DAC build TDA1541A/SAA7220P/B *will take som time*

Hi Mayday, Your making good progress. Keep us posted. I have all the parts now for my second build minus the chassis or enclosure. I'm going to mount it on a bread board first and once I'm happy I will finish it off in a nice enclosure. 🙂 Dave BTW: I have been watching, just battled 2 different colds. Hope that's over now.....

Hi Dave,
Thanks, just waiting for the transformer from toroidy to arrive, then trim the regs, put in all the IC's and the plug it in and hopefully hear sweet music 🙂

Got front and sides in oak comming. Top will be black metall.

Then when I'm familiar with the sound and have a good base for comparison I'll put in the ECC86 outputstage.

I'll keep posting what goes on with the build and how it turns out 🙂

Btw, are you using standard components or are you selecting them yourself?

Get well soon!

/Jonas
 
Hi Jonas, I purchased 2 blank boards and built them up using the parts that I selected. I was pretty happy with the first build on the digital side so that part is pretty much the same on both builds. I didn't populate the I/V or analog parts. I take the DAC output to my I/V and analog output stage. It has a seperate dedicated transformer, rectifiers and regulators for analog power. My second build will use an AD844 Pedja I/V and transformer based filter output stage. Should be interesting?! Will have to wait and see. 🙂 Dave P.S. Yes, finally getting better thanks
 
Hi Jonas, I purchased 2 blank boards and built them up using the parts that I selected. I was pretty happy with the first build on the digital side so that part is pretty much the same on both builds. I didn't populate the I/V or analog parts. I take the DAC output to my I/V and analog output stage. It has a seperate dedicated transformer, rectifiers and regulators for analog power. My second build will use an AD844 Pedja I/V and transformer based filter output stage. Should be interesting?! Will have to wait and see. 🙂 Dave P.S. Yes, finally getting better thanks

Hi Dave,
Ok, hopefully I'll be pleased with the sound from my DAC too.
I've been told I used un-necessarily expensive caps, but I figured the DAC will stay in my system a long time so why not tweak it as much as I can from the start.

I know of a guy who put two transformers on the outputs of a dual Burr & Brown PCM1792 CD-player with good results. Thoose transformers aren't cheap though...

I'll see if I can't find that build thread(in Swedish, but you'll see the pictures)...

Here it is.

PM me your e-mail if you want me to translate some of it for you.

Best,
Jonas
 
Hi Jonas, Thank you for the link. Wow, a very well mounted set of transformers. I have Lundahls in my 192 Khz CS4398 DAC. For this one I'm using the inexpensive Edcor XSM600/600. This way I can try it out on the cheap. If it is really nice I can get Lundahls later. I would need to save up for the Lundahls. 🙂 Dave
 
Got the lid for the enclousure today. just put on top to take a picture, will make mounting holes in it and paint it black. Paid about 3USD for it at a lokal mechanical workshop.
Got sides and a front comming, both in 7mm oak.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.



An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Edit: I also have a piece of copper comming that will screen the transformer from the rest. I'll mount it as a wall separating the enclousure in to compartments.
 
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Mounted PCB and set the regs.
Reg1 +5Vdc to SAA7220: +5,00Vdc
Reg2 -15Vdc to TDA1541A: -15,00Vdc
Reg3 -5Vdc toTDA1541A: -5,00Vdc
Reg4 +5Vdc to TDA1541A: +5,00Vdc
Reg5 +5Vdc to CS8412(2x+5Vdc): +5,00Vdc, +5,00Vdc
Reg6 +18Vdc to analog IC: +17,99Vdc
Reg7 -18Vdc to analog IC: -17.99Vdc

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
Done some work on the enclosure.

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Made crude angles to mount ECC86 horizontally.
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Hoping for some parts to arrive today.
RCA-connectors, 8mm 75ohm cable for digital signals between my SB and this DAC. 3mm 75ohm cable for internal digital wiring...some more silverwire to braid into two pairs of analog interconnects. And some other small items...