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AckoDAC based on AK4499EQ

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#22
pinnocchio said:
I see there's the DIY version on the website, ok.

Sorry, you already had answered some questions about the DAC.

Just there seem to be many options and the website does not tell much. Where can I get more infos and price list?

Thanks
Do
Click to expand...

Thank you for your interest.
The standard build as offered has core modules installed i.e. DAC + Controller + USB. The USB unit is tucked underneath the Controller. This can be removed to expose the I2S/DSD inputs if you prefer to roll out your own interface. Then the end user decides what sort of power supplies are suited based on budget and required performance. Some prefer batteries instead. The USB unit has Femto audio clocks already with a buffered output to drive the DAC but external clocks may be preferred so the options are there to connect. Yes, you can install even OCXO types or connect to Andrea Mori’s well tempered clocks via SMA input. So basically this becomes a central piece to evaluate and experiment with different configurations. The Controller is already programmed (in robust C code) so you do not have to worry about hooking up and fiddling with some Arduino MCU. The interesting feature of the Controller is that it also allows external commands from say a remote or an Arduino device to set the DAC registers if you still want to play around this way.

You cannot compare this with commercial units like Topping D90 as such. I haven seen reports from others who bought D90 hoping to mod but was disappointed with the tightly integrated build. Then there was some effusive praise initially, but got tempered after a while and eventually sold it off! The closest equivalent is the AKM eval board but this now is like $1k to start with and there are no USB, MCU, isolation/reclocking of input signals or summing outputs.

If you are unable to build up then fully loaded ones can be supplied. I am doing one right now and will post later. Can look into loaning demo sets but all units of the current batch have been spoken for - so perhaps later🙂
 
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#23
Headphones

Another plan is a high quality add-on board for headphone drive. This HPA will take signals directly from the DAC itself so no separate stages, boxes, interconnect cables or EMI concerns.

Topping D90 has none built-in, afaik, but offers a separate HPA box for extra $500 (ouch!)

I might throw in this HPA board to early adopters for free 😀
 
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#28
AKD49S Stereo DAC

You can go the whole hog with this...
 

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#33
Sine OCXO drive

Next up: drive this DAC with the Sine OCXO timing. The new AKX series performance is better than anything else that I have seen. Also, closely matched across devices, at least from the first batch. Options to mount on the DAC board itself or as external master clock in its own shielded enclosure and power.
 

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#35
AKM sounded better but the comparisons are not exactly fair. 9038Pro in typical easy Async mode with 80MHz clock/dpll (just like yours) but the AKM one is more elaborate, sync’ed all over from source to chip with 22MHz clock-that has also much lower phase noise. So at some stage, will need to get the 9038Pro into similar drive just keep the playing field level. We will find out in good time 🙂
 
#36
acko said:
Next up: drive this DAC with the Sine OCXO timing. The new AKX series performance is better than anything else that I have seen. Also, closely matched across devices, at least from the first batch. Options to mount on the DAC board itself or as external master clock in its own shielded enclosure and power.
Click to expand...

Quick note: fundamental mode pure xtal used, lapped to precision and low phase noise. No doublers, multipliers or pll synthesisers.
 
#39
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