Bonjour,
Je serais interresse pour une utilisation sur un Système 2.1 (stéréo plus caisson de graves)
verser configuration de ma Seule la carte Anaméro me suffirait en entrée (Tout est pilote par PC)
Question: pas de probleme de décrochage aveC Les ports USB3 (Pas de port USB2)
Possibilité d'un ESS9018 par canal ?
Yroger.
Je serais interresse pour une utilisation sur un Système 2.1 (stéréo plus caisson de graves)
verser configuration de ma Seule la carte Anaméro me suffirait en entrée (Tout est pilote par PC)
Question: pas de probleme de décrochage aveC Les ports USB3 (Pas de port USB2)
Possibilité d'un ESS9018 par canal ?
Yroger.
Bonjour,
Je Serais interresse verser juin utilisation sur non Système 2.1 (Stéréo Plus caisson de Graves)
Verser la configuration de ma Seule la carte Anaméro me suffirait en entrée (Tout est pilote par PC)
Question: pas de probleme de décrochage aveC Les ports USB3 (Pas de port USB2)
Possibilité d'ESS9018 non par canal?
Yroger.
Je Serais interresse verser juin utilisation sur non Système 2.1 (Stéréo Plus caisson de Graves)
Verser la configuration de ma Seule la carte Anaméro me suffirait en entrée (Tout est pilote par PC)
Question: pas de probleme de décrochage aveC Les ports USB3 (Pas de port USB2)
Possibilité d'ESS9018 non par canal?
Yroger.
Hi Alex,
I'm still here. After six months of nearly working every night and weekend I needed a break. But I was back at it last weekend adding some new features to the firmware and testing the new DAC power supply based on the LT1963/1764. I also started assembling the new I/V-Amp2 board, and worked on some new designs.
As far as making my project available, I'm still all for it but after the lackluster response to pricing I obviously have some work to do. I've received some great advice from some forum members so I'm currently working on it. In the meantime if anybody has any questions or advice please feel free to jump in.
Best regards,
Al
I'm still here. After six months of nearly working every night and weekend I needed a break. But I was back at it last weekend adding some new features to the firmware and testing the new DAC power supply based on the LT1963/1764. I also started assembling the new I/V-Amp2 board, and worked on some new designs.
As far as making my project available, I'm still all for it but after the lackluster response to pricing I obviously have some work to do. I've received some great advice from some forum members so I'm currently working on it. In the meantime if anybody has any questions or advice please feel free to jump in.
Best regards,
Al
I do appreciate your commitment, but after all that time spent it is difficult not to see things through rose tinted glasses.
If you are intent on thinking about the project just commercially then you need to ask yourself some tough questions like-
1/ Who is my target market?
2/ What is my competition?
3/ What extra does my product bring to the table?
4/ Why is my product more expensive and what are the REAL benefits to an audiophile?
5/ What is the lifespan of the design?
I belong to an audio club in Auckland, and it seems like there are 2 types of Hifi nuts, 1st the ones that only buy commercial products and sneer at DIY stuff, and 2nd the DIYers who build as much gear as they can and would rather spend time as opposed to money to get the sound right (I am one of these).
You have not attracted the 1st type of person because
a/ very few people know about your product
b/ it is essentially an unfinished product so is viewed as DIY
c/ it is an unbranded product so has no perceived value for resale.
d/ there is not enough hype (and marketing BS ?) being dished out to make it attractive.
I think you might have turned away the 2nd type because
a/ your prices are very high for DIY.
b/ you have provided very little information showing circuits and design benefits.
c/ you have not offered the product in kit form.
d/ you have more or less said this product is not for DIYers!
For me, your product does seem attractive, but price is a big issue, and availability of seperate items is unclear. For my active 3 way project I need to implement a 6 channel DAC with 3 I2S or SPDIF inputs.
Cost for your setup is DAC/Controller $675, 3x I/V boards $800, SPDIF board $125 = $1575.
