stack up dac chips

[ronardi]

I saw some people stacking up dac chips in their dac, what is it for? will it yield better sound? I saw some stacked up two and some up to four chips per channel, is it really uesful or just a waste of money?

btw, if dac chips is stackable, how about opamps or else? what it would turn out?

[dddac]

On my site you can read some background. I did 8 chips stacking to decrease bit error. Works very well. Some DIY did 16 chips and sound improved. I have a prototype with 24 dacs which runs even better and I am now stacking 60 chips.

regards
doede

[analog_sa]

how about opamps or else? what it would turn out?

It is possible to parallel nearly anything with due care. Objective parameters (bit error, noise, max current) usually improve.

[Extreme_Boky]

how about opamps or else? what it would turn out?

You are right analog_sa. Nice thinking.

I have paralleled OP275 with very good results. It is one of the mods that really improve "everything". In particular if you are driving difficult interconnects. Definition, amount of details, 2D and 3D all got better.

One half was used as line out buffer, the other half as a buffer to the headphone OP. Headphone circuitry was disabled anyway. I used both halves of OP275 in parallel to drive line out.

Give it a go - you have already done the thinking part!

I have also modified one of the Audio Note DAC's - i think it was DAC 2. It is a nice sounding DAC, hampered with wobbly valve output stage, unfortunately. Beside other things, I paralleled PCM63 with very good results

So, paralleling does work.

Extreme_Boky

[Spartacus]

Originally posted by dddac
On my site you can read some background. I did 8 chips stacking to decrease bit error. Works very well. Some DIY did 16 chips and sound improved. I have a prototype with 24 dacs which runs even better and I am now stacking 60 chips.

regards
doede

Are you going to sell PCBs for this new DAC Doede?

[dddac]

yes I will, expecting end of the year....

regards
doede

[maxlorenz]

yes I will, expecting end of the year....

And you will certainly need beta-testers like...



I did the 16*tower mod in Doede's amazing DAC and what stroke me (appart "more of everything") was the denser musical texture, like an improved "continuity", analog continuity to the sound.

Regards
Mauricio

[Extreme_Boky]

It was DAC 3, actually:

Extreme_Boky

[fumihiko]

It was DAC 3, actually:

can not connect pin1,3,4,23,24,25 upper chip and lower chip

http://www.tij.co.jp/jsc/docs/msp/ap...f/ANJ_1092.pdf
(japanese only)

Mr KAWAI(BB Japan) said
each chips different operation, If it connects, a bad influence .

[Extreme_Boky]

Yes, you are right. It is not ideal to simply parallel both chips.

However, I modified this DAC around 6 years ago on very low beget and wasn’t really considering spending long hours.

Simple paralleling did work okay with great results, by the way.

Together with silver wiring and some Panasonic capacitors replacement, the result was very good. Diodes were replaced with fast switching soft recovery types. This diode replacement worked very well and produced excellent results in analog valve section!

I think BOW Technologies implemented simple paralleling of PCM63 K with very good results as well. Around 6-7 years ago.

Extreme_Boky