Yesterday I stopped by Paddy Garcia's to pickup the AD1862 chips and had an opportunity to listen to his system with Miro's DAC. We also, tried my iFi micro DAC2 in his system and it was no contest. The AD1862 is an outstandingly enjoyable DAC to listen too, and the differences are very discernable between the two DACs. I thought that it would have been a close comparison between the two, but it was enough that I don't think in his system I could enjoy the iFi for any period of time. But with the AD1862 his KEF 104/2 speakers just sounded perfect. Just like I remembered them sounding when I used to sell them back in the 80's.
I can't wait to get the AD1862 together and in my system. Thanks Paddy and Miro for such great support.
I can't wait to get the AD1862 together and in my system. Thanks Paddy and Miro for such great support.
I can attest to the sound quality - it really is excellent. I am biased towards a dedicated output stage, either valve (the 3a5 one I linked before is excellent, but tricky to make) or solid state (EUVL designs or Pedja Rogic diamond). Add a reclocker and use your Andrea Mori clocks if you have them and the sound quality is just excellent.
@miro1360 I have been busy lately so spend less time on the internet and more time on restoring my Yamaha A-1000. There are two of them one belonged to my father and the other to me, my father moved on to newer stuff and left it to be trashed but somehow I kept both of them in the lab. Got mine when I was in junior school and received it as a birthday gift.
Recently I decided to Recap both of them, did one with caps purchased from various sources both local and international markets Nichicon and ELNA. For other I have ordered the caps from Audio High Store, and waiting to receive the shipment.
Meanwhile what I did was an experiment with the AD1865 DAC feed the DAC 24 bit FLACs and connected the DAC out with my Technics Cassette deck, recorded a sony D-90 cassette (new one). After recording did play the cassette through the same deck and Yamaha A-1000 amp. Goodness me! the result was not only astounding but the difference between CD, DAC and cassette was minimal.
Nutshell I think there is still hope for cassette, especially for retro geeks like me.
I have been experimenting with different OP-AMPs as mentioned in my last post and taking the output from Mission 753 tower type (old ones), recorded few videos of the result now in the process of editing and then uploading to youtube. Will share the results hopefully soon.
Recently I decided to Recap both of them, did one with caps purchased from various sources both local and international markets Nichicon and ELNA. For other I have ordered the caps from Audio High Store, and waiting to receive the shipment.
Meanwhile what I did was an experiment with the AD1865 DAC feed the DAC 24 bit FLACs and connected the DAC out with my Technics Cassette deck, recorded a sony D-90 cassette (new one). After recording did play the cassette through the same deck and Yamaha A-1000 amp. Goodness me! the result was not only astounding but the difference between CD, DAC and cassette was minimal.
Nutshell I think there is still hope for cassette, especially for retro geeks like me.
I have been experimenting with different OP-AMPs as mentioned in my last post and taking the output from Mission 753 tower type (old ones), recorded few videos of the result now in the process of editing and then uploading to youtube. Will share the results hopefully soon.
I could not agree more!Pretty cool that you fellas got to meet and chat in person
One of the more enjoyable side benefits of this forum (besides the great projects) is building new friendships all over the world.
Cheers,
Vunce
Jcris
I finished stuffing the board and waiting for the transformer and USB to I2S converter. I wish that I had installed the caps on the underside of the board to make it easier to swap opamps. I have more boards so maybe stuff another board and install the caps below. Just can’t wait to get it up and running.
I just made it completing 2nd attempt of the DAC-board and it worked right away. Attached are shots of the DAC-board and of my wild bread board for the purpose of functional testing. After all the enthusiastic comments about the sound quality by the other members on this thread of course I was very curious and sure a bit of scepticle. Even though the componentry I used, others than the 1862 IC and the op amp, was leftovers from recent builds only and the op amp was the NE5534 simply because the price of €0.45 was unbeatable, I could not agree more to all the positive comments of the others. I was trying both baroque style chamber music as well as rock and indie. Clearly, the most significant difference I noticed compared with my Dacmagic 100 was by listening to rock music. I tried a CD version of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" and I have not enjoyed it that much before. I even prefer the sound better than in the old vinyl days (hoping my memory is half way reliable). "Albatros" was almost blowing my small d'Appo boxes. Listening to Bachs piano and lute sonatas the difference is less noticable. The sound is slightly warmer and the bass strings of the lutes are giving more bottom. I will no go ahead trying other opamps and maybe change some rubish componentry and possibly try other PSU's as well.
@JimK04
I do have a dir9001 board in the drawer and are planning to test it. The board used in this bread board setup is a Toslink to I2S converter by Banggood Hongkong at $18.- or so. It worked without any problems first shot. Other option is to find the I2S interface in my Kenwood player. Will let you know if my DIR9001 board works.
I do have a dir9001 board in the drawer and are planning to test it. The board used in this bread board setup is a Toslink to I2S converter by Banggood Hongkong at $18.- or so. It worked without any problems first shot. Other option is to find the I2S interface in my Kenwood player. Will let you know if my DIR9001 board works.