Cost for Buffalo DAC is $397 (incl 3 regs), 3x IVY I/V boards $267, 4ch SPDIF board $46.00, input selector kit $16.00 = $726 total.
That is a BIG difference and does not include differences in cost for the main power supplies.
I am not sure how this project came about for you, but it seems that (like many other DIYers) you like doing this design stuff for the 'Fun' of it. I know I have spent dozens of hours of my own time building one off products, just because I like DIY. So why don't you make the boards available at a more reasonable price, treating it as a subsidy for your 'Fun', and at the same time let others enjoy your design. Just my 2c worth.
So I am hopeful you will come up with some more cost effective DIY combos and have boards (complete or otherwise) available seperately at revised prices. Personally I wouldn't leave it too long to figure it out as the ES9018 is only the 'latest and greatest' until the next chip comes along, and that new chip might not be a Sabre.
Regards
Jeremy
PS. If you'd like to send a set of boards down to NZ then I would be happy to evaluate and review them for you.
If you are intent on thinking about the project just commercially then you need to ask yourself some tough questions like-
1/ Who is my target market?
2/ What is my competition?
3/ What extra does my product bring to the table?
4/ Why is my product more expensive and what are the REAL benefits to an audiophile?
5/ What is the lifespan of the design?
I belong to an audio club in Auckland, and it seems like there are 2 types of Hifi nuts, 1st the ones that only buy commercial products and sneer at DIY stuff, and 2nd the DIYers who build as much gear as they can and would rather spend time as opposed to money to get the sound right (I am one of these).
You have not attracted the 1st type of person because
a/ very few people know about your product
b/ it is essentially an unfinished product so is viewed as DIY
c/ it is an unbranded product so has no perceived value for resale.
d/ there is not enough hype (and marketing BS ?) being dished out to make it attractive.
I think you might have turned away the 2nd type because
a/ your prices are very high for DIY.
b/ you have provided very little information showing circuits and design benefits.
c/ you have not offered the product in kit form.
d/ you have more or less said this product is not for DIYers!
For me, your product does seem attractive, but price is a big issue, and availability of seperate items is unclear. For my active 3 way project I need to implement a 6 channel DAC with 3 I2S or SPDIF inputs.
Cost for your setup is DAC/Controller $675, 3x I/V boards $800, SPDIF board $125 = $1575.
Cost for Buffalo DAC is $397 (incl 3 regs), 3x IVY I/V boards $267, 4ch SPDIF board $46.00, input selector kit $16.00 = $726 total.
That is a BIG difference and does not include differences in cost for the main power supplies.
I am not sure how this project came about for you, but it seems that (like many other DIYers) you like doing this design stuff for the 'Fun' of it. I know I have spent dozens of hours of my own time building one off products, just because I like DIY. So why don't you make the boards available at a more reasonable price, treating it as a subsidy for your 'Fun', and at the same time let others enjoy your design. Just my 2c worth.
So I am hopeful you will come up with some more cost effective DIY combos and have boards (complete or otherwise) available seperately at revised prices. Personally I wouldn't leave it too long to figure it out as the ES9018 is only the 'latest and greatest' until the next chip comes along, and that new chip might not be a Sabre.
Regards
Jeremy
PS. If you'd like to send a set of boards down to NZ then I would be happy to evaluate and review them for you.
Hi Everybody,
I know it's been a while but I'm back. I finally got around to purchasing a E-MU 0404 and took some measurements last night off my ES9018 DAC with two DAC boards stacked (8 DACs/Channel) and my I/V-Amp1 board. I did the test using a stock non-modified E-MU.
I've attached a couple THD plots. Each measurement is from the single ended unbalanced outputs of the I/V-Amp1 board. I'll have to buy some cables to check the balanced outputs. The first plot shows THD+N using a 1Khz tone at 0dB (1.0Vrms). The second shows a 1Khz spectrum down to -120dB showing the DACs ability to resolve the tinniest details. I plan on modifying my E-MU to see if I can lower the numbers even more but I can't argue with THD+N at 0.000359.
I'll be provide an update on what else is going on this weekend.
Best regards,
Al
I know it's been a while but I'm back. I finally got around to purchasing a E-MU 0404 and took some measurements last night off my ES9018 DAC with two DAC boards stacked (8 DACs/Channel) and my I/V-Amp1 board. I did the test using a stock non-modified E-MU.
I've attached a couple THD plots. Each measurement is from the single ended unbalanced outputs of the I/V-Amp1 board. I'll have to buy some cables to check the balanced outputs. The first plot shows THD+N using a 1Khz tone at 0dB (1.0Vrms). The second shows a 1Khz spectrum down to -120dB showing the DACs ability to resolve the tinniest details. I plan on modifying my E-MU to see if I can lower the numbers even more but I can't argue with THD+N at 0.000359.
I'll be provide an update on what else is going on this weekend.
Best regards,
Al
Attachments
Hi maxw,
Not bad for a $150 dollars. Attached is a new THD+N plot measuring even lower using the S/PDIF input of my DAC with SpectraPlus's signal generator supplying the 1Khz @0dB tone which I trust a lot more. I think there's a problem with the online tone generator wav file that I was using as my input source on the previous plots. I think 0.000296 is more like it. I think after I modify my E-MU that THD+N could be even lower.
Best regards,
Al
Not bad for a $150 dollars. Attached is a new THD+N plot measuring even lower using the S/PDIF input of my DAC with SpectraPlus's signal generator supplying the 1Khz @0dB tone which I trust a lot more. I think there's a problem with the online tone generator wav file that I was using as my input source on the previous plots. I think 0.000296 is more like it. I think after I modify my E-MU that THD+N could be even lower.
Best regards,
Al
Attachments
Hi Everybody,
Just finished testing the new DAC with the on-board ultra low noise series regulator for AVCC, and it works great. The regulators use to be on two separate boards and had to be soldered to the main DAC board. It's nice that adding the regulator on board has not only helped reduce cost but also helped lower THD + N even more. Now with the new DAC operating I'll finish a second DAC and use it in testing the last remaining set up, dual-mono with two DACS side by side.
I've attached a couple pics of the new DAC and my new larger test platform that matches the size of the enclosure (12" x 16"). It's really helped with testing and determining where all the mounting holes need to go to support all the different setups. In the pics you'll see the new I2S/DSD board that provides switching between an on-board Asynchronous Crystek 82fSec oscillator, or two external Synchronous or Asynchronous clocks. I've also added a Raspberry Pi compatible input to the second I2S/DSD input. So you can select between an Amanero or XMOS on one input or Raspberry Pi on the other. I'm now so glad that I added that second I2S/DSD input. The new PS using the LT1764 is also pictured, first pic top right. The first pic shows a dual-mono stacked setup with the old external regulators. The second pic shows the new DAC board with the new AVCC regulator on board.
Lastly, the GB is still on but I won't set a date until I'm completely ready. I nearly burned myself out the last time trying to meet a specific date while juggling the time constraints that come with a full time job, family..etc. I won't do that again. But one things for sure, I will slash prices on the first 25 units to near cost. If your interested please sign on. If you expressed interest before your spot is still good but please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
Just finished testing the new DAC with the on-board ultra low noise series regulator for AVCC, and it works great. The regulators use to be on two separate boards and had to be soldered to the main DAC board. It's nice that adding the regulator on board has not only helped reduce cost but also helped lower THD + N even more. Now with the new DAC operating I'll finish a second DAC and use it in testing the last remaining set up, dual-mono with two DACS side by side.
