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Buffalo DAC (ESS Sabre 9008)

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#881
I have some of the "teddyreg" regulator boards popular over on the UK pinkfishmedia forum coming to me. I intend trying some on the supply into the IVY and also into the buffalo as well. They are well regarded for their good regulation. The only snag is that they need about 6V headroom so I need to get in a 24V transformer for the IVY/LCBPS supply.

The same regualtor can always suply the counterpoint later - and supply it to a good standard.


I'm only sorry that I'm not more educated about the circuits, you know - the EE stuff behind all this. As I said to someone else this morning, I can build and build proficiently, but I can't come up with original circuits.......


Fran
 
#883
I am awaiting my Buffalo and associated goodies to build my last system. Everything from the HTPC, transport, 24V Aikido preamp/headamp, NP D1 I/V, and I will p-t-p(unless I can find PCB) a Firstwatt F1 at a later date. I have been getting all flustered about what to do about power supplies? You see I am in Canada at the moment, but I will be building my house in the jungle in Thailand this spring. The power is OK in major areas, but rural is dirty and fluctuates violently. I have been using a medical grade AC-DC-AC UPS with my previous system for protection, but I don't have one big enough for everything. I also have the problem of likely having to pay large sums of money to get AC to the land in the first place. So I am thinking that if I have to pay $3000 to get power to the house, I might as well get off the grid! There is also the possibility of a river to tap as well. You see, the only appliances we have that need 220v , other than my stereo, are the TV and the refrigerator. I can buy a new fridge and likely will have to anyway. The TV may get scrapped for a DIY LED projector that could run off low voltages or it can run off a small inverter.

Since I am building the house I can do what I want so I would love to hear what you think. Building codes are almost non-existentand I don't need to do it any conventional way. The solar panels can be had in 12v and if I wire them so that they creat a multi volt system I should be able to get 12v,24v,36, and so on. Even if I just ran 24V icould dc-dc instead. In the river I could build a paddle wheel/car gernerator scheme. Now I have 24V for the Aikido, 12v for the DAC, buy a DC-DC ps for the computer and I should have uber clean power.

So my query today is about the Buffalo on DC only. I am sure I could Just run 12V through a reg set to 5v/3.3v etc right? Should I use seperate batteries? Would there be and advantage to using lower voltage batteries directly? 6v for 5v and 3.6 v for 3.3v and so on? Would there be any anvantage or should i just use 12v? Would a shunt reg from Tent labs be worth the cash to do the 5v and 3.3v?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tentlab-Shunt-R...tZCD_MiniDisc_Players?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

...or just stick with a linear reg?
http://cgi.ebay.com/LM317-Adjustabl...14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

Finally,
Would it be good for me to use seperate regs for all supply points on the DAC chip and not just the two voltages and then the others tied to them?

Thanks for your time.

P.S. Russ and Brian... Any word on how your deliveries are going with the Buffalo or when I should get excited about it's arrival?
 
#885
Re: Volumite

BrianDonegan said:
I just added the basic Volumite page here: http://www.twistedpearaudio.com/control/volumite.aspx

I will be adding more information to it shortly.
Click to expand...

Pre-emptive non-buffalo question since I'm impatient. Does the Opus volumite support both the old 8740 versions and the new 8741 versions? I know there is no difference in the volume control aspects, but wasn't sure whether the additional new registers introduced any wrinkles.
 
#886
I am learning... So here are some newbie questions.

1)When making a AC/DC power supply the rectifier bridge is there simply to divide the voltage into +/- and to convert to DC, right?
2)If a center tapped transformer is used for a bipolar PS providing+/- already, is there a way to simply the bridge or remove it and replace it with single rectifiers?
3)If I am using battery power I have no noise and thus no need for fancy circuits, i.e. shunt regs, correct?
4)If I am using 12V batteries to power the Buffalo, can I just wire a LM317 between the DAC and battery to set the voltages and give them some heatsinks or is there more involved like a cap and a resistor?
5)Nothing to do with the Buffalo, but... Should my PC intoduce less noise if I run it off a DC-DC supply?
 
#888
woodturner-fran said:
I have some of the "teddyreg" regulator boards popular over on the UK pinkfishmedia forum coming to me. I intend trying some on the supply into the IVY and also into the buffalo as well. They are well regarded for their good regulation. The only snag is that they need about 6V headroom so I need to get in a 24V transformer for the IVY/LCBPS supply.
Click to expand...

Fran I'd be interested to see how you get on with the Teddyregs, I'm sure you can get transformers in Ireland, but if not a good source in England that I use is:

http://www.airlinktransformers.com

Let us know how you get on ;-)
Russ
 
#890
rjbladwin: I'll be posting my results here. I think I also have gotten some ALWSR but in positive only, so I might try them on the buffalo supply which leads me to my next question:



Russ/Brian: the guidelines say to use 6.5-8.5V into VA and 6.5-7.5V into VD. Would it be ok to run 8V into VD do you think? I could add a little heatsink to the onboard regulator??


Fran
 
#892
rjbaldwin said:


Fran I'd be interested to see how you get on with the Teddyregs
Click to expand...


I'm running mine off a simple supply conceptually similar to the Teddy reg - jeft current source feeding an 8.2 volt zener, RC filtered to a BC546/BD139 darlington. Caps are Panasonic FMs.

Sounds very good, a definite step up from the LM317 supply in terms of transparency, and a more relaxed tonal quality too.

A separate clock is next ....
 
#893
Thanks Russ,


I should have enough bits together to be able to run the IVY off a +/- teddyreg and then also try the DAC itself off some teddy regs and also some ALWSRs as well. Don't have enough parts to run the IVY from a +/-ALWSR.

I will be experimenting with both mine and one that I'm building for a friend.



Fran
 
#894
Possible boards location (boards are to scale on the drawing) into a possible nice enclosure from www.hifi-2000.com, the galaxie 248. Dimensions are 40mm height, about W9" XD11".

Naturally, the Placid and Counterpoint for each channel can be installed over each other, but the heat dissipation is probably better this way.
 

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#898
Algar_emi said:
Possible boards location (boards are to scale on the drawing) into a possible nice enclosure from www.hifi-2000.com, the galaxie 248. Dimensions are 40mm height, about W9" XD11".

Naturally, the Placid and Counterpoint for each channel can be installed over each other, but the heat dissipation is probably better this way.
Click to expand...


You will want to stack the buffalo with the counterpoint boards, or at least have them right next to each other. Keeping the current-output path of the DAC as short as possible is very very important.
 
#900
woodturner-fran said:
Had a good listen there over the last hour or so and don't notice the "sch" or sibilance that you speak of AVR300. It does seem to be more detailed though if thats possible, and the soundstage is different- nicer to my ears!

Is it possible that maybe if its a bit more detailed you are getting the source material in a more ruthless fashion.

Have to say I'm all in favour of this mod.

Fran


EDIT: do you all leave your buffalo turned on or off?
Click to expand...

I undid the cap mod, and found the system "playing" again. No sibilance. Then I redid it, this time with some well known BC polypropylene 4n7 caps. This time there was no sibilance.

Wonder what those 0.0047K things is, properly inductors or something even worse :boggled: Anyway, they sounded like crap - and they are out now.

You're right, Fran, the source material is on display here. S... in - s... out. The way I like it.

EDIT: I turn off my DAC after use. Saves CO2.
 

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