No need to cut the cable of your phones, simply an aerial headphone jack and the cable. Something like the attached pic but without RCAs.
Do you have alligator clips? If yes connect one side to the headphones plug & the other side to the Chronus output. You need only three.
Do you have alligator clips? If yes connect one side to the headphones plug & the other side to the Chronus output. You need only three.
Attachments
![IMG_20200618_181450[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/785/785358-4448ef306fa301be09ec26f0fdb8e499.jpg?hash=REjvMG-jAb)
![IMG_20200618_182145[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/785/785397-f775ef4ef1898b7f0508ac77e9f4efe4.jpg?hash=93XvTvGJi3)
![IMG_20200618_182421[1].jpg](/community/data/attachments/785/785420-a3d13232d104212210df861ca1f9914b.jpg?hash=o9EyMtEEIS)
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The Placid voltages all seem OK, but on one of my Placid BPs, I can't get the negative rail below 22V. I can adjust VR1 and VR2 to get 15Ω, and VR3 and VR4 to 2KΩ and I can adjust the positive rail to 15V and R2 to 0.25V, but VR3 has litttle effect on voltage and I can't adjust VR1 to get 0.25V across R1. It used to be perfectly OK, so I'm not sure why it's playing up now. It may well be unrelated to my other issue, but it's just one more thing that needs fixing...
I'm not sure what you mean. I measured all my voltages and found that one of my Placid BP boards had the wrong power output, so I took it out and adjusted it according to the manual. It's clearly faulty.
You can use your old scope to check for music. You won't hear it, but you'll see the signal that is produced. I suggest about .25-.5 volts per (Y) division and a time chop (X axis) of about 20 milliseconds/division. You can check both single-ended and balanced. Don't use the balanced ground - use plus and minus out.
Meanwhile, it will be difficult to suggest else without images of your build.
Meanwhile, it will be difficult to suggest else without images of your build.
francolargo, that's an excellent idea. Thank you for that.
I'll give it a go, when I next get a chance. I could take photos too, if I can remember how to post them on here!
I'll give it a go, when I next get a chance. I could take photos too, if I can remember how to post them on here!
I want to try Synchronous. I have only populated R5, R6, and R7 on the chronus. Do I need to install R1-R4?
No, not necessary for two channel operation. You only need to tap the Cronus master clock and supply it to the DAC.
I soldered the Crystek clocks directly to the Cronus initially, not thinking about swapping them later. I recently desoldered them, but accidentally pulled up two pads of the top clock (circled in the attached). I tried soldering the new mounting brackets and plugging in the Crysteks but don't get lock anymore and suspect I've damaged the Cronus.
It doesn't look like the two corners are connected to any traces on the top of the board so I thought it may still work if the pins are soldered on the bottom but that doesn't seem to be the case. Does anyone know I can use a jumper wire on the top of the board somewhere to avoid having to get another Cronus?
It doesn't look like the two corners are connected to any traces on the top of the board so I thought it may still work if the pins are soldered on the bottom but that doesn't seem to be the case. Does anyone know I can use a jumper wire on the top of the board somewhere to avoid having to get another Cronus?
Attachments
I only have a version 1.1 available for checking. Chances are good that the clock wiring is the same.
Pin 1, near 'X1', provides the clock's enable/disable function. In poking around there was nothing on either surface directly connected. This pin, when supplied with >0.7 x Vcc activates the output. https://www.crystek.com/crystal/spec-sheets/clock/CCHD-957.pdf
If you have pulled the copper sleeve from this hole then I doubt the board can be repaired.
Pin 3, near 'EX1', is the clock output and connects to the adjacent center hole of the EX1 set of 5 pads. So that one couldn't be simpler to jump...
Good luck,
Frank
Pin 1, near 'X1', provides the clock's enable/disable function. In poking around there was nothing on either surface directly connected. This pin, when supplied with >0.7 x Vcc activates the output. https://www.crystek.com/crystal/spec-sheets/clock/CCHD-957.pdf
If you have pulled the copper sleeve from this hole then I doubt the board can be repaired.
Pin 3, near 'EX1', is the clock output and connects to the adjacent center hole of the EX1 set of 5 pads. So that one couldn't be simpler to jump...
Good luck,
Frank
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Thanks. I have a new one up and running. I've soldered NDK clocks to the rhea boards and am getting lock on the Buffalo but no sound. For anyone who got the NDKs working, was there anything else that needed to be done?
I've only soldered the clock so far. I haven't added any SMD caps to the board.
