There is such a thing as euphonic jitter. Its a possibility, is all. Its also possible that some of the dacs in question are not designed for good RFI/EMI suppression on the USB inputs. As far as in-line USB isolator products go, I only tried one but found it could generate more noise on the USB line than my old laptop did.
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All the above makes it clear that you (or your fellow members at German Aktives-Hoeren-Forum) are not an expert in the field so further discussion is useless.
Well experts are working on USB and experts are working on Aoip. As long as I can hold a soldering iron I will try the boards of either experts. At the moment Aoip has the upper hand because these experts did their homework. Whats good enough to be used in many concert halls and studios around the world is certainly good enough to be tried at home.
No dicussion on DIY audio is useless as long as some open minded people are willing to try insted of arguing what in theory should work better.
No dicussion on DIY audio is useless as long as some open minded people are willing to try insted of arguing what in theory should work better.
Sorry but I prefer to use my own multichannel full-duplex USB-I2S bridge capable of 768k/32bit which has none of the issues you mentioned. No need to waste my time on a proprietary, technically inferior commercial product.
Guys it's just another Option to extract good sound from a Computer. Everything I play Music, Video, with players or streamed has room correction, Crossover, phase correction.
2 x 4 Channel for about $ 300. Exellent sounding Dac and amp modules cost an extra $150. This is the fun of diy audio.
I had boutique audio gear in the past. This is more fun and sounds better.
2 x 4 Channel for about $ 300. Exellent sounding Dac and amp modules cost an extra $150. This is the fun of diy audio.
I had boutique audio gear in the past. This is more fun and sounds better.
"from a computer". Not everyone's cup of tea. Many don't associate (or do not wish to associate) DIY Audio with computers. Not everyone is keen on adding complexity and the need to correct, change or manipulate things even if the superiority can be proven. They see fun in building hardware and playing back material and not in spending time in changing things and features one did not ask for.
That seems to be a difference in view on matters.
That seems to be a difference in view on matters.
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To me modding cheap or average priced Chinese stuff and tweaking it is also DIY. IMHO makes not much sense to spend many factors more for a less performing and less good looking product when doing all DIY. Been there done that. This was when there was no other possibility as mainstream quality simply was so so. It was easy to make better DACs than the average brand produced. It was fun while it lasted and it was good for self esteem and experience. Not so anymore. The very high prices of parts, unsolderability of many parts and general bad availability of parts in the West also spoil the fun. Partly this is caused artificially but we deal with the consequences. If one looks at various fora here one can easily see that many DIY endeavors stand in the shadow of ChiFi both in quality and in features.... Trying to reach a much desired high level seems more of a struggle than a realistic view would permit but hats off to those that persevere!
With software and computer stuff this might be different but I am grateful to SMSL, Topping etc. so make very high quality audio stuff so affordable and still leave some work (cough) for the hardcore hobbyist
I am quite sure such quality was not available to the average DIYer/Audio enthusiast before , at least not within reach.
Bold statement: today I can buy a very good amplifier for 100 Euro and a very good DAC for 100 Euro. Now add 100 Euro for the modding to better performance. That is 300 Euro for a sound quality level of a few thousand Euros by a so-called A brand. And ... 300 Euro is peanuts when one wishes to DIY just a DAC....
With software and computer stuff this might be different but I am grateful to SMSL, Topping etc. so make very high quality audio stuff so affordable and still leave some work (cough) for the hardcore hobbyist
I am quite sure such quality was not available to the average DIYer/Audio enthusiast before , at least not within reach.Bold statement: today I can buy a very good amplifier for 100 Euro and a very good DAC for 100 Euro. Now add 100 Euro for the modding to better performance. That is 300 Euro for a sound quality level of a few thousand Euros by a so-called A brand. And ... 300 Euro is peanuts when one wishes to DIY just a DAC....
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I agree that it is impossible to make a nice looking device in a chassis for the price of ChiFi. However it is still possible to design and build DIY devices that have equal or better performance. Modding commercial devices for better performance is not my game and I suspect it is often objectively unsuccessful but of course it always subjectively results in better sound
Sure.
Replacing some components may add SQ, but usually this is not enough. Changing schematic or pcb layout are little bit terrible for the tweakers.
Alex.
Depends of what to considered as "good".
Good amplifier for $100? Class-D, I guess?
Good DAC for $100?
Just chip prices:
BD34301: ~$100 @1K
AK4499EX+4191: ~$60 @1K
ES9038Pro, 9039Pro: ~$50 @1K
I had an Accuphase E303 integrated amp and a Tube Amp which I forgot the name of. Both have been surpassed by a modded $40 Chinese amp. The Dac boards I am using are about $40 as well and with a little effort and a pair of good output transformers they approach high Dollar ready made Dacs.
I am not an engineer or specialist but I managed to get high quality sound for little money in my house. Thats what diy audio is all about. I never stop because of some peoples theories.
Aoip gives me what I am after for much cheaper than USB.
Once you heard room correction, phase correction and active crossovers done right you can't go back.
I am not an engineer or specialist but I managed to get high quality sound for little money in my house. Thats what diy audio is all about. I never stop because of some peoples theories.
Aoip gives me what I am after for much cheaper than USB.
Once you heard room correction, phase correction and active crossovers done right you can't go back.
Maybe you can still go forward? Or are you now at the pinnacle of what is achievable?
Some may like to find design errors and imperfections and solve those. That is why I wrote that there is some work left. Thankfully there are experts like you. It is very hard to solder todays ICs when one is not professionally in electronics. So it is quitting, adapting to ChiFi or go back in time by spending time on old stuff.I agree that it is impossible to make a nice looking device in a chassis for the price of ChiFi. However it is still possible to design and build DIY devices that have equal or better performance. Modding commercial devices for better performance is not my game and I suspect it is often objectively unsuccessful but of course it always subjectively results in better sound
Of course you may suggest that modding is for fools and classify such persons in the part replacement camp but I think you know better. Just like I know that many 100% DIY projects built by knowledgeable DIYers that cost a lot of time, money and effort are surpassed by some well designed ChiFi devices. Witnessed it many times. Good brains and skills may not win from an Asian team effort.
Class D is good and sometimes excellent. It is here to stay too whether you like it or not. Your new TV will have it and your new E-car too. Call it bad if it makes you feel better
FWIW I never pay more than 100 Euro for a complete DAC. You see it is silly to buy a single (1) DAC chip for 60$ if you find one for that price and then have to build a DAC (when a ready made one with that chip costs 100 Euro). You know there is some point in that
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You are of course entitled to your opinion. But it is only a subjective opinion so please leave out generalizations and claims you cannot prove and nobody will object.
Modding by blindly following audiophile dogmas is what I dislike. Especially since the results are invariably judged by subjective sighted evaluation.