The old r2r dacs sound more natural and give more pleasure to listen but i would say that this dac is very close. The voices are superb and natural. Overall i think the dac is very close to the old r2r. I tried also bypass the opamps with jensen output transformers and i think opamp is more precise and more correct sound.
Is necessary to use good power supply on jlsounds i2soverusb.
Some links to feel the sound:
A testar novos coils no grave - YouTube
Vozes.... - YouTube
Of corse it is my subjective opinion based on dac research over last years and what i feel about what would be to have a real representation of the singer playing in front of you.
I think it is not possible to run 2 boards in dual mono because the dac runs in hardware mode.
You can use gerber viewer to view gerber files.
I will use arduino nano, i2c mode. I just need detect pwm/dsd, set filter, without volume control. For more complete control via encoder go for dimdim stm F3.
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Gee, that's too bad. The dac would likely sound best with DSD256. No way to try it with that one. Wonder why didn't he just make it so some jumpers could convert it to software control mode?
He is working on the software control for a revised AK4493 board. I have been in communication with him since I am interested in paralleling the volume control for 7 DACs for my active 5.4 system. I was mainly concerned about volume control, not DSD, but it may be doable with the upgrade.
Dsd is a myth, i made very extensive listenning tests and got to the conclusion that dsd changes the sound.. that smotness is good for diana krall not for rock music nor electrolic music.
Listen to dsc2 dac and akm4493 in software mode..
Lack of bass and dynamics...
Thats my opinion... do not want to get into text battle..
Dismissing a dac because it does not play dsd... lol..
pistollero,
May I ask for more details of your listening tests, such as what did you use for conversion to DSD (settings too), what dac, what clocks, etc? I have to ask since your experience is very different from mine. However, it does seem to depend on exactly how DSD is produced. Also, other factors affect the outcome in some cases such as when doing real-time conversion with hardware chips. I've heard some pretty awful real-time hardware DSD.
May I ask for more details of your listening tests, such as what did you use for conversion to DSD (settings too), what dac, what clocks, etc? I have to ask since your experience is very different from mine. However, it does seem to depend on exactly how DSD is produced. Also, other factors affect the outcome in some cases such as when doing real-time conversion with hardware chips. I've heard some pretty awful real-time hardware DSD.
I Listen to dsc2 dac, russian only dsd dac and ak4493 software mode dsd and dsd with volume bypass.
Both with signalyst hqplayer (i have paid the licence) with many settings.
Conclusion is dsd changes the sound.
Listen to drums and dynamic music and compare to the original pcm playback.
Drums dont have impact , sound softer....
Just my opinion.. and should be talked in an apropriate thread.
I put one together using JLS USB to I2S to a JLS AL4493 dac to a JLS output stage using quality PSUs for each. It sounds very good. But lately I've been seduced by NOS R2R DACs. Nice to have options.
Do you have the AK4493 or AK4493S? What output stage did you use? With LME49710? Or the new one with NJM5534?
The one with the new one, but it looks to be identical to the old one using the obsolete lme49710, just changed them out for njm5534. Ended up replacing them with sparkos descrete opamps for a noticeable improvement in sound quality.
The Miro AD1862 DAC, it sounds really great, using the Ss3601 Sparkos single discreet opamps, one for each channel. It's set up as NOS with no filtering. It sounds so good that I'm building another with EUVL's discreet IV stage and filter to compare.
I thought the AK was very nice, I went out of my way using Salas UBIB shunt PSUs putting it together. But after I heard the AD1862 I preferred that DAC more. More realistic sounding, great detail and soundstage. That said the AK is a nice DAC, I easily preferred it to the saber DACs that I have.
To my ears ESS dacs tend to sound grainy, thin and fatiquing, as if the perceived detail people often talk about from these chips is being created with some specific higher order HD components. I will say it does largely depend on the implementation how good it will sound. The input receiver and clocking has alot to do with it.
I have a Motu M4 that uses an ESS dac which sounds pretty good for the price, as well as an Oppo universal player that sounds more like most ESS equipped things - mostly thin and fatiquing.
I've heard the AKM4493 in variois gear and feel its superior to just about all of the ESS stuff I've had. RME uses alot of AKM chips in their interfaces and they sound superb compared to most other stuff in the price range. I have an RME femtoclocked ADI2pro which sounds better than just about anything under $5K. It has the natural analog like sound of the better old school multibit dacs like the TDA1541A, AD1865, PCM63, just with even better speed, accuracy and transparency.
I have a Motu M4 that uses an ESS dac which sounds pretty good for the price, as well as an Oppo universal player that sounds more like most ESS equipped things - mostly thin and fatiquing.
I've heard the AKM4493 in variois gear and feel its superior to just about all of the ESS stuff I've had. RME uses alot of AKM chips in their interfaces and they sound superb compared to most other stuff in the price range. I have an RME femtoclocked ADI2pro which sounds better than just about anything under $5K. It has the natural analog like sound of the better old school multibit dacs like the TDA1541A, AD1865, PCM63, just with even better speed, accuracy and transparency.
Time moved on and along came the ES9039xx.
I used to be a AKM user exclusively.
From the 4490 to 4497 I extensively modded these boards and ready made units from Topping with LT3045 LDOs lifepo4 super caps transformer coupling ect.
Out of couriosity I bought the SMSL DL200.
At the 80 hour mark I am certain that the chip itself is better than any AKM chip up to the 4497.
Without any mods done to the DL200 the detail retrieval, spacious representation,
and dynamics are better than my heavily modded double mono transformer coupled AK4493 board.
I am going differentially straight into the MA12070 amp skipping any active circuitry on the amp.
As far as I was able to route the traces the DL200 uses data sheet circuitry.
Very impressive. Opamps are OPA1612.
I will eventually do some mods to the unit but I am not in a hurry.
Greetings Klaus
I used to be a AKM user exclusively.
From the 4490 to 4497 I extensively modded these boards and ready made units from Topping with LT3045 LDOs lifepo4 super caps transformer coupling ect.
Out of couriosity I bought the SMSL DL200.
At the 80 hour mark I am certain that the chip itself is better than any AKM chip up to the 4497.
Without any mods done to the DL200 the detail retrieval, spacious representation,
and dynamics are better than my heavily modded double mono transformer coupled AK4493 board.
I am going differentially straight into the MA12070 amp skipping any active circuitry on the amp.
As far as I was able to route the traces the DL200 uses data sheet circuitry.
Very impressive. Opamps are OPA1612.
I will eventually do some mods to the unit but I am not in a hurry.
Greetings Klaus