I've only soldered the clock so far. I haven't added any SMD caps to the board.
nope...
Nothing special "needs" to be done, but the NDK (I hope you got the SDA series XOs) data sheet recommends a .01 µF cap right at the power input pin, so I woudl recommend putting these on the Rhea board. I used a high quality Murata C0G part here for mine...
Nothing special "needs" to be done, but the NDK (I hope you got the SDA series XOs) data sheet recommends a .01 µF cap right at the power input pin, so I woudl recommend putting these on the Rhea board. I used a high quality Murata C0G part here for mine...
Thanks. Relatedly, do you have a screen shot of the HQPlayer settings you use to upsample everything to DSD?
HQPlayer
I am not currently using HQP here, as I do not have a powerful enough computer to run the EC modulators. My plan is to build a new computer specifically to run HQP4 with the EC modulator. the minimum processor which is reported to be able to achieve this is the I7-9700K, with its base clock rate of 3.6 GHz.
I did test HQP here with a mother computer, and the EC modulators, and the EC modulators were amazingly good!
I used these settings (recommended by Jussi/Signalyst):
OSF: poly-sinc ext 2
modulator: ASDM7 EC
multicore: Auto
and SDM for output
Pretty sure everything else was run at the defaults, and this is specifically for oversampling to DSD 256.
Note that with the Buffalo/Cronus you will need a 45.1584 clock on the Cronus to achieve DSD 256, and if you want to try DSD 512 you will need a 90.3168 clock.
If you are running DSD 256 exclusively, you can just run a single clock in the Cronus (45.1584), and just use a short u.fl cable to jump the 45.184 clock signal to the other position. Many DAC designers consider it a possible advantage to just have a single clock running in the DAC, as it then does not inter modulate between the two beating clocks.
I am not currently using HQP here, as I do not have a powerful enough computer to run the EC modulators. My plan is to build a new computer specifically to run HQP4 with the EC modulator. the minimum processor which is reported to be able to achieve this is the I7-9700K, with its base clock rate of 3.6 GHz.
I did test HQP here with a mother computer, and the EC modulators, and the EC modulators were amazingly good!
I used these settings (recommended by Jussi/Signalyst):
OSF: poly-sinc ext 2
modulator: ASDM7 EC
multicore: Auto
and SDM for output
Pretty sure everything else was run at the defaults, and this is specifically for oversampling to DSD 256.
Note that with the Buffalo/Cronus you will need a 45.1584 clock on the Cronus to achieve DSD 256, and if you want to try DSD 512 you will need a 90.3168 clock.
If you are running DSD 256 exclusively, you can just run a single clock in the Cronus (45.1584), and just use a short u.fl cable to jump the 45.184 clock signal to the other position. Many DAC designers consider it a possible advantage to just have a single clock running in the DAC, as it then does not inter modulate between the two beating clocks.
I can't seem to get it to output in DSD even when selecting SDM for ouptput. Was there anything outside of the settings menu you had to change?
If...
If everything is working, that is if your DAC is confirmed to be working with PCM and DSD input from a different source, and you are sure the problem lies with your HQPlayer set up, then I would recommend going to the HQP thread at the following forum and asking for help there. Jussi monitors this forum, and other folks can be very helpful as well:
Computer Audiophile | Audiophile Style Audio Software Forum
If everything is working, that is if your DAC is confirmed to be working with PCM and DSD input from a different source, and you are sure the problem lies with your HQPlayer set up, then I would recommend going to the HQP thread at the following forum and asking for help there. Jussi monitors this forum, and other folks can be very helpful as well:
Computer Audiophile | Audiophile Style Audio Software Forum
I had to update the amanero drivers. I get it playing DSD now but lose lock almost immediately. The lock light is intermittent. I think my shunt reg isn't feeding enough current at high sample rates. I will try with a different power supply.
I have a 45.1584 and 49.152 clock which should work for DSD256. What are the roles of the two clocks vs. one?
I have a decently specced desktop for its time with an i7 8700k. Hopefully that will get me there.
I have a 45.1584 and 49.152 clock which should work for DSD256. What are the roles of the two clocks vs. one?
I have a decently specced desktop for its time with an i7 8700k. Hopefully that will get me there.
I tried a regular linear power supply that can deliver plenty of current and that doesn't seem to be the problem. I can get DSD 64 working but I get a sort of roaming digital interference noise every 5-10 seconds, but the DAC keeps lock. When I try DSD 128 the lock stutters and the noise is more intermittent. I have a feeling this may be a computer/amanero issue rather than an issue with the Buffalo.