Audio Alchemy Dac Man

[carlosfm]

Hi Alex,
I've own Dac Man for a year an then sold it to buy a DDE v3.0.
This was some years ago.
Anyway, my brother bought one too, and still has it.
I made a stabilized PSU for my brother, and it gave big improvements in sound (specially in the bass definition).
Anyway, the details are:
PSU: +/- 12 volts (and ground), on a stereo headphone plug.
Dac: Crystal 18 bits (I don't remember the code).
Op-amp: PMI OP275

Internally you have several (yes!) 78L05/79L05 for the digital seccion and 78L09/79L09 for the op-amp (it's only one).
You'll have big improvements with a stabilized +/-12v PSU, and if you change the op-amp for an OPA2132.
In this Dac, with listening tests of various op-amps, this one gave the best results.
Also, change the 2 main electrolythics, after the PSU input (220uf) for 470uf (you don't have space for more...), bypassed with 0.1uf under the circuit.
You'll find, as I do, that this Dac is damn good.
Damn, damn, damn good, it kills any mid-priced cd-player.
But keep in mind that it cost around 150 Euros when new, so I wouldn't give more than, say, 50 Euros.
But you'll have high-end sound for 50 Euros, and if you do these mods, believe it or not.


Cheers

[Alex Marx]

Old posts don't die or fade, although their originators may do one or both!

Thanks everyone, especially Peter (you seem to live here! How you do it is a great mystery! But much appreciated!), tone and Carlos.

I still haven't had a chance to do anything with the DAC as I have been overwhelmed with work. I have a bunch of projects I want to tackle as soon as life quiets down.

One of them will be trying out the mods and PSU described... Then there's Elso's clock, Scott Nixon's DAC, the APOX and a bunch of Bottlehead stuff...to say nothing of motorcycling and finishing my harpsichord...

But this is all great and a lot of fun to learn, play and try...

<A>

[Fin]

Originally posted by carlosfm
Hi Alex,
I've own Dac Man for a year an then sold it to buy a DDE v3.0.
This was some years ago.

You'll find, as I do, that this Dac is damn good.
Damn, damn, damn good, it kills any mid-priced cd-player.
Cheers

I just got hold of a DITB and it seems that it is quite similar to the DAC Man.

At the moment I'm trying to decide between keeping it in its "cute" but compromised enclosure with just modest mods.....or....put it in a bigger/better box and go for the works.

The works would include:
Bigger/better enclosure
All of the Kal Rubinson modest mods
Serious power supplies
Tent XO DAC with secondary PLL and reclocking
Possibly a new output stage (I have a HDAM waiting for a home)
Anything else that we come up with.....

the big question is....Does this little DITB deserve the works?

[Fin]

Anyone care to get one and join me?

AA DITB on eBay

[Club Chapin]

I've got a dead Dac*Man. The power supply has failed. It has a 3.5mm TRS connector for the 12v. How can I find a pinout for this power connector so that I can replace the PS?

Or, does anyone know where I can find a new PS for this DAC?

Thanks, Pete

[yairf]

Last week a friend gave me his DITB for an upgrade.
I decided to go for a new power supply, which would replace the internal regulators. I put together a +/-5V for the digital rails, and +/-12V for the analog rails (powering the 1860 DACs and the OP275 dual op-amp). I wired the PSU directly into the main board, and took out the 780x regulators - all 4 of them).
Here is the new PSU:

Hooked up to the DITB:

The resulting sound is very smooth, with wide soundstage, highly extended lows and lush treble (I also removed one of the LPF caps in the DITB output, for better treble extension). Given the current cost of DITB (~$100 on ebay) - this is a fantastic VFM.
Yair

[ezr1]

hello yair

i am also have the the dac-man

ineed some ideas to upgrade it

thanks

ezra (haifa)