Hey Jean-paul,
Can you please expand on this. If I remember correctly you have a lot of good experience with building things from scratch. How would you suggest this mod be accomplished and do you have any experience with an available kit that exploits the features of the advanced WM chips?
Ha ha you don't believe that do you ?CS8416 is not good in recovering anything at all. Its crippled by too much functionality and it is not focussed on quality. If you guys would like this DAC chip to perform optimally you could think of using WM8804 or WM8805. That will be the mod of mods for this DAC.
Yes ! Please isolate the BNC from the case. BTW I am not an expert but I think it would be beneficial to use a SPDIF transformer if the DAC is going to be connected with a computer as I see a ground loop there. Maybe a more experienced computer audio enthusiast can shed a light on this ?
What is your opinion of the PCM1794? So far I quite like this chip....
Toroid replaced with R-Core transformer.
If what I think I'm hearing is real, I regret I didn't use R-core from the beginning. The cleanliness of the sound is outstanding with a brightness that didn't bring any grit or fuzz along with it. Dynamics are great.
My hesitation is based on not having done a direct A/B comparison, but I will build an outboard rig that will allow only the power pads on the PCB to be switched.
If this improvement is real and not a case of hearing what one wants to - I will seriously consider spending the extra to power the Fremen Edition amps with R-Cores.
I'll report after the A/B in a few days.
If what I think I'm hearing is real, I regret I didn't use R-core from the beginning. The cleanliness of the sound is outstanding with a brightness that didn't bring any grit or fuzz along with it. Dynamics are great.
My hesitation is based on not having done a direct A/B comparison, but I will build an outboard rig that will allow only the power pads on the PCB to be switched.
If this improvement is real and not a case of hearing what one wants to - I will seriously consider spending the extra to power the Fremen Edition amps with R-Cores.
I'll report after the A/B in a few days.
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Slider, That was my understanding also, and from most of what I have read R-cores are the top choice for preamps and DACs, while toroids are best for power amps. But I am aware that many European and Asian LM3886 builders stick with R-cores in everything. My concern would be with how an R-core would handle the lower mids and bass registers. It's certainly a choice worth investigating. I believe both Dario and linuxguru are using them. Hopefully they will tell us.
Sadly, I haven't had the time to successfully debug the other DAC, but will spend some time on it next week.
Being a glutton for punishment - I'm also taking a look at these developments. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/200921-es9023-dac-pcb.html#post2789626
Hey, When you want to buy a Steinway in New York, they put you in a room with twenty pianos to choose from. So why should DACs be any different?
Sadly, I haven't had the time to successfully debug the other DAC, but will spend some time on it next week.
Being a glutton for punishment - I'm also taking a look at these developments. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/200921-es9023-dac-pcb.html#post2789626
Hey, When you want to buy a Steinway in New York, they put you in a room with twenty pianos to choose from. So why should DACs be any different?
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This would be a complete redesign or a kind of replacement receiver PCB. I have also bought this AKM DAC and thought about it but I found the DAC chip itself less good than other DACs I have so I did not continue with this.
To be honest I don't bother anymore to put time in DACs that have CS8416 and a DAC chip that could be better. The Wolfsons (but also DIR9001) are the basis for a good DAC at the moment. If I were to find a new DAC (that I don't design myself) I would look for a well designed DAC with WM8804/5 and a WM8741/ESS DAC chip. There must be Ebay "kits" that use those.
Regarding PCM1794: I heard it and liked it but that particular DAC was not mine. Never played with it but I have some PCM chips. For now I am busy with the ES9023. I am waiting for the first guy that compares it to this AKM kit. I think I know which one is better but this is an assumption. One of the builders of our ES9023 DAC finds it sounding better than Oppo 83SE NuForce and a W4S DAC2....
BTW may I suggest to use an isolated version of the fuse holder you have used ? That one seems outright dangerous. There are very nice connector blocks with built in fuse available.
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IMHO, no way!
R-Cores have measured better performance (according to manifacturers) than toroids in noise, radiated field and regulation...
All parameters that makes them ideal in low signal apps (preamp, DACs ad so on).
Their also very good in high power apps like power amplifiers but are less used since they cost more than toroids.
Subjectively speaking, in my experience, R-Cores sound fuller and more refined than toroids and are deadly quiet.
Hey Dario, I remember you talking about that and the last time I looked the shipping costs for R-cores was just about equal to the price of the product - for the big ones. But from what I'm hearing today, it just might be worth it. I did send a message to Antek back then asking if they could build some or if they knew of a U.S. source. Didn't get a reply - but I'll ring them up on Monday.
I can easily see me chasing my tail searching for caps and resistors that produce this sound. As a trombone player who sat next to the trumpet section for years, this is the closest I've heard to the real world timbre I've been looking for. The space between the instruments is amazing. All you folks who bought or built with these have been way ahead me.
Jean-Paul, that holder isn't quite a dangerous as it looks from the top, and they do make a cover that fits. I was considering buying some like you mentioned as I finished this morning, but am also considering another factor. The photo shows what I have been using for a couple years on most builds. It was suggested that the filtered inlet was great for receivers and such, but unnecessary - or even detrimental - in the single function builds we are doing.
What has your experience been?
I can easily see me chasing my tail searching for caps and resistors that produce this sound. As a trombone player who sat next to the trumpet section for years, this is the closest I've heard to the real world timbre I've been looking for. The space between the instruments is amazing. All you folks who bought or built with these have been way ahead me.
Jean-Paul, that holder isn't quite a dangerous as it looks from the top, and they do make a cover that fits. I was considering buying some like you mentioned as I finished this morning, but am also considering another factor. The photo shows what I have been using for a couple years on most builds. It was suggested that the filtered inlet was great for receivers and such, but unnecessary - or even detrimental - in the single function builds we are doing.
What has your experience been?
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Mmm, I will be punished for this. Safety is important and filtering of the mains voltage is nice. I used mains filters with PE for quite some years.
However, nowadays I build my own DACs without PE and I use filtering before and after the transformer with ferrite cores and such. Electrical fundamentalists will condemn me for this but IMO the results are best (sound wise). Since I am in this hobby to get best results I do it like this and then building it safe becomes a challenge. Isolators under the transformer, extra isolation on wires soldered to mains switches etc. Not a technique I wish to brag about and also not one that I must advertise to unexperienced builders.
I use these cords and their chassis mount connectors now for DACs (for power amps I use PE connected IEC connectors):
However, nowadays I build my own DACs without PE and I use filtering before and after the transformer with ferrite cores and such. Electrical fundamentalists will condemn me for this but IMO the results are best (sound wise). Since I am in this hobby to get best results I do it like this and then building it safe becomes a challenge. Isolators under the transformer, extra isolation on wires soldered to mains switches etc. Not a technique I wish to brag about and also not one that I must advertise to unexperienced builders.
I use these cords and their chassis mount connectors now for DACs (for power amps I use PE connected IEC connectors):
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