The company Tachyon finally announced a release of SDTrans.
Tachyon - SDTrans384
(In Japanes)
Twenty sets of bare board version will be supplied for users those who have not made reservations yet. Actual shipment is expected to start at the middle or end of November.
Though they say nothing about oversea shipment, please contact to the following e-mail address. They may offer it.
jack <at> mtc <dot> biglobe <dot> ne <dot> jp
Bunpei does not commit to handling of oversea release of SDTrans anymore.
Bunpei
Hi, Kris!
Thank you very much for your inquiry. The company, Tachyon, said the latest batch was sold-out. I suppose they might have a plan for the next batch release.
Would you contact to them directly?
Bunpei
Yes, the company is the only licensed manufacturer and distributor as of now. But not exclusive.
Amazing that the 20 units are already sold out! The SDTRANS384 really is a hit 
BTW,
DSD recorded music seems to be having an exploding interest among audiofiles. We SDtrans384 users are fortunate that we can play DSD music, and we can even play at 11 MHz sampling rate
Here is an interestin article about DSD: So What's the Big Deal About DSD? Listening Notes | AudioStream
/S
BTW,
DSD recorded music seems to be having an exploding interest among audiofiles. We SDtrans384 users are fortunate that we can play DSD music, and we can even play at 11 MHz sampling rate
Here is an interestin article about DSD: So What's the Big Deal About DSD? Listening Notes | AudioStream
/S
SDTrans with ElectrArt's "DSD Principle Board"
Hi, staccatiss,
I appreciated your comment and the link very much.
The picture attached below shows a combination of Chiaki's SDTrans384 and ElectrArt's "DSD Principle Board" which is a simple 8 tap FIR and op-amp based analog filtering circuit designed and dedicated for a DSD play.
Without such commercial DAC chips as ESS ES9018 or TI DSD1794A, I can listen to fine music of DSD sources, ranging from DSD64 to DSD512 by using the ElectrArt's board. His schematic is available here.
When you use SDTrans384 as a DSD player, it supports DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256. (DSD512 is out of scope due to a performance limit of data read out rate from a SD memory card.)
However, I love plays of DSD256 sources converted from PCM by Sony DSD Direct software using SDTrans384 as a transport.
Bunpei
Hi, staccatiss,
I appreciated your comment and the link very much.
The picture attached below shows a combination of Chiaki's SDTrans384 and ElectrArt's "DSD Principle Board" which is a simple 8 tap FIR and op-amp based analog filtering circuit designed and dedicated for a DSD play.
Without such commercial DAC chips as ESS ES9018 or TI DSD1794A, I can listen to fine music of DSD sources, ranging from DSD64 to DSD512 by using the ElectrArt's board. His schematic is available here.
When you use SDTrans384 as a DSD player, it supports DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256. (DSD512 is out of scope due to a performance limit of data read out rate from a SD memory card.)
However, I love plays of DSD256 sources converted from PCM by Sony DSD Direct software using SDTrans384 as a transport.
Bunpei
Attachments
Very neat setup you have! And no DAC - amazing!
I also see in the schematic that there is an isolator used. I think that that is very important to have.
What will improve sonics is to short out the electrolytic caps (C36, C37) in the signal path unless the output signal before the caps has too much DC offset. To use electrolytic caps in the signal path is very very seldom used in high end audio designs.
What OPamps are used?
Looking at your power supply wiring, I think it is far from optimal. The wires are too long and twisting them would also be good. I would actually try to stack the PCBs on top of the huge PP caps for shortest possible power supply wiring.
/S
I also see in the schematic that there is an isolator used. I think that that is very important to have.
What will improve sonics is to short out the electrolytic caps (C36, C37) in the signal path unless the output signal before the caps has too much DC offset. To use electrolytic caps in the signal path is very very seldom used in high end audio designs.
What OPamps are used?
Looking at your power supply wiring, I think it is far from optimal. The wires are too long and twisting them would also be good. I would actually try to stack the PCBs on top of the huge PP caps for shortest possible power supply wiring.
/S
Last edited:
Hi, staccatiss,
I'm sorry for my delayed reply to you.
As for C36 and C37, in my case, after checking output by an oscilloscope, I eliminated them. However, ElectrArt recommend we use them because in the actual situations of playing DSD sources we sometimes unintentionally suffer DC offset output due to malfunction of player software.
The OPamps ElectrArt selected is OPA2134.
As for my cabling of power supply lines, thank you very much for your advice. I should make them short by locating components in multi-floors.
By the way, in Chiaki's web page he shows a picture of his original ES9018 dual mono DAC arranged in a five-storied building!
It really reminds us of buildings in Tokyo.
The dark brown eight devices are linear power supply units!
TPA IVY III is connected as a tentative I/V stage for his DAC.
Chiaki's SDTrans-Sync-9018D DAC system
I had a chance to listened to resultant sounds of Chiaki's SDTrans-Sync-9018D DAC system in my environment.
Outputs of ES9018 dual mono (8 channels in parallel at each ES9018) were connected to Feastrex Finemet line transformers.
The sounds were superb!
Both high-resolution and energy existed together.
Seamless plays from 44.1kHz/16 bit to 384kHz/32bit PCM and from DSD64 (both 44.1kHz/48kHz series) to DSD256 without any clicking noises were supported.
It really gives a glimpse of "High-end"!
Chiaki has not made his final decision for a possible release of the DAC board kit yet. Please post your requesting messages here if you are interested in his DAC that is closely integrated with his SDTrans384.
Bunpei
I had a chance to listened to resultant sounds of Chiaki's SDTrans-Sync-9018D DAC system in my environment.
Outputs of ES9018 dual mono (8 channels in parallel at each ES9018) were connected to Feastrex Finemet line transformers.
The sounds were superb!
Both high-resolution and energy existed together.
Seamless plays from 44.1kHz/16 bit to 384kHz/32bit PCM and from DSD64 (both 44.1kHz/48kHz series) to DSD256 without any clicking noises were supported.
It really gives a glimpse of "High-end"!
Chiaki has not made his final decision for a possible release of the DAC board kit yet. Please post your requesting messages here if you are interested in his DAC that is closely integrated with his SDTrans384.
Bunpei
Attachments
The Chiaki-DAC looks awesome!
I would like to know a bit more about it. Is ther maybe a block diagram showing for ex how the clocks are used, and what music inputs and outputs it have, and what power supply on the PCB are used?
/S
I would like to know a bit more about it. Is ther maybe a block diagram showing for ex how the clocks are used, and what music inputs and outputs it have, and what power supply on the PCB are used?
/S
The capacitors are available from this shop in Tokyo downtown area.
ƒTƒ“ƒŠƒ“ƒO�@PPSD
If you want get some, please contact to me;
bunpei<at>ta2<dot>so-net<dot>ne<dot>jp
Its unit price is 290 JPY/each in Japan. I'd like to recommend you add five pieces on your SDTrans.
ƒTƒ“ƒŠƒ“ƒO�@PPSD
If you want get some, please contact to me;
bunpei<at>ta2<dot>so-net<dot>ne<dot>jp
Its unit price is 290 JPY/each in Japan. I'd like to recommend you add five pieces on your SDTrans.
Dear staccatiss and Gappone,
I appreciated your hearty greeting messages very much!
This year, Chiaki will release his original DAC board tightly coupled with SDTrans384.
(To staccatiss: I am very sorry that I have not shown the diagram here you requested. I have not observed his DAC well enough.)
My concern still remaining since the last year is,
"Are all the users of SDTrans Sync-option satisfied with the expensive option? Could they integrated the board with their own DACs?"
If any of you need a support, please send me a private e-mail or post your issues here.
I wish you a happy audio hobby!
Best regards,
Bunpei
I appreciated your hearty greeting messages very much!
This year, Chiaki will release his original DAC board tightly coupled with SDTrans384.
(To staccatiss: I am very sorry that I have not shown the diagram here you requested. I have not observed his DAC well enough.)
My concern still remaining since the last year is,
"Are all the users of SDTrans Sync-option satisfied with the expensive option? Could they integrated the board with their own DACs?"
If any of you need a support, please send me a private e-mail or post your issues here.
I wish you a happy audio hobby!
Best regards,
Bunpei