haha
actually i'm making an order at mouser tonight or tomorrow if you want me to add it
Hey qusp,
Appreciate it, you have my email, let me know!
Thanks Muchly!
Drew.
BIII U.FL input adapter testing
Because of the internal ASRC architecture, Sabre ESS DACs are quite sensitive to the jitter from the input signals. Both async mode and sync mode are. I like this adapter. It’s kind of perfect solution to introduce higher quality U.FL connectors into BIII DAC. But still not as good as DAC which comes with U.FL sockets originally placed on the PCB.
I did some test with this new adapter on my BIII yesterday. It works very well. I’ve noticed some improvement: With BIII (DPLL bandwidth set to lowest) working with I2S FIFO at SYNC mode, If feeding signals with this adapter and U.FL cables, DPLL locks solid never lost; However, without this adapter and U.FL cables, it will lost lock occasionally(every 10 minutes roughly).
The BIII input adapter has 9 U.FL footprints, can support all modes: Multi-S/PDIF, Stereo I2S, Multi-channel I2S, or multi-channel DSD.
I attached some pictures below just show how the adapter works. Actually the BIII input adapter and the clock adapter were integrated into one PCB. So usually, they come as a set. I’ll supply each FIFO user from GB II one set PCB for free. But to assemble them perfectly is a challenge.
Ian
Because of the internal ASRC architecture, Sabre ESS DACs are quite sensitive to the jitter from the input signals. Both async mode and sync mode are. I like this adapter. It’s kind of perfect solution to introduce higher quality U.FL connectors into BIII DAC. But still not as good as DAC which comes with U.FL sockets originally placed on the PCB.
I did some test with this new adapter on my BIII yesterday. It works very well. I’ve noticed some improvement: With BIII (DPLL bandwidth set to lowest) working with I2S FIFO at SYNC mode, If feeding signals with this adapter and U.FL cables, DPLL locks solid never lost; However, without this adapter and U.FL cables, it will lost lock occasionally(every 10 minutes roughly).
The BIII input adapter has 9 U.FL footprints, can support all modes: Multi-S/PDIF, Stereo I2S, Multi-channel I2S, or multi-channel DSD.
I attached some pictures below just show how the adapter works. Actually the BIII input adapter and the clock adapter were integrated into one PCB. So usually, they come as a set. I’ll supply each FIFO user from GB II one set PCB for free. But to assemble them perfectly is a challenge.
Ian
Attachments
Test of BIII clock adapter with ASYNC and SYNC mode
BIII didn’t design with SYNC mode originally. But with this small adapter, it can now. Thanks for the backdoor under the original XO footprint.
Assemble the adapter first. Then remove the CCHD950 from BIII PCB. Solder the three pins of the clock adapter into CLOCK, GND and VDD_XO on the BIII PCB. That’s all. The assembly looks pretty nice.
With U.FL cable connected to the external clock from FIFO clock board and onboard XO removed from the socket, ESS9018 works at SYNC mode; while with on board 100MHz CCHD950 plugged into the socket and external U.FL clock cable disconnected, it works at ASYNC mode. So, having this small BIII clock adapter, it will be very easy to switch between ASYNC and SYNC mode. So, different modes with different clocks will be experienced and a lot of researching and comparing are waiting.
Please see the pictures below for the configuration and details. Please note the name of pictures for the meanings.
BIII didn’t design with SYNC mode originally. But with this small adapter, it can now. Thanks for the backdoor under the original XO footprint.
Assemble the adapter first. Then remove the CCHD950 from BIII PCB. Solder the three pins of the clock adapter into CLOCK, GND and VDD_XO on the BIII PCB. That’s all. The assembly looks pretty nice.
With U.FL cable connected to the external clock from FIFO clock board and onboard XO removed from the socket, ESS9018 works at SYNC mode; while with on board 100MHz CCHD950 plugged into the socket and external U.FL clock cable disconnected, it works at ASYNC mode. So, having this small BIII clock adapter, it will be very easy to switch between ASYNC and SYNC mode. So, different modes with different clocks will be experienced and a lot of researching and comparing are waiting.
Please see the pictures below for the configuration and details. Please note the name of pictures for the meanings.
Attachments
Yes, it really good. Much better then the DIP connectors I used before. Signals improved obviously.
