The Best DAC is no DAC

Jump to Latest
#481
Hello Jesper,

why? Business as usual. The market for DSD is growing then there is a real demand (bigger data volume and more expensive then high-resolution ones they don´t care). Good publicity does the rest: créer un besoin in french. I´ve a lot of FLAC and DSD material. I´m using PC, MAC, Windows, IOS, OSX, Android, Foobar, Signalyst, Audirvana. DAC is from IFI and chinese no name. Tube or Transistor amplifiers. Musically I´m really happy with native DSD (Beggar´s Stones one is amazing).

I will give a try to the NoDAC idea. Minimalists design will make me really curious.

Jean-Paul
 
#482
Hi Jean-Paul,

Thanks for your feedback. Sounds as if you've got some experience with various PC based audio solutions ;-)

Personally, I've had very positive experiences with DSD for playback and my main consideration is that for recording I've been told that (all) DSD recording solutions convert the DSD signal to PCM for editing and then it is converted back to DSD when the editing is done. If this is actually the case then IMHO it's less than optimal - which is why - at least at this point in time - I'm wary of how to record in DSD. Not to mention that to my knowledge there's very little software available to facilitate the path from the AD converter into the PC and then do the editing (in high quality).

Bonne chance avec le design minimaliste pour le DSD ;-)

Jesper
 
#484
jps1964 said:
Hello Ray,

my 2 cents to your PCB. I will give you or to the community the Cadsoft EAGLE 6.6 binaries if needed?

Jean-Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Jean-Paul. That is very kind and useful.

Interestingly, without seeing your post I have been working more on my own board, putting into practice what I have read and, in the main flip-flop and filter area out two boards now look very similar.

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


After a final check I'll probably order a batch of these boards this evening.

On the subject of keeping everything very compact, as an alternative to the onboard LP filters I have been thinking of using a TVC as a combined attenuator/LP filter, however, this implies several centimetres of wire from the flipflop to the TVC, which now seems to represent a significant compromise - any thoughts?

Ray
 
#485
jps1964 said:
Hello Jesper
perhaps open a new thread to know how native DSD material is produced?
From beginning to the end of the chain. We need the advice of a professional.

Et merci pour le message en francais!

Jean-Paul
Click to expand...

DSD recording probably belongs in a separate thread but as the topic has been raised you may be interested in these two links that were forwarded to me recently;

http://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/41262017-audio-myth-dsd-provides-a-direct-stream-from-a-d-to-d-a

http://www.mojo-audio.com/blog/dsd-vs-pcm-myth-vs-truth/

To me though, in the context of this thread, the argument is a bit academic. My interest here is based on preferring the sound of FLAC files upsampled to DSD256 and played back with a no-DAC type solution to the same FLAC files played back conventionally on my reclocked Buffalo IIIse. So in essence, in general terms, whatever processing has occurred upstream of ripping the FLAC file is accepted.

Ray
 
#487
Hi Guys
May I ask, how much DSD software is out there & how many studios are really interested in good recordings & music ? When I look back into Red Book, we had good & bad recordings & for main stream music mostly where so so or poorly recorded. With audiophile recordings music wise many did not appeal to listeners so where do we go from here ?
 
#489
nautibuoy said:
Thanks Jean-Paul. That is very kind and useful.

Interestingly, without seeing your post I have been working more on my own board, putting into practice what I have read and, in the main flip-flop and filter area out two boards now look very similar.

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


After a final check I'll probably order a batch of these boards this evening.

On the subject of keeping everything very compact, as an alternative to the onboard LP filters I have been thinking of using a TVC as a combined attenuator/LP filter, however, this implies several centimetres of wire from the flipflop to the TVC, which now seems to represent a significant compromise - any thoughts?

Ray
Click to expand...
Ray, even though my transformers are nestled right against my flip flops there is approx 2cm of wire from f-f output to the transformers. I have experienced no problems with this. Flip flops are dip package, on a small vero board. Even though it works fine, your PCB looks very nice and i would be interested in getting one if you are getting spares made.

Hazard
 
#491
hazard500 said:
Ray, even though my transformers are nestled right against my flip flops there is approx 2cm of wire from f-f output to the transformers. I have experienced no problems with this. Flip flops are dip package, on a small vero board. Even though it works fine, your PCB looks very nice and i would be interested in getting one if you are getting spares made.

Hazard
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Hazard and you'll be very welcome to a spare board, but let me get them and test one first...

I've been having a look at the sowter and silk TVCs and it looks as though, with a little creativity, they could be installed with a very short wire run to the flip-flop outputs. Hmmm..

Ray
 
#492
nautibuoy said:
I thought I should continue my education by progressing my own flip-flop PCB layout. I've modified the schematic to reflect the observations made previously;

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


and, having read some material on PCB layout and noting previous comments, I have reworked my PCB. Hopefully improving on the previous. I've added PS decoupling for the flip-flop and, by relocating the flip-flop and staying with through hole components, I have been able to get very short digital tracks.

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


Would appreciate any feedback on whether I've learned anything?

Overall PCB size is 48mm x 58mm

Cheers

Ray

Ray
Click to expand...

hi
i don't need balance output, what is the best solution with no dac?
4th order LPF after the DSD wire is ok?
or i need some digital chips?

thanks
 
#498
I thought this might be of intrest. I "assumed" DSD from Windows wouldn't be this messy.

Here's a reply from Luyben (JLSounds):

>> When will DSD be supported Windows?

The DSD is supported on Windows, but in DoP up to DSD128, the thing is that on the outputs of the I2SoverUSB board the signals are DSD native.

>> Please let me know where I can find the trail version?

You can download the driver after registration in XMOS site.
[url]http://www.xmos.com/support/usb-audio-driver-support[/URL]

You must solder one 4.7k resistor between pin1 and pin9. On the driver tab on the VID/PID lane it must be written 0x20B1/0x0002 - then the DSD native will be available with the XMOS evaluation driver.
​
 
#499
stijn001 said:
I thought this might be of intrest. I "assumed" DSD from Windows wouldn't be this messy.

Here's a reply from Luyben (JLSounds):

>> When will DSD be supported Windows?

The DSD is supported on Windows, but in DoP up to DSD128, the thing is that on the outputs of the I2SoverUSB board the signals are DSD native.

>> Please let me know where I can find the trail version?

You can download the driver after registration in XMOS site.
[URL]http://www.xmos.com/support/usb-audio-driver-support[/URL]

You must solder one 4.7k resistor between pin1 and pin9. On the driver tab on the VID/PID lane it must be written 0x20B1/0x0002 - then the DSD native will be available with the XMOS evaluation driver.

​
Click to expand...

Glad I'm using Linux, native DSD256 just works with the JLSounds board if you use a recent kernel.

Ray
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom