Best DAC chip for new design.

[rfbrw]

Originally posted by peranders
As I see it you have AK4395, CS43122, PCM1792 and AD1955 to choose from.

It's easier to interface the delta-sigma types but everyone is really good....sorry I forgot!

The very best DAC around is TDA1541....according some people.

Surely everyone knows it's the TDA1543A?

ray.

[bigparsnip]

The PCM1738 does look quite interesting, I have a quick scan of the data sheet and I see that ir would allow me do do away with the DF1704 controler chip, and get diferential output from the one chip instead of using four 1704's which would be much kinder to my wallet.

However, I am now wishing I had held off asking about this unitl after my exams are over, as I should be revising now, not trying do research the bes setup for a new DAC for me.

One thing I was wondering now though, is if there would be any interest out there in people chipping in on this project, and sharing in the output, as I am quite happy to look through all of the aplication notes (as soon as I have finished my exams on the 6th, well perhapse on the sunday after the hangover ) and come up with what should be a decent circuit design. But I would be greatfull for any help I could get with the PCB layout, as I ahven't realy attempted anything of this magnitude before, so there may be a ratehr large benifit in someone with a little more experience chipping in to cover that part of the design.

But, if people do want to do that, am I looking at a popular feature set (Differential operation at up to 24bit 96kHz opperation), or would people rather see some other features in there too?

Anyway, I should go and do some more work now before I get to bed (I am trying to force mechanics into my head today, which I have no interest in whatsoever, but is supposed to give me a "solid fooundation in engineering principles"), so this should be it from me today (but I'm guessing won't be).

Andrew.

[peranders]

Originally posted by bigparsnip
peranders, thanks for the sujestions, but the TDA1541 is only 16bit isn't it? and I realy would like to have the ability to go to higher resolution and bitdepths with this project (it seems silly not to when I intend on putting so much effort into it, I don't wna't it to become obsolete too quickly)

For me this was a joke but for other people this is dead serious

I haven't heard this ancient DAC but I doubt that development has stood still since the stone age. Is really 16/44 from an old DAC better that state of the art 96/24 or 192/24 DAC? .......

[bigparsnip]

Oh.

[Cobra2]

Tubes can compete with chip-amps & mosfets???
or
Vinyl with Digital...

Arne K

[peranders]

Originally posted by bigparsnip
Oh.

Go for te newest DAC's which I mentioned. They are the state of the art right now and will be around for a while I suspect.

[bigparsnip]

Well, I have been looking about and have downloaded about 10 or so different data sheets on various DAC's and a couple of interface chips from cirrus, but I only managed to get one printed out before I ran out of paper (I HATE reading data sheets on my computer screen ). But I should get round to looking through these in the next couple of weeks, so I start to make some choices as to which chip I will end up using. But, I think at the moment (for reasons of cost) I will be going for one of the stereo models with differential outputs rather than using two or more descreet devices as I had originaly pplanned, as the though of spending a couple of hundred pound just on the chips was a little scary.

[jwb]

I love it when people ask these questions, because it makes me check all the manufacturers' web sites for fresh info. I had not seen the CS8415A and CS8416 chips before. The CS8416 can select four S/PDIF inputs, even in hardware mode. So long, relays!

[jean-paul]

Originally posted by peranders

For me this was a joke but for other people this is dead serious

I haven't heard this ancient DAC but I doubt that development has stood still since the stone age. Is really 16/44 from an old DAC better that state of the art 96/24 or 192/24 DAC? .......

Per-Anders, if you haven't heard that DAC howcome you're so negative about it ?? Seems pretty blunt to me to comment on something you don't know. I recall you commented a few times on the fact that newer DAC chips are better than TDAxxxx and now you're saying you don't even heard the old part ?!?! It isn't specs only that are important. Nowadays price is the most important spec there is for the manufacturers of audio chips since there are more competitors than before ( and quality has even less weight than before ). I sure know a lot of 96/24 DAC chips that are clearly inferior to some of the old R2R types in terms of musicality etc. But on paper they're very good. So please go ahead and design whatever you can with 10 layer boards and 32 bit chips that are better on paper but don't judge on something you can only assume.

Since I am a self-styled audiophile ( according to some specialists that like to speak in general ) I like to make vague negative comments regarding Delta Sigma converters because I compared them with multibit DAC's. So I do know what I heard and that's more than you do apparantly.

The more expensive, the better evidently.

TDA1543 sells for 2 to 3 $, TDA1541A for 6 $. They are around for quite some time now, longer than most state of the art Delta Sigma's anyhow. I wouldn't recommend them for a new design though

[jwb]

I think the TDAxxxx chips are much more popular in Europe. They seem very hard to buy in America.