Looked at their PCBs nothing special, basic run of the mill 4 layer PCB, better though than many I have seen, couldn't see any info on specially manufactured IC's though!
That said I have downloaded a some documentation, will do some more research as I think this kit might be just what I need for my next project, System Domesticus, something I can fit in my ever shrinking man cave, a DAC and amps and possibly crossover in one manageable case and some new smaller speakers.
I had the buffalo dac, while its good, the ec designs sd player was undeniably much better.
Nico
its fine if you guys like vinyl or some analog source most, but simply i dont need it, thankyou
its fine if you guys like vinyl or some analog source most, but simply i dont need it, thankyou
Kinsei,
I don't prefer vinyl. Maybe I would if my wife did not drop my Linn/Itok/Asak some 22 years ago. I just don't understand what I would do with a box called a DAC. There is one in my CD player, one in my PC, one in my phone, one in my laptop, one in my media player - why does one need a box called a DAC for?
It has been my question all along but the thread became a fight between vinyl and digital, valves and transistors, and everything else that the audio community like to challenge each other about who is right and who is wrong.
Can someone just explain in a few sentence why I (or anyone else) would need a Buffalo (or any other) DAC in a box.
Is it supposed to replace my pre-amplifier, or what?😕
I have enjoyed Nico's posts. Thanks.
Here is my approach. I wanted a system with a computer music server at its heart (see my signature below) and a Behringer DSP/crossover.
My simplest design was to feed the computer file (ALAC/FLAC, compressed but lossless) into USB, then recode (not DAC) into SPDIF/coax, then into the Behringer AES port, then the Behringer has the only analog/digital interface at its output (a DAC).*
I could be wrong, but my intuition is that the only potentially weak link in such hybrid systems is when analog meets digital (and vice versa). Therefore, the fewest conversions, the better.
Ben
*I'm with the crowd who think all good DACs sound the same. Which is lucky since it is not easy to devise an external (expensive) DAC to work from the Behringer
Here is my approach. I wanted a system with a computer music server at its heart (see my signature below) and a Behringer DSP/crossover.
My simplest design was to feed the computer file (ALAC/FLAC, compressed but lossless) into USB, then recode (not DAC) into SPDIF/coax, then into the Behringer AES port, then the Behringer has the only analog/digital interface at its output (a DAC).*
I could be wrong, but my intuition is that the only potentially weak link in such hybrid systems is when analog meets digital (and vice versa). Therefore, the fewest conversions, the better.
Ben
*I'm with the crowd who think all good DACs sound the same. Which is lucky since it is not easy to devise an external (expensive) DAC to work from the Behringer
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the quick answer is: they all sounded different
most importantly a dedicated dac box sounded much better most of the time, so thats why i am meeting you guys here
i need a dac just because all my sources are in digital format, its not and wont replace a preamp
most importantly a dedicated dac box sounded much better most of the time, so thats why i am meeting you guys here
i need a dac just because all my sources are in digital format, its not and wont replace a preamp
i will concern if there any async FIFO buffer and how it deal with overflow scenarios, in the behringer box
Ben,
thank you this is what I was after. I am starting to see your point. I have no doubt that processing everything distortion-less noiseless and digital up to the power amplifier is probably the way of the future in other words keep things digital until the final stage.
Kinsei,
I am changing my attitude towards DACs as Ben explained. But would you not agree that your analogue amplifier even with the slightest hiss or hum would far exceed the noise/distortion floor of the digitally converted signal.
If you are lucky your amp has a THD+N of around -80 dB below full output. Your digital equipment boasts -130 dB, can you really say that DACs sound different in the light of the analogue noise-floor overshadowing everything digital?
I am changing my attitude towards DACs as Ben explained. But would you not agree that your analogue amplifier even with the slightest hiss or hum would far exceed the noise/distortion floor of the digitally converted signal.
If you are lucky your amp has a THD+N of around -80 dB below full output. Your digital equipment boasts -130 dB, can you really say that DACs sound different in the light of the analogue noise-floor overshadowing everything digital?
