The docs of Ians LiFePo4 board seem to indicate that it is charging the batteries when the power to the WaveIO/FiFo/DAC/whatever is turned off. It's never turned off in my system. This is why I am asking what other options there are.
Hello,
My dddac has two power switches.
One for the choke input that is feeding 12 volts into the main print. This is used for the Tentlabs shunts and some 3,3 or 5 volt regulators that are mounted on that print too. Some of them have a extra rc network that i installed with instructions from Doede. One of the reasons for doing this if i remember well was extra decoupling but also reduce input voltage to the Belleson to reduce heat.
The other switch is for the 5 volt belleson supply that is used for the wave io that needs 5 volt and 400 mA.
My dddac is always on unless i am abroad.
I am sure there could be found a way with the help of Ian to have things working the way you want.
I remember using a big battery supply which also included a supercap in the eighties. At that time i had it connected to the charger all the time and during listening i just switched of the charger. Worked for many years.
Have to read some more to see if Ian's supply could also be used to give the 5 volt 400mA . As far as i can see the fifopi needs only two small low current supplies.
It could well be that Ian's supply can supply some other voltages needed for the dddac except the one feeding the 8 volt Tentlabs shunts.
Greetings, Eduard
My dddac has two power switches.
One for the choke input that is feeding 12 volts into the main print. This is used for the Tentlabs shunts and some 3,3 or 5 volt regulators that are mounted on that print too. Some of them have a extra rc network that i installed with instructions from Doede. One of the reasons for doing this if i remember well was extra decoupling but also reduce input voltage to the Belleson to reduce heat.
The other switch is for the 5 volt belleson supply that is used for the wave io that needs 5 volt and 400 mA.
My dddac is always on unless i am abroad.
I am sure there could be found a way with the help of Ian to have things working the way you want.
I remember using a big battery supply which also included a supercap in the eighties. At that time i had it connected to the charger all the time and during listening i just switched of the charger. Worked for many years.
Have to read some more to see if Ian's supply could also be used to give the 5 volt 400mA . As far as i can see the fifopi needs only two small low current supplies.
It could well be that Ian's supply can supply some other voltages needed for the dddac except the one feeding the 8 volt Tentlabs shunts.
Greetings, Eduard
It can provide the needed 5v and all data is here Edward
Develop ultra capacitor power supply and LiFePO4 battery power supply
Voltage rails:
1, Low noise linear regulated 5V 2A: for digital sections (before isolator is suggested);
2, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V: for clock board;
3, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V: for DAC;
4, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V or 6.6V or 9.9V or 13.2V: for I/V stages or analog sections;
5, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V or 6.6V or 9.9V or 13.2V: for I/V stages or analog sections;
All voltage rails are independent from each other.
All battery powered rails are isolated from DC input
Multiple LifePO4 boards can be bridged together for more power rails.
Normal laptop power adapter would be good option as DC input.
1, Low noise linear regulated 5V 2A: for digital sections (before isolator is suggested);
2, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V: for clock board;
3, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V: for DAC;
4, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V or 6.6V or 9.9V or 13.2V: for I/V stages or analog sections;
5, Pure LifePO4 battery power 3.3V or 6.6V or 9.9V or 13.2V: for I/V stages or analog sections;
All voltage rails are independent from each other.
All battery powered rails are isolated from DC input
Multiple LifePO4 boards can be bridged together for more power rails.
Normal laptop power adapter would be good option as DC input.
Thanks. You have convinced me to go with a TVC. However, I can't imagine living with volume control in 2 db steps or greater. Plus, there are infrequent times when I need to dip below the roughly -48 db max attenuation of many TVCs. But I am exploring another TVC option--will report back.
I had an excellent experience using naked Z foil resistors in my tube amp. They were rather transformative and I can't recommend them highly enough. But I have read your (and others') previous feedback and will try the Rhopoints. No need for me to reinvent the wheel.
Are you SURE 2 dB isn't okay for you? 2 dB is actually a surprisingly small volume step. I wouldn't mind at all if they were bigger.
You could ask Brian Sowter if he'd make a special transformer for you with smaller steps. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd do it.
Also, if you want to use another transformer model, make sure it will not be unhappy with the slight DC imbalance between the POS and NEG outputs of the DDDAC. Many audio transformers will saturate with the slightest DC. The Sowter 9335 has been tested with the DDDAC, and it does not saturate.
Hello Simon,
I have read about this power supply on this forum so i know it has a 5 volt 2A supply but that is just a " normal " power supply. It could well be that my present Belleson 5 volt supply with choke input ( now still the ll2733 but will be replaced with an ll2771 with smaller airgap so it will be 6 henry will be better if the universal supply from Ian will be used with a standard little box supply.
Ian stated several times that adding an ldo after the batteries will degrade the supply.
