May be a dumb question about TDA1541 chip.

[MGH]

Hi all,

I was wondering how many TDA1541 chips are required for fully balanced operation - 2 or 4? I read the thread on AA discussing this issue where it said you need 2 (one chip per channel), but it seems like for other chips people have used 4 (2 chip per channel). http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?f...41&r=&session=

Has anyone actually implemented a DIY balanced DAC?

Is it easy to stack (parallel) these chips in single or balanced operation? Would paralleling these chips increase the voltage output? I think a single chip puts out 100mV. But if I remember my basic electronics, paralleling chips would not increase the output - just need confirmation by the more experienced. Sorry if these questions sound stupid, but I gotta learn somewhere.

I did a search here but got tired after reading 30+ responses out of the 800+ responses from the search.

Thanks.

[rfbrw]

Two.

[-ecdesigns-]

Hi, MGH

Actually I have built a fully balanced DAC using the TDA1541. I have posted the schematic diagram (building the ultimate non oversampling DAC), and have designed a circuit board, I posted a photo of it as well. At the moment I am developing a Direct Interpolation DAC, just have a look. You need 2 DAC's minimum, the data of the second DAC has to be inverted. You can use more than 2 DAC's to increase output current or use it to increase the amount of steps and samples, see my posts for this. It seems that increasing the number of DAC's can improve sound quality. I think there is also an optimum for the amount of DAC's, that's the point were adding DAC's won't add any more significant improvements. 8 DAC's seem to be about the optimum.

[MGH]

Hi ecdesigns! Thank you for your reply. Actually I have been following your thread very closely. The question I had for you was if you were ever planning to produce a DIY kit of your balanced, paralled 1541 DAC for the rest of us who don't know how to design a PCB but are OK at soldering. I'll ask on your thread also.