Ian
now you just need ackodac and forget adapters 
it was interesting to hear it confirmed your simple experiment showing unlocks every ~10mins before adapter and no unlocks after, very simple demonstration. your adapter is great, brings this signal integrity to those with BIII..almost
it was interesting to hear it confirmed your simple experiment showing unlocks every ~10mins before adapter and no unlocks after, very simple demonstration. your adapter is great, brings this signal integrity to those with BIII..almost
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I wouldnt call the ackodac average, it already uses the same interconnects, well w.fl not u.fl (smaller but fits on the u.fl pads) it would be pretty difficult to optimize an ESS layout any further and would cost a heap more to DIY. even if I had Ians skills the value proposition still just wouldnt be there, for me.
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Isn't the only way to buy a TOL Sabre is via a contract so consumers only have access thru these board/kits ? Would be nice to see an Ian PCM1704 based DAC PCB as an alterative.
Lovely work Ian!
While waiting, try out the SEN I/V.
Beats everything else I have tried hands down
I hope so, as well as the D1 IV
While waiting, try out the SEN I/V.
Beats everything else I have tried hands down
You can buy the chips as an individual in lots of 2 or more and you just have to ask for the datasheet these days, no NDA. if Ian was going to do the whole thing, integrated PSU, USB transport, fifo, master clock IV, MCU and DAC, then sure there would be reasons for doing that, but thats a heap of time and pretty huge cost for a small run or one off.
Regal, since its something that can just be easily done in a small enough time to do one just because someone else wants it, you know just as a favor, maybe you should design the 1704 dac if you want an alternative?
I simply cannot believe that you attempted to tell me that I was pressuring for a direction...
Nic, I already suggested the SEN as an option to Ian, think he had the same reservations as I do.
Regal, since its something that can just be easily done in a small enough time to do one just because someone else wants it, you know just as a favor, maybe you should design the 1704 dac if you want an alternative?
I simply cannot believe that you attempted to tell me that I was pressuring for a direction...
Nic, I already suggested the SEN as an option to Ian, think he had the same reservations as I do.
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Look.
If IANs reclocker ( or even less sophisticated approaches) causes as serious improvement on a DAC, that DAC can't be rated better than average.
I'd expect that a DAC manufacturer can do more then just adding standard parts on a board. The DAC (I2S) associated problems and challenges are known since years.
I think there is plenty of demand out there. Twisted Pear still runs their batch policy and each batch gets sold out.
With the reclocker IAN would have "the differentiator" in the pocket. What might be needed is a cooporation with Lucien with his WAVE-IO board for USB connectivity and galvanic isolation..
Could you please share those reservations. Maybe on the SEN thread not to go OT.
Is it the usual "can't work because it does not have zero input impedance" argument, without having actually listened to it?
nothing with the sound, just the complications of the PSU and reference in a dac thats already full of PSUs and regs, i've already voiced the same concerns in the SEN thread more than once. I dont see it as positive to go over it again. its more an inconvenience than a problem, but it was enough for me to pull the pin given the size and complication of my dac build already
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erm not quite sure how to reply to that. the fifo doesnt 'improve' the ackodac, just works with it rather well, the ackodac dac board is nothing but the dac chip, optional clock (or u.fl header) plus good decoupling, with w.fl input for signal and u.fl for the clock on a multilayer teflon PCB, so it literally plugs right in as it is.
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see, you are talking about a full blown commercial product, weve all already mentioned to Ian that it would sell, but you cant just mention something like that off the cuff.
Ian is obviously happy with DIY being a hobby, not trying to make a career out of it, we can presume he already has a career. hes not making money out of the fifo as it is at the current price, are you suggesting he makes a whole dac available at a similar price?
i've already said above it would perhaps present an advantage doing it all on one board or at least well integrated, but when there is already perfectly good solutions designed by others to use with what hes got already, the only reason would be money. I would be extremely surprised if it measured more than 1db better than what is possible already with modules. a proper and original well performing discrete analogue stage isnt a small undertaking either, I would say this is further out of Ians skillset than the USB.
Since you mention him, Lucien and Acko are already working together on a project, which could be interesting. interesting for others that is, i'm about done with dacs for quite a while I think and I cant justify building another one
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