Help me pick a DAC kit

[atharva]

Ok, thanks. What about the MUSE? Also, is it true that the WM8741 is the king or are the others like AK4393 and PCM179x equally good?

[jean-paul]

Ahem, do a search here on ES9023 and forget I told it.

[jeromeaparis]

Hi,
I did order the DAC/ headphone amp SMSL SD-793II
and I will give some feedback here as soon as tested.

à AmpliFire: Non, I do not think these may be fake Wimas !
I do use them (1uF, 0,1uF and others) regularly and they look real !
Wimas are pretty cheap in quantities.
Don't be too paranoid, in case they would be fakes, the Burr Brown components
would be fake too !

Jerome

[BrianDonegan]

Originally Posted by AmpliFire

The red Wima film caps in the SMSL ebay add seem very counterfeit to me. Never seen any Wima without series identification and very poor labelling (printing) like those. Prepare for some genuine parts replacement....

Wima caps come with both types of marking (printed on the side and stamped on the top). It depends on the factory/machinery they were made in/on. They look legit to me.

[superR]

Originally Posted by jeromeaparis

Hi,
I did order the DAC/ headphone amp SMSL SD-793II
and I will give some feedback here as soon as tested.

I am interested in your feedback. Please report back to us as soon as you have listened to it properly.

[vinodt1347]

Hi, I have tried a few DAC kits. I cant make much of a diff. between them. I tried the 4396, a kit based on WM 8740, CS4397 lampucera and DAC7 now based on dual WM 8741.
inputs from a Squeezebox touch and output to a P101 mosfet based amp about 60WPC. Speakers are B&W 685. Maybe I should try the twistedpearaudio B3SE based on the famous Sabre DAC. I havent actually compared with a commercial DAC.

[BrianDonegan]

Originally Posted by vinodt1347

Hi, I have tried a few DAC kits. I cant make much of a diff. between them. I tried the 4396, a kit based on WM 8740, CS4397 lampucera and DAC7 now based on dual WM 8741.
inputs from a Squeezebox touch and output to a P101 mosfet based amp about 60WPC. Speakers are B&W 685. Maybe I should try the twistedpearaudio B3SE based on the famous Sabre DAC. I havent actually compared with a commercial DAC.

Are you listening to MP3 files or FLAC files via the Squeezebox?

[vinodt1347]

Mostly FLAC 24/96. Could be the SBT's issue..

[dankal6]

Hi all, i have cs4397 lampucera dac with 6h6n tube output and i'm thhinking about some upgrade. I heard that pcm1798 with tube out is much better of my old cs version, so i think i'll go this way. Maybe You have compared these both dacs?

[jeromeaparis]

Hi, I just received my SMSL SD-793II

I did a first short test with my cd walkman SL-S600 panasonic (not the best digital signal) , with optical connection,
for my new chinese headphone: Superlux HD330 (sounds a bit as Beyer DT990)
The package was small and very well protected.
The finish of the converter is excellent.

The sound with this headphone (150 ohms) is very good with great dynamic,
stereo separation, deep big bass, spatiality ...
(I think the sound as always can be very different with various phones.
With my headphone Sony mdr-V6, there is a lack of bass and too much high medium.)
The test today is for my Superlux HD-330, and I do not mean it will be the same for all HD-330 phones
as I did allready heard another HD-330 that had a different sound with less bass than mine.

The sound is powerfull, warm, analog or tuby like.
As the attack of each sound is soft, I guess that the DAC is oversampling in 24 bits and 192khz
(I know this kind of sound, that you can compare somewhere with sacd but with less resolution)
In consequence the effect of sharpness is relativly low at the opposite of the mp3 or the 16bits 44khz oversampling.

This is not an agressive sound, there is a lot of details and different atmospheres vibing together BUT you have to listen carefully.

I know nearly every component inside the box is of very high grade.
Burr Brown converter, one of the best.
Burr Brown OPA2134, I know it well, dynamic, warm, big bass...
it is plug on a dip8 socket and could be changed for an AD826 or a LM4562
AD826 is sharper but still warm,
LM4562 is very sharp but colder and less bass.

The three chemical capacitors inside the box are Elna,
but miniature RE3 type: they can stand verticaly.
They could be changed for Elna Silmic II, much bigger
(that I know are the best audio caps) if they can fit in horizontal position.

The small AC/DC transformer that gives the 9V to the input of the SMSL-1793
could be changed for a higher quality transformer.
When you plug it in 220 or 110V , beware there is a good side, another side give more agressive high mediums !

So I think that this is a great DAC / phone amp that can be still be easily improved, specialy for the actual low price is extremely low,
the overall quality is excellent, but like all headphone amps it can sound differently on various phones.




Jerome