BUT by using the batteries we can only create 3,3 6,6 9,9 or 13,2
But still a lot of possibilities.........
Greetings, Eduard
I have read about this power supply on this forum so i know it has a 5 volt 2A supply but that is just a " normal " power supply. It could well be that my present Belleson 5 volt supply with choke input ( now still the ll2733 but will be replaced with an ll2771 with smaller airgap so it will be 6 henry will be better if the universal supply from Ian will be used with a standard little box supply.
Ian stated several times that adding an ldo after the batteries will degrade the supply.
BUT by using the batteries we can only create 3,3 6,6 9,9 or 13,2
But still a lot of possibilities.........
Greetings, Eduard
Hello,
As Ian says using a ldo after the batteries will degrade the sound.
It could be that the only thing that could be used is a Tentlabs shunt?
I dont know if could use the two 9,9 volt power supplies in parallel to feed the Tentlabs shunts.. A 4 boards dddac might drain the batteries to quickly.
Right now the power boards from ian are out of stock in France.
Greetings, Eduard
As Ian says using a ldo after the batteries will degrade the sound.
It could be that the only thing that could be used is a Tentlabs shunt?
I dont know if could use the two 9,9 volt power supplies in parallel to feed the Tentlabs shunts.. A 4 boards dddac might drain the batteries to quickly.
Right now the power boards from ian are out of stock in France.
Greetings, Eduard
Hello Norway,
It seems that it is especially the 3,3 and the 5 volts supplies that can be upgraded by adding the ultracaps. It is a pretty easy modification to do. There is not that much space needed but integrate them on the present circuit board would make it rather big i guess . So maybe mount the two caps needed closer to the load.
Of course the mounting needs to be firm because you dont wanna cause a short circuit with these kind of caps.
We need some more ideas for possible use of Ian's supply and fifopi in combination with the dddac.
Greetings, Eduard
It seems that it is especially the 3,3 and the 5 volts supplies that can be upgraded by adding the ultracaps. It is a pretty easy modification to do. There is not that much space needed but integrate them on the present circuit board would make it rather big i guess . So maybe mount the two caps needed closer to the load.
Of course the mounting needs to be firm because you dont wanna cause a short circuit with these kind of caps.
We need some more ideas for possible use of Ian's supply and fifopi in combination with the dddac.
Greetings, Eduard
Hi fellow DDDac Builders...
Sorry for interrupting your PSU and Ian FiFOPi talks for a minute...
It's time for an upgrade for my simple 1-decker DDDac with Output Caps.
I have asked the question before, and most of you pointed at Transformers as your first upgrade recommendation. I think I will now order a second DAC-board and some transformers.
Well, it seems that Audio Creative now sells some new O.P.T. custom transformers instead of the Cinemag CMLI 600/600.
The options is now...
Audio Creative O.P.T €275 (from Audio Creative)
Cinemag CMLI 600/600 €234 (still available from Dons Audio)
Sowter Custom ? (think I've read somewhere around €500)
I know many of you have the Sowters but they also requires minimum 4 boards. That's too much for now.
Have any of you heard anything about the O.P.T's?
Regards
Martin Roerup
Sorry for interrupting your PSU and Ian FiFOPi talks for a minute...
It's time for an upgrade for my simple 1-decker DDDac with Output Caps.
I have asked the question before, and most of you pointed at Transformers as your first upgrade recommendation. I think I will now order a second DAC-board and some transformers.
Well, it seems that Audio Creative now sells some new O.P.T. custom transformers instead of the Cinemag CMLI 600/600.
The options is now...
Audio Creative O.P.T €275 (from Audio Creative)
Cinemag CMLI 600/600 €234 (still available from Dons Audio)
Sowter Custom ? (think I've read somewhere around €500)
I know many of you have the Sowters but they also requires minimum 4 boards. That's too much for now.
Have any of you heard anything about the O.P.T's?
Regards
Martin Roerup
Hejsa Martin,
Sowters are for 4 boards only DDDAC 1794 NOS DAC - Non Oversampling DAC with PCM1794 - no digital filter - modular design DIY DAC for high resolution audio 192/24 192kHz 24bit
If I were in your shoes, I would get one board and the Audio Creative OPT. They had the cinemag before, and they would not change it for a inferior opt. Have not heard any of them though.
That's correct if you are referring the the special "DDDAC Sowters", which are designed to provide some voltage gain and therefore present a slightly lower load impedance to the DAC boards.
With a TVC, the impedance matching will be greatly improved such that the DDDAC sees a much higher impedance (except if the TVC is set to 100% volume, when it will act as a 1:1 mirror of the load impedance, which is still better than with the special "DDDAC Sowters"). I'd be very surprised if a "single-deck" DDDAC wouldn't be happy to drive that.