These are the schematics for all of the PCB's in the DAC, excluding the input PCB which is just the NEWAVA pulse transformer on a PCB with a BNC connector. I included the EAGLE CAD files in a zip folder.
The JFETS in the PSU's are actually PF5102's matched to 4ma for DAC,IV PSU and 6ma for Digital PSU.
In the IV stage the transistor labeled 78L12 is a 12V regulator not a transistor (I could not find the symbol for a TO-92 7812)
The rail voltage for the IV Stage is +/- 24VDC
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Hi jean-paul,
I am a user of the NOS TDA1541A for many years and prefer the 1541 to my new built WM8804/ES9023. To me, the sound of the 1541 is richer, more smooth, more natural, and less artificial.
My TDA1541A is based on Rogic Pedja's AYA with many Black Gate N/NX and a double crown TDA1541A installed. Now the cost of buidiing such a DAC is ridiculous.
ES9023 is inexpensive and good enough.
I am a user of the NOS TDA1541A for many years and prefer the 1541 to my new built WM8804/ES9023. To me, the sound of the 1541 is richer, more smooth, more natural, and less artificial.
My TDA1541A is based on Rogic Pedja's AYA with many Black Gate N/NX and a double crown TDA1541A installed. Now the cost of buidiing such a DAC is ridiculous.
ES9023 is inexpensive and good enough.
I have now modified the Nakamichi 101 dac with an analog power supply. I have disconnected the master clock generated by the SPDIF receiver going to the digital filter. Put in a separate x-tal clock feeding the digital filter. The same clock is transfered by fiber optics to the CD drive. (So called synchronized or slaved clock) The music data in return to the dac is transferred by the same type of fiber optics, ST connection. This unit is playing music extremely well ! As I mentioned earlier this is a dual TDA1541A S1 single crown in differential mode. Can be bought for a relatively modest amount of money on the internet compared to the quality you get. I got mine for $100,- Who knows what further modifications can produce.
Thanks for sharing the schematics. I have to take a better look to the i/v stage. It seems interesting.
Hi I am too lazy and tired to check your specific build of the ES9023 Subbu DAC but I recall it is a nice build. The TDA1541A is a very good old friend of mine so I know it quite good. I think our implementation of ES9023 is quite OK and I hoped it would be able to compete with TDA1541A. The AYA is one of the better implementations of TDA1541A and yours has a double crown S2 plus it is a NOS DAC so competition is tough, if not impossible, in this case.
I know one should omit the cost and keep just quality in mind but in this case the difference is so big that one can not separate it. IMO ES9023 is indeed good enough. Even more curious, it surpasses many more expensive recent chips. I wonder if it is up to par with the more common designs with TDA1541A DACs. Hey, only the output stage of the AYA DAC costs more than the complete Subbu DAC !
Still, I just checked but your build of the Subbu DAC is not executed 100% to squeeze max performance out of it so I keep some hope...😉 For instance my BG NX-only Subbu DAC is a stellar performer. Anyone that hears it wants to have it 🙂
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