Sorry, there was a delay in the board delivery (to me). I sent emails to people who got pre-orders, but forgot to post about the general saves date. I planned to open up general sales on Friday (16-Nov), but need to push this out a few days, so I have time to pack up the kits.
To complicate the matter, Thursday and Friday of this week are the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, and I will be offline from Wed-Sun, so I will not be able to ship regular orders until the following Monday (26-Nov).
I will therefore accept another batch of "pre-orders" on the web site that will begin shipping 26-Nov. I will then open general orders later that week.
Let's se how this compares to your Opus dac!USB Input
Hi,
Just ordered the SE and can't wait to build it. I'm primarily interested in using the DAC tethered to a PC using USB. I just sold a Wyred4Sound DAC-2 and am replacing with the Buffalo as I think the 9018 sounds excellent. There was much chatter wrt the quality of the USB input for the W4S DAC-2 not sounding good compared to the I2S. Being async, I guess I don't understand how the usb input devices differ and what to look for.
I'm guessing that a Amanero will suffice and I'm not sure what advantage would be gained by waiting out TP's implementation. What are the technical differences between USB->I2S/DSD devices and their impact on sq with the 9018? Thanks for any help!
Hi,
Just ordered the SE and can't wait to build it. I'm primarily interested in using the DAC tethered to a PC using USB. I just sold a Wyred4Sound DAC-2 and am replacing with the Buffalo as I think the 9018 sounds excellent. There was much chatter wrt the quality of the USB input for the W4S DAC-2 not sounding good compared to the I2S. Being async, I guess I don't understand how the usb input devices differ and what to look for.
I'm guessing that a Amanero will suffice and I'm not sure what advantage would be gained by waiting out TP's implementation. What are the technical differences between USB->I2S/DSD devices and their impact on sq with the 9018? Thanks for any help!
USB to I2S devices can differ in a wide range of parameters: chipset used, clockmodules, PSU section, firmware, drivers, etc. Way too many variables to say anything useful about general performance, esp. compared to a module that isn't even available yet. But I think that is not a suitable discussion for this thread, as it's about the BIIISE.
IIRC the IVY III already has 2.0 on the SE output (2 default 750Ω). You only need change values to maintain 2.0v with more than 2 outputs (BIII multi-channel operation).
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I am finishing up a few of the new PCBs this week while I am on vacation.
We should have a limited quantity available after they get here and are tested.
I would say 2-4 weeks for 4:1 mux.
Would be cool to show the layout with all the connectors. I'm thinking about the integration in the box and I don't know which switches/leds I'll put on my front panel. Is the layout really similar to the Buffalo3 version ? PDF doc wanted
Also, I'd like to know if one input is master and the other one is slave (between TTL and I2S)? Perhaps I won't need a input selection switch...
The Buffalo digital inputs are always only inputs.
just a quick reply...
Not to derail the thread, I will only mention a couple of points. IME there are real differences amongst (asynchronous) USB interfaces. Power supply implementation, clock quality, pcb layout, and especially-I2S wiring all make a difference. The TPA interface, when it arrives will have some specific advantages for Buffalo DACs: it will be optimized to have no compromises and be easy to integrate with a Buffalo DAC, it will have an ideal I2S wiring configuration (on u.fl mini coax cables) which will mate perfectly with the B-IIIse. It will feature faster master clocks, which offer better performance when used with the ESS 9018. Russ tends to design things without compromise, and typically uses very low phase noise oscillators-I suspect the USB interface will feature better oscillators than most, if not all, similar products...
Personally, I am very excited to see what TPA produces for USB....
And, I am really happy with the introduction of the B-IIIse as well, as it is perfectly suited to the needs of those who want a stereo only, simple set up, with the highest SQ possible, thanks guys.
Not to derail the thread, I will only mention a couple of points. IME there are real differences amongst (asynchronous) USB interfaces. Power supply implementation, clock quality, pcb layout, and especially-I2S wiring all make a difference. The TPA interface, when it arrives will have some specific advantages for Buffalo DACs: it will be optimized to have no compromises and be easy to integrate with a Buffalo DAC, it will have an ideal I2S wiring configuration (on u.fl mini coax cables) which will mate perfectly with the B-IIIse. It will feature faster master clocks, which offer better performance when used with the ESS 9018. Russ tends to design things without compromise, and typically uses very low phase noise oscillators-I suspect the USB interface will feature better oscillators than most, if not all, similar products...
Personally, I am very excited to see what TPA produces for USB....
And, I am really happy with the introduction of the B-IIIse as well, as it is perfectly suited to the needs of those who want a stereo only, simple set up, with the highest SQ possible, thanks guys.
I'll second that. One gets the impression from reading the threads that everyone building DACS are gun EEs, but I guess many like myself on the bottom rung just want to solder it up to some clear proven instructions, get world class CA sound, and maybe learn something along the way. Count me in for the TP USB interface.
Most of the required information is in the old messages. I'm very busy working on the guide, but it's also been a busy period both at work and at home. Combine that with the fact that I only have the rest of the information I needed since sunday and you'll understand why the guide is not yet finished.
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