DIY Fidelity TDA1543 Non-oversampling DAC

[DIAR]

Hi

I pumbed into this DIY kit:
TDA1543 Non-oversampling DAC:
http://www.diyfidelity.com.au/produc...products_id=41

The receiver chip used in this kit is a Crystal 8414 and the DAC chip is a Philips TDA1543 (8 connected in parallel).

1 x DAC PCB with digital and optical inputs

1 x 50W toroidal power transformer

ELNA For Audio capacitors

Burr Brown OPA602



It seems like a bargain and what is excellent about it is that all the components are allready soldered so I wouldn't have to worry about that. Tempting...

Could someone tell me more about that DAC design. I'm not interested in poor DAC since I allready have a CDP which I think is very goof.

Even good guesses are appreciated.

[dsavitsk]

Here are a few places to read a bit more detailed background. http://diyparadise.com/dackit/dackit.html, http://diyparadise.com/8x1543dac.html,
http://www.scott-nixon.com/dac.htm

Also, try searching for both the TDA1543, TDA1545, and the Crystal 8412 (the predecesor to the 8412). These DACs are all over.

-d

[DIAR]

I've seen and read bout tDA1543 DACs but I would like to hear opinions about this particular design. Power supplies etc. If some guru would like to examine the DAC photos a little and give an opinion about it.

[phn]

Doede Douma's DDDAC is said to be superior to the acclaimed Scott Nixon DAC. When I get around to my DIY CD player (once my much delayed Garrard 301 is finished), this is the DAC I will use.

[analog_sa]

It all looks pretty standard. The input cannot offer true 75ohm termination which i've found to be important and the 8414 seems cap coupled to the spdif signal - no transformer or some kind of signal conditioning - IMO, no good.

Lots of individual resistors on the digital signal lines to the individual dacS - never seen this before but possibly a good idea. Ps seems bog standard which means inadequate. No idea how the opamp I/V works.

I see a Garrard 301 mentioned in a post above. My modest attempts with a NOS 1543 delivered a sonic result as far distanced from a good turntable as one can possibly imagine. I only went up to paralelling two but used 4 separate transformers, proper termination and signal conditioning and generally good quality caps. Surprisingly bad sound.

[DIAR]

Thanks for answers.

I was thinking about the same issues. Power supply is a tricky thing to build without decent measuring equipment. Even the most simple circuit can work totally wrong even if everything seems to be ok.

And how about digital input. How difficult it is to add transformer or some kind of signal conditioning to it? I suppose not.

I suppose this DAC is not totally bad By making a few small mods it might even be very good. For example transformer could be replaced with batteries and an automatic charger?

[phn]

Well, I haven't tried the DAC and won't know until I have. Being that I'm no electrician, I can't judge how sound a design is by looking at its components. All I can go by are my ears. And thru experience I have learnt to not believe anyone else's ears. Especially not some reviewer's ears. In some listening test in Stereophile the panel concluded that the CD format is superior to the SACD format, which it should be if we trust the very few scientific tests conducted (and why shouldn't you?). But in the next issue they are back praising the alleged "hi-rez" format. What gives?

Or to put it another way. The SME Model 30 isn't really any better than the Thorens TD-150, save perhaps for bearings and weight. But the bearings you can replace and you can nail the TD-150 to a heavy piece of wood or a brick. (Or you could get a TD-125 from the beginning and not having to bother.) Then all that remains is personal taste. And had I only known how to get rid of the annoying start-up score on the PSX, I wouldn't need another CD player. Of course, by that same token, it doesn't mean the PSX is better than some other CD player. Only that I think so. Or, rather, I think it's just as good. And if everything else is equal I always go with the bargain.

For example transformer could be replaced with batteries and an automatic charger?

But then you get all the drawbacks of batteries. Personally I don't consider batteries an alternative for anything other than portable gear, and then only because it's the only alternative. To me batteries reek fad, like all the other esoteric stuff that has come and gone over the years. I believe TNT Audio did some test once.

[ble0t]

I dropped an e-mail to the site owner seeing if he could provide any additional info on the design...hopefully he'll reply with something good

[analog_sa]

additional info

The only part of the design which is not obvious from the pic is the I/V converter. My guess is on a textbook opamp circuit. What else can anyone possibly need to know? That the output elcos are Philips?

[X.G.]

Hi,DIAR

I guess that the products of DIYfidelity is from China (maybe the mother company is this link ),because I have seen those products(which almost the same) in China and the TDA1543 X8 NOS-DAC kit in this Chinese website before http://www.liteaudio.com/2003-3-23/2003323215041.htm

good luck

X.G.