Supplier for Poppulse PCM1796?

[bleachershane]

After too long considering DAC options, last night I stumbled upon the Poppulse PCM1796 DAC and I think it might be the one... I know there is a MKII version out there and have no idea if it's worth the extra cost?

So my question is if anyone knows of a reliable supplier to Europe (namely the UK) and if anyone has had experience with any suppliers they've dealt with?

These are the ones Google throws up, experiences/reviews appreciated:

CryoParts Pop Pulse 1796 DAC

Lucky Frog Audio are proud to introduce the new PopPulse PCM1796 USB DAC . This DAC is amazing value and features a USB 2 input, two piece chassis design and digital optical and coaxial inputs (No contact details and a big CLOSED all over the background?!)

diykits

Poppulse - POPPULSE PCM1796 - DAC USB2.0 24Bit/192KHz (not in stock but the best price I've seen so far)

Audiomagus - high end not high priced audio products

NEW PopPulse PCM1796 DAC MkII (Details the MKII differences, are they worth it?)

Pop Pulse 1796 USB DAC

ihatehifi.com - hi-fi audio at it's best - Sources - Pop Pulse 1796

discovery hifi : Purchase

Any comments or other options gratefully recieved... If anyone has heard/bought the DAC themselves some opinions would be great!

 

[abraxalito]

I/V opamps are NE5532 and soldered in, but at least they're DIL. So if you'd like to tweak the sound (who doesn't?) how are your desoldering skills? Output opamp is socketed but I find rolling this makes less difference than the I/V opamps.

 

[bleachershane]

My usual choice of op-amp is the LM4562 so they'd certainly be in within no time! What is the output op-amp? Do you like the sound of the unit if you have it?

 

[abraxalito]

Output opamp looks to be LM4562 so you'll be fine there. I doubt I'd like the sound of the unit stock, I'm fussy - but it looks to be a good basis for getting a good sound. I'd start by sorting out the grounding - most DAC designers don't seem to have much of a clue about that However it seems to be using groundplanes so could be a bit messy to get the sound I'd want...

 

[bleachershane]

If I liked the sound of the unit stock there'd be nothing for me to 'do' to it hehe

But I know what you mean, I've read in a lot of places that budget DAC designers need a crash course in grounding! Something I can always tinker with...

In general I wonder how this would fire up against a Zhaolu D3 (the DAC I've been considering for about a year now)... On basic levels, the PCM1796 vs the CS4398 (but we all know there's SO much more than chip vs. chip in these things...)

My experience of the CS4398 (in my E-MU 1616M soundcard) is very favourable but I've also begun to read a lot of very good things about the PCM1796... I'm very much a 'detail' man, I want to hear everything and the CS4398 gave me levels of detail I'd not heard in any of my other equipment.

Dilemmas, gotta love them!