Ben,
this may be a dumb question, but when they talk about streaming the file from your PC/Phone whatever, this is the raw data, not processed by the phone's internal electronics. Now would all music streamed by some device, into a receiver and converted by the stand alone DAC sound the same.
In other words the flac file on my phone would sound identical to the flac file on my PC or my laptop. If this is the case then it implies that all sources of the same file would sound the same regardless of the device. OR would the PC with some up market sound card sound better than my Aple iPone 10s or my Dell laptop. It is the same file being streamed not so?
this may be a dumb question, but when they talk about streaming the file from your PC/Phone whatever, this is the raw data, not processed by the phone's internal electronics. Now would all music streamed by some device, into a receiver and converted by the stand alone DAC sound the same.
In other words the flac file on my phone would sound identical to the flac file on my PC or my laptop. If this is the case then it implies that all sources of the same file would sound the same regardless of the device. OR would the PC with some up market sound card sound better than my Aple iPone 10s or my Dell laptop. It is the same file being streamed not so?
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Probably the most difficult question of all.... Does a file streamed into an USB/SPDIF/I^2S/.... DAC box all sound the same or not, they are all digital and the same file I presume.
There is signal data (DIN) and there are clocks (MCK and LRCK) which is time dependent. Jitter is real. It's audibility I'm not sure how critical yet.
If all your sources are digital, what's the pre-amp for?
There is a big riddle with digital and that is "bit maintenance" corresponding to the analog problem of "gain maintenance."
My understanding (for what little it is worth) is that you want to keep all 16 (or more) bits headroom at every stage until you pad it down as the last stage. In my case, the padding-down is done (rather, planned to be done) by a 4-pot ganged volume control just after the DSP/crossover and just before the 4 amps (and each amp has its own VC).
(I've been told that quantum noises from pots is a bigger issue than losing bits. Doesn't seem correct to me.)
The system without a pre-amp corresponds to my ideal of a neutral music system that never needs tweaking of any sort (once set up) because it is neutral, always neutral.
Ben
Before heading down the digital path, my system was as pure and detailed as could be - electrostatic from 130 Hz up, passive pre-amp, carefully EQ'd, distance to loudspeakers measured with a tape measure, etc.
I think when I went to a more-digital system it was maybe a tiny big more crystal clear... even at first when I used a 12 year old Creative Sound Blaster DAC (not supposed to work with a Mac) that I found in the local Salvation Army store for $4.
I've moved up to a second-hand $30 Breeze USB-to-SPDIF re-coder, with a wall power supply. Wish I could say those up-to-the-minute XMOS 6631A chips are cleaner. But can't honestly say that.
What I can honestly say is that if you pay as much as $4 for a DAC, your sound will be crystal clear even on full-range ESL panels.
Don't forget your music room only has 50dB S/N.
BTW, one of the major benefits of going to a music server is that you are ripping your CDs to computer files: the files are cleaner than your CD player because they are not ripped in real time. Got that?
Ben
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Sometimes along the path from diverse units the file gets unconverted and downconverter. Some conversions may not be audible, iMHO, such as (1) iTunes not "rising" about Red Book coding (16/44.1, AKA CD coding) or (2) mp4 (which has inaudible loss in blind testing). It is possible that streaming introduces another layer of rebuilding of signals (however, streaming is a time-flexible WiFi transmission... during the slack 2-seconds that Mac streaming uses, there may be means of ensuring precise transmission, dunno).
If one of your units down converts to mp3 along the path in order to save bandwidth, you may well sense the loss.
Ben
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no, i dont need a preamp, its my setup:
pc -> (usb) -> cm6631a board -> (i2s lines) -> dac board -> amplifier
no
suppose your dac CHIP is spec'ed -130dB, your final result, the dac BOX, will likely be something around -105dB to -120dB, due to a number design issues like power supply noise and ground loops, the added noise which will simply be amplified by your amp
different designs in the dac box IV/LP section will also cause audible differences, again, it will then be amplified by your amp
ok if i read it right and if your dac is for some low fidelity application, your $4 dac will be completely fine imo