Any good TDA1541A DAC kit?

[Joshua_G]

Is there any good TDA1541A DAC kit, on eBay or elsewhere?

[Stixx]

Go as far as the Group Buy section...

"Reference" TDA1541A DAC with I2S-BUS architecture

[ThorstenL]

Hi Joshua,

Originally Posted by Joshua_G

Is there any good TDA1541A DAC kit, on eBay or elsewhere?

I personally would suggest the boards from ecdesigns. While in many areas relying on somewhat different detailed technical solutions, John Brown's design goals and aims resonate closely with my own. I would expect his board to perform as well as the CD-77.

All of the e-bay kits that I have seen have severe design flaws.

The groupbuy PCB Set is in theory better than the e-bay kits, but the PCB implementation is severely flawed, I would suggest fatally so. The layout is even more inappropriate for high speed mixed signal use. and while the powersupplies on the paper are very good, they way they are implemented will make them mostly worse than a simple 3-pin reg right next to the IC's.

The "reference" in the name seems to point to it being a reference to how many group buy kits here are made and how it should NOT be done, that is by using "cut/paste" from a range of disparate sources and mashing it all up in the hope the results will be outstanding.

Ciao T

[Joshua_G]

Thanks Thorsten.

[Stixx]

The "reference" in the name seems to point to it being a reference to how many group buy kits here are made and how it should NOT be done, that is by using "cut/paste" from a range of disparate sources and mashing it all up in the hope the results will be outstanding.

Good to hear that...

[Joshua_G]

Originally Posted by ThorstenL

I personally would suggest the boards from ecdesigns. While in many areas relying on somewhat different detailed technical solutions, John Brown's design goals and aims resonate closely with my own. I would expect his board to perform as well as the CD-77.

Since ecdesigns' latest boards are only DAC module with a card reader, I'll need a good quality SPDIF to I2S converter.

[ThorstenL]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Joshua_G

Since ecdesigns' latest boards are only DAC module with a card reader, I'll need a good quality SPDIF to I2S converter.

Yes, that or a USB to I2S interface. Any Async one should do well once you get the clocks improved, ecdesigns boards already have the reclocker...

Ciao T

[Joshua_G]

How about those: S/PDIF 4:1 Receiver/MUX Module , The S/PDIF Transceiver Module ?

[ThorstenL]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Joshua_G

How about those: S/PDIF 4:1 Receiver/MUX Module , The S/PDIF Transceiver Module ?

Cirrus Logic SPDIF receiver. I suspect you could do worse in terms of jitter rejection, but not much.

You would be much better off using your CD-777 as DAC, TBH.

It is better than most generic TDA1541 stuff and it can handle all input sample rates between 44.1KHz and 192KHz except 176.4KHz via SPDIF (this is not officially supported BTW and some over/upsampling modes can create havoc if you use this with > 48KHz sample rates, USB is 48KHz max).

Measured Jitter is quite low (if you do not mistake Tube Stage noise and some very low level hum for jitter, as the editor of a famous UK HiFi rag did...), in the 250ps Peak-Peak and less than 50ps RMS, if I calculated and remembered right.

Ciao T

[cirrus18]

Originally Posted by ThorstenL

Hi Joshua,

All of the e-bay kits that I have seen have severe design flaws.

Ciao T

If this is the case what if any DAC kit or a ready assembled kit could you recommend? please.