AK4499EQ - Best DAC ever

Jump to Latest
#344
eziitis said:
...Are these for Vref in D90 indeed?
Click to expand...

Sure looks like it, unless some other regulator comes in the same package and has the same SMD marking code.

Then again, its a commercial dac that has to sell for under $700. The total price of all the parts including the multilayer PCB, the case, shipping box, accessories, etc., all has to cost only a fraction of the selling price of the unit.

It sounds very good indeed for the price (compared to what some other dacs cost). Its just not the very best of what AK4499 is capable of.

EDIT: All the foregoing IMHO only!
 
Last edited:
#345
What I find interesting with the D-90 is that despite the necessarily compromised build quality, the measurements are outstanding for both noise and distortion. Very close to as good as it gets on standard measures, including multi-tone testing. After some level matched comparison with my ESS 9038 DIY DAC (Buffalo PRO with Mercury, with power supplies of my own design), I sold the D-90: it did some things better than the BuffPRO, but lacked a bit in body, presence, and dynamics: these are all sonic qualities which I often associate with power supply implementation (among other things). Of course this was hardly a fair fight: just a single transformer (of two) from my BuffPRO build weighs more than the entire D-90 DAC.
I must say, I am very, very impressed by what I think the AKM 4499 is capable of (especially in DSD direct mode), and will be looking for a suitable DIY approach to this chip going forward. (I am not capable of, nor should I attempt, a high speed DAC PCB design myself).
 
#346
well, ADP7112ACBZ would be about 1€ in contrast to 2.7€ for LT3042, but the latest will need more parts around.
still I think that Toping is somehow recycling design fragments. for instance this is the case comparing their es9018k2m and es9028q2m dacs.
so, I would not be surprised in order to quickly release the product many things are copy-pasted. for the first time I saw this tiny reg in Dx3pro, it is also present in D70. not sure, whether it powers Vref there (U4 in the pic attached).

nowadays the gap between measurement and sounding is widening indeed. 120€ worth Topping E30 (AK4493) measures excellent but the sound is average at best. IMHO of course 🙂
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2020-04-14 at 18.06.17.png
    Screenshot 2020-04-14 at 18.06.17.png
    238.3 KB · Views: 545
#347
Markw4 said:
Speaking of AK4499 dac implementations, just did a bit of looking around inside of the Topping D90 case. Saw what looks to be four tiny voltage regulators, possibly as a source of 5v for Vref (one per channel). Don't recognize the chip from the marking code, but perhaps someone else around here will...
Click to expand...

Mark,

What Camera did you use to take the Macro picture of the Regulator?

Its VERY decent Zoomed Photo
 
#350
Markw4 said:
Thank you, sir.

In case anyone is interested in how Topping chose to implement D90, the four regulators (along with 4 Nichicon FW electrolytics, and a few SMD ceramics) power VREFHxx and VDDxx, 2-channels per regulator (dac channels are summed in pairs after I/V to end up with stereo out).
Click to expand...

So you mean one regulator powers the left and right channel vref of DAC1, one powers the left and right channel vref of DAC2. Then one does vdd for the left and right channel of DAC1 and the last vdd for the left and right channel of DAC2?
 
#353
barrows said:
I am subjecting myself to being called crazy here, but I am going to suggest this anyway. I advise replacing the fuse in the D-90 with something better. It comes with a cheap as dirt glass body fuse, just replace this with a decent quality ceramic body fuse from Littlefuse, or if you have access to an "audiophile" fuse try that. You might be surprised!
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea - can you confirm the exact fuse spec for the D90?

Many thanks
 
#357
Those dac boards look like some of the better Chinese variants. They are made for use with an Amanero USB board. Only a real Amanero, not a Chinese clone like on Aliexpress, supports ASIO drivers in Windows and Native DSD. Unfortunately, even real Amanero boards do on have great clocks or galvanic isolation. Much better IMHO is JL Sounds I2SoverUSB, although it won't directly plug into the USB board socket on the dac board. Whatever clocks are on the USB board will do a lot to define the jitter the dac chip will see, it it will affect sound quality.

Also, something to know about most of the dac boards coming out of China is that the dac chip is usually the only genuine part. Capacitors and resistors in particular are generally cheap clones despite the brand names on the labels. Similar in many cases for opamps, depending on the cost of a genuine article.

Another thing to know is that dacs are sensitive to power supply quality, particular the output stage reference supply, but the other dac power pins have some effect too on ultimate sound quality too. A cheap regulator, especially with mixed load types on a single regulator, very commonly has an adverse effect on sound quality.

Even with cheap parts and jittery clocks, frequency response should be flat, and stationary harmonic distortion spectrums may look okay. Many have found there are audible effects from dacs that do not always show up on basic tests that usually work better for things like amplifiers that don't mix digital, RF, and analog all in the same chip. Just sayin'

Some people are bothered by small-ish defects in sound quality and other people don't notice them at all. Varies a lot from person to person just the way it is.

So, the dac board may sound very much to your satisfaction more or less as-is, or some modding work might be in your future if you were hoping for better.
 
Last edited:
#358
What do you recommend any dac “kit” with ak chip ?
I’m not experience in dac but I’m looking a micro detail of dac.
Ak4499 is my best opinion, but I can not choose which kit to build.

My goal is micro detail dac .
I hope anyone Here knows where to build one.

I can not find anyone bought the dac on aliexpress and review.
 
#359
Don't know of any AK4499 kits. AK4497 is the closest I have seen. I would suggest to study the AK4497 data sheet, and if you can find it, an AK4497 evaluation board schematic (should be in the evaluation board manual/datasheet document). That's what AKM recommended as a starting point. Then compare that to what you in the pics at Aliexpress or Ebay. Not the same, I'll bet. That might give you idea of the direction you would likely go if you wanted to modify a Chinese board. Just my opinion, of course. Others surely will have some other ideas.
 
#360
Markw4 said:
Another thing to know is that dacs are sensitive to power supply quality, particular the output stage reference supply, but the other dac power pins have some effect too on ultimate sound quality too. A cheap regulator, especially with mixed load types on a single regulator, very commonly has an adverse effect on sound quality.

Even with cheap parts and jittery clocks, frequency response should be flat, and stationary harmonic distortion spectrums may look okay. Many have found there are audible effects from dacs that do not always show up on basic tests that usually work better for things like amplifiers that don't mix digital, RF, and analog all in the same chip. Just sayin'
Click to expand...
Can you cite any supporting evidence to your sound quality claims?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom