembly1w36o.jpg
assembly2i29f.jpg
assembly3j43q.jpg
assembly_bottom_talemav3ym.jpg


the bottom pcb view is the bottom of the pcb on which the talema is mounted. left side is 230V input and right side is 2x 9v combined for more VA. i tried to wire it like its shown here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/137976-experience-diy-dac-174.html#post2038598
(this is my talema)

p.s. sorry for the big pics but image posting absolutely doesnt work for me here... :(


edit:
im not sure if the connection from the talema transformer to the dac board is ok. on the dac board you can read 9V and 0V,
but which output from the talema is 0V?? is it for the grounding conductor? maybe i also need to connect the grounding to the 0V connector next to the 13V connectors,,,
 
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Extr3me
There should be a centre tap '0' going between the two 13v inputs, and a 0v
You need a 9v and a 0v going to the inputs on the right, that's not two 9v is it?

And what is with the Blue & Green wires going to near the RCA outputs?

I'm just a little confused...
 
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the bottom pcb view is the bottom of the pcb on which the talema is mounted. left side is 230V input and right side is 2x 9v combined for more VA. i tried to wire it like its shown here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/137976-experience-diy-dac-174.html#post2038598
(this is my talema)

p.s. sorry for the big pics but image posting absolutely doesnt work for me here... :(


edit:
im not sure if the connection from the talema transformer to the dac board is ok. on the dac board you can read 9V and 0V,
but which output from the talema is 0V?? is it for the grounding conductor? maybe i also need to connect the grounding to the 0V connector next to the 13V connectors,,,

Sorry for being the new guy with stupid questions... what is the blue thing and what does it do? I can tell it's something to do with the power coming in, or course.
 
DIY Dac

Hi all,
Looking at the wiring of the transformers for xTR3me the toroidal transformer secondary is not correct. It must be either one winding 13-0-13 with the centre tap going to the 0V terminal or two windings 0-13 plus 0-13 with the 13V tap from one winding and the 0V tap from the other winding connected to the centre tap and the remaining 0V and 13V taps going to the respective 13V terminals. It is done this way to keep the power transformer phases correct.
You may find the start of each of the secondary windings either marked with a dot or labelled "start"
I use a 15 V secondary tx here and it is not a problem.

John Caswell
 
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Joined 2007
With mine I have a 0v and a 9v going to the two inputs on the right (digital section) and because I'm not powering the anolog section I just have a earth wire going to the centre '0' on the left inputs.

So you need on the two inputs on the right one 9v and one 0v wire.

On the inputs on the left you need 13v and a 0v and a 13v.
 
Hi

I have also joined the Big DAC club and have it in front of me now. I bought it as a consequence of this excellent thread and the one on Stereo Net.au. I have read every post and page over three days! Hell of a thread. Very grateful to the experts and fellow owners for their superb efforts in sharing info.

It's interesting to see the variations in design and components used during the life span of this DAC. I imagine the creator out-sources assembly and uses whatever components are to hand rather than making critical decisions regarding effect on sound. How much difference in sound these choices make would be interesting to hear. It's encouraging however to see Dale and Welwyn high quality resistors throughout. Would changing the large 3300uF and green Sanyo 1500uF power supply caps for say Panasonic FC or Nichicons reap any benefit?

I am still waiting for the the power transformer (R-core R26-34 form ebay) to arrive so I cannot test it yet. I plan to try the output transformer mod and would likely sell my own Grandmother to get a nice pair of UTC A-20's but these are very thin on the ground. Got my eye on a couple but we will see. If anybody is thinking of selling theirs then please get in touch.

Could someone tell me if Lundhal LL1527 are suitable as there are some on ebay at the moment at good price. I have already cheked the spec against the recommendations here and feel the bandwidth is too small. But would like confirmation from an expert.

Thanks again to the forum and I will post my progress as it develops

Rich
 
well thats what i know already from the pcb.. but well.. i dont know which cables from the transformer are 13v and 13v, or in my case 12v and 12v.

and the post from john is very confusing and makes it more complicated for me..

the only thing i know so far is that i need an earthing wire for the two 0v points, but john writes something different?
 
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Joined 2007
well thats what i know already from the pcb.. but well.. i dont know which cables from the transformer are 13v and 13v, or in my case 12v and 12v.

and the post from john is very confusing and makes it more complicated for me..

the only thing i know so far is that i need an earthing wire for the two 0v points, but john writes something different?
Normally you would have a toroidal that is centre tapped 13-0-13 and a transformer with 9-0 for the other input. or a transformer with more than one secondary to power both.

Personally I avoid toroidal transformers when looking to power a low level device like a DAC.
 
Cheers Data

Hmm, the Lundahls are possibly too good to be true but at the price could be worth a go. Unless told otherwise I might hold out for A-20's or Cinemag's if I ever get a response for a quote. Did anybody have much joy with The Edcor XSM600/600's? Can't seem to find a review on these.

I'm thinking Nichicon FG's for the 3300uF's and Panasonic FC's for the 1500uF's
 
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Joined 2007
Rich, the only thing that worries me with replacing those caps is the crap solder on the board, would hate to take the old caps out and not get a clean connection with the new ones.

Edit:extr3me, I think you earth the black probe of the multimeter and take you readings of each wire with the red probe, but check with Vince or someone first.
 
Cheers Data

Hmm, the Lundahls are possibly too good to be true but at the price could be worth a go. Unless told otherwise I might hold out for A-20's or Cinemag's if I ever get a response for a quote. Did anybody have much joy with The Edcor XSM600/600's? Can't seem to find a review on these.

The LL1690s are good. But at half the price I somehow don't think the LL1527s are anything special.
I would go for th A-20s or the Cinemags instead. Cinemag don't seem to understand the term "customer service" too well - they take forever to respond to emails.
I've never heard any complaints regarding the Edcors. I guess at $25/pr it's pretty hard to complain.
A couple of high end DAC manufacturers (Audial, Neko) are using the new Jensen JT-11-BMCFs. If they weren't so darn expensive I'd be tempted to give them a try.