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Buffalo DAC (ESS Sabre 9008)

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schro20

schro20

Member
Joined 2008
multires.caltech.edu/
BrianDonegan said:
I do not think adding earth ground to this circuit will prevent an existing ground loop, if that is the issue.
Click to expand...
Agreed. That is not the issue I am struggling with (you correctly identified the continuing SPDIF mystery with my Roku).

I notice the the DAC is very sensitive (it resets itself) to any small glitch on the ground someplace. For example, I hooked my scope up to the SPDIF input. As I touched the probe to the wire the DAC briefly lost lock and then engaged again. (Keeping the probe fixed was fine; just he moment of contact - a small glitch - caused this behavior.)

All of this leads me to believe (in my increasingly desperate attempts at trying to understand what might be going on here) that there is some kind of a generic grounding issue. Right now the whole DAC is floating. So is the Roku (so is the Oppo with which I don't have any problems when using it as a source). I have carefully measured and visualized on the scope what's on the SPDIF output of the Roku and that looks clean. I can't find any spurious high or low frequencies on that either.

Ultimately I may have to go with a proper electrical insulation. That's fine, but first I want to make sure I actually know what the problem is lest something else happen down the line...

peter
 
avr300

avr300

Member
Joined 2005
schro20 said:
.....

I notice the the DAC is very sensitive (it resets itself) to any small glitch on the ground someplace. For example, I hooked my scope up to the SPDIF input. As I touched the probe to the wire the DAC briefly lost lock and then engaged again. (Keeping the probe fixed was fine; just he moment of contact - a small glitch - caused this behavior.)

....

peter
Click to expand...

Same setup here as you have, and same sensitivity to gound bounce. I have a harvested pulse trafo, I'll try and isolate my Squeezebox.
 
Sangram

Sangram

Moderator
Joined 2002
Paid Member
schro: I'm in the same boat. I find it is a lot less sensitive now that I have four physically separate transformers. I had rested the DAc for six months but recommissioned it recently. It glitches a little when mains would fluctuate. The output from the soundcard is transformer-coupled so that's not it.
 
H

hughwi

Member
Joined 2007
I have a similar sensitivity issue... If I turn on/off any light switches or appliances connected to power sockets in my bedroom (the domestic ring that the DAC is on) the DAC momentarily looses lock / appears to reset itself.

It is not a problem, but just wanted to add my $.2 to those trying to troubleshoot their own configs!
 
S

sailor321

Member
Joined 2008
Buff32 resets

I have this problem also and I am wondering if better mains isolation would help. I use to use jon risch's (audioasylum) digital isolation technique (two 12V secondaries connected together with a few caps and resistor) but dropped this when I went to a felix common mode mains filter, but I will put the isolation transformer set back end and see if that makes any difference.
 
D

digger945

Member
Joined 2008
coloradosound said:
Russ, or Brian.
So the Buffalo24 has series reg on the board for dig and ana sections.
Just checking out the Placid, would there be any benefit with Buff24 to
using shunt reg? If so would best benfit be realized by bypassing onboard regs.
More benefit to analog side than digital?
Click to expand...

I asked myself the same question, and ordered the Placid X 2 for analog and digital supplies to feed my Buffalo24 ver. 1.2.

I would take a stab at saying the Placid will be stiffer, but would like to hear Russ or Brian's more knowledgable response.

BTW, I just completed building the Placid Bipolar supply for another project and I can't say how ultimately impressed and pleased I am with how this little supply works. Hats off to both Brian and Russ for such outstanding goodies for the diy community. Totally look forward to more stuff in the future.

(hehe, we're asking how do you feed a buffalo, hehe:p)
 
Last edited:
C

coloradosound

Member
Joined 2005
digger945 said:
I asked myself the same question, and ordered the Placid X 2 for analog and digital supplies to feed my Buffalo24 ver. 1.2.

I would take a stab at saying the Placid will be stiffer, but would like to hear Russ or Brian's more knowledgable response.

BTW, I just completed building the Placid Bipolar supply for another project and I can't say how ultimately impressed and pleased I am with how this little supply works. Hats off to both Brian and Russ for such outstanding goodies for the diy community. Totally look forward to more stuff in the future.

(hehe, we're asking how do you feed a buffalo, hehe:p)
Click to expand...

digger, have you tried your Placid boards w/ Buffalo24 yet? (assuming you have received
Placid)
Good Buffalo food?
If so do you feed the Buff 24 board as configured or bypass the regs already on the board?
 
anbello

anbello

Member
Joined 2004
hifilab.it
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