I've attached a couple pics of the new DAC and my new larger test platform that matches the size of the enclosure (12" x 16"). It's really helped with testing and determining where all the mounting holes need to go to support all the different setups. In the pics you'll see the new I2S/DSD board that provides switching between an on-board Asynchronous Crystek 82fSec oscillator, or two external Synchronous or Asynchronous clocks. I've also added a Raspberry Pi compatible input to the second I2S/DSD input. So you can select between an Amanero or XMOS on one input or Raspberry Pi on the other. I'm now so glad that I added that second I2S/DSD input. The new PS using the LT1764 is also pictured, first pic top right. The first pic shows a dual-mono stacked setup with the old external regulators. The second pic shows the new DAC board with the new AVCC regulator on board.
Lastly, the GB is still on but I won't set a date until I'm completely ready. I nearly burned myself out the last time trying to meet a specific date while juggling the time constraints that come with a full time job, family..etc. I won't do that again. But one things for sure, I will slash prices on the first 25 units to near cost. If your interested please sign on. If you expressed interest before your spot is still good but please let me know.
Best regards,
Al
Attachments
Last edited:
So the computer does all the audio processing (room correction, digital crossovers) and sends that data via USB to an external DSP. The DSP would then output 8 audio channels in I2S or DSD which would then be connected to the ES9018. Does that sound right? For 8-channels the ES9018 can only except I2S or DSD inputs.
The computer with the dsp software, outputs via usb to a usb -> i2s converter made by exasound that outputs 8 channels of i2s that gets fed into the dac.
See here:
http://http://exadevices.com/exaU2I/Overview.aspx
See here:
http://http://exadevices.com/exaU2I/Overview.aspx
Thanks Kuribo. Your exaU2I should work great. The output wiring diagram found in the link below fits nicely with my DAC input. To bad they discontinued the product.
www.exadevices.com > exaU2I > D.I.Y. Guide
www.exadevices.com > exaU2I > D.I.Y. Guide
Hi Everybody,
I'm happy to announce that dual-mono with side-by-side DACs is up and running and sounding incredible with THD+N on the SE outputs at better than 0.0003%. That pretty much completes all the testing. I don't think there's anything my setup can't handle. Next comes the enclosure, and then I should be ready to make it available to those that are still interested.
One quick observation on the dual-mono setup versus the stacked approach. I don't see any difference in the measurements, both methods have THD+N at better than .0003% at 1Khz, 2.0Vrms peak-to-peak. Sound wise they both sound incredible and I doubt anybody could tell the difference between the two. The stacked approach is cheaper, and doesn't require addressing the DACs separately so I prefer it. Either way I can do both.
Let me also mention that I prefer the sound of Synchronous clocking on the I2S/DSD inputs versus Asynchronous clocking. Since I can switch between them on the fly after doing some A/B comparisons I can hear a noticeable difference. I've read some members make similar observations, I concur. I can also see a very slight improvement in THD. A pic of my dual-mono setup is attached. If anybody has any question please feel free to ask.
Best regards,
Al
I'm happy to announce that dual-mono with side-by-side DACs is up and running and sounding incredible with THD+N on the SE outputs at better than 0.0003%. That pretty much completes all the testing. I don't think there's anything my setup can't handle. Next comes the enclosure, and then I should be ready to make it available to those that are still interested.
One quick observation on the dual-mono setup versus the stacked approach. I don't see any difference in the measurements, both methods have THD+N at better than .0003% at 1Khz, 2.0Vrms peak-to-peak. Sound wise they both sound incredible and I doubt anybody could tell the difference between the two. The stacked approach is cheaper, and doesn't require addressing the DACs separately so I prefer it. Either way I can do both.
Let me also mention that I prefer the sound of Synchronous clocking on the I2S/DSD inputs versus Asynchronous clocking. Since I can switch between them on the fly after doing some A/B comparisons I can hear a noticeable difference. I've read some members make similar observations, I concur. I can also see a very slight improvement in THD. A pic of my dual-mono setup is attached. If anybody has any question please feel free to ask.
Best regards,
Al
Attachments
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