Hi Zapotek,
I like your choice with the 0.1 uf MKH caps. The MKC blue Ero are good (softer if you need softter tones) too as the Wima ("neutral") of the BOM.
Ways of improvements seing the two pictures if the addiction comes on this board or a next one.
Passive volume pots may ask clearer caps at the output of the DAC board.
If your amp has a cap at the input in serie after the RCA you can try the dac board without the DC blocking cap on it: wire strap instead. If not you can also try a different one : the green Nichicon ES bipolar or two Elna Silmic II of 220 uF/16V (or less : even better) in serie but oposit polarity to have a sort of bipolar : leads in serie : - + + - . Elna in serie will be a little less clearer than the bipolar Nichicon, personal taste. The bipolar standalone Elna is excelent too but harder to source, not something that not let you to sleep well though.
Shift register after the front end : nothing really wrong with your orange ceramic disc, but if class II i.e. non NPO/C0G (class I) better to go class I.
The shorter the wires between the Input of the DAC and the Spidf board the better. This fact remains even more important the day you will go with a better front end that SPIDF. Btw the Dir9001 is certainly the best spidf chip ever made. I would advice not to hack the I2S of your Kenwood player as I2S conection are made to be short non saying you risk to break the cd player but beginn to think about a Rpi 4 with an I2S reclocker Hat as the inexpensive Allo Kali : less than 100 euros for the two units. Also if you stream from USB output the JLSounds board for 120 euros with the shipment is also a good unit to bring more from Miro's board and the excelent AD1862 chips.
Of course as said the voltage regulators like the oaps is a good way of tweaking as well as said already.
I'm not a cable maniac but you really should change the RCA cable I see in picture two
for something a little better but not necessarily expensive. But the basic RCA cables given with the mass market devices ARE bad !
I like your choice with the 0.1 uf MKH caps. The MKC blue Ero are good (softer if you need softter tones) too as the Wima ("neutral") of the BOM.
Ways of improvements seing the two pictures if the addiction comes on this board or a next one.
Passive volume pots may ask clearer caps at the output of the DAC board.
If your amp has a cap at the input in serie after the RCA you can try the dac board without the DC blocking cap on it: wire strap instead. If not you can also try a different one : the green Nichicon ES bipolar or two Elna Silmic II of 220 uF/16V (or less : even better) in serie but oposit polarity to have a sort of bipolar : leads in serie : - + + - . Elna in serie will be a little less clearer than the bipolar Nichicon, personal taste. The bipolar standalone Elna is excelent too but harder to source, not something that not let you to sleep well though.
Shift register after the front end : nothing really wrong with your orange ceramic disc, but if class II i.e. non NPO/C0G (class I) better to go class I.
The shorter the wires between the Input of the DAC and the Spidf board the better. This fact remains even more important the day you will go with a better front end that SPIDF. Btw the Dir9001 is certainly the best spidf chip ever made. I would advice not to hack the I2S of your Kenwood player as I2S conection are made to be short non saying you risk to break the cd player but beginn to think about a Rpi 4 with an I2S reclocker Hat as the inexpensive Allo Kali : less than 100 euros for the two units. Also if you stream from USB output the JLSounds board for 120 euros with the shipment is also a good unit to bring more from Miro's board and the excelent AD1862 chips.
Of course as said the voltage regulators like the oaps is a good way of tweaking as well as said already.
I'm not a cable maniac but you really should change the RCA cable I see in picture two
for something a little better but not necessarily expensive. But the basic RCA cables given with the mass market devices ARE bad !
Last edited:
Got another one built up here too! I helped out another member on here whom wanted a built Miro DAC so I sold him my first build....minus the chips. And so I needed another and have built this one. I used different caps...SMR bypass and some polymers on the digital rails. Running OPA810 at the moment but I have 1656 on Vunce adaptors to try. I changed the psu for the spdif/i2s board for one of XRKs Cap Mx boards that has an LT1963 on it.
Sounding very good. I cannot tell you the differences to the previous build as it was some time ago I listened to it now.
A very nice sounding DAC once again. And I bought another set of chips from Paddy....just incase!
Next job is building up the Euvl/Ripster GB discrete IV stage. Surprised no one has that done yet!
I built up one of the Miro SPDIF to i2s pcbs but have failed to make it work yet! I'm sure its me.
Sounding very good. I cannot tell you the differences to the previous build as it was some time ago I listened to it now.
A very nice sounding DAC once again. And I bought another set of chips from Paddy....just incase!
Next job is building up the Euvl/Ripster GB discrete IV stage. Surprised no one has that done yet!
I built up one of the Miro SPDIF to i2s pcbs but have failed to make it work yet! I'm sure its me.
Attachments
Thanks guys for your updates. I am more than glad that you enjoy it 
I have never expected it to be so popular 
>>I built up one of the Miro SPDIF to i2s pcbs but have failed to make it work yet! I'm sure its me.
Actually you are the next in a few days I get this PCB and I will look for where the problem is
I have never expected it to be so popular >>I built up one of the Miro SPDIF to i2s pcbs but have failed to make it work yet! I'm sure its me.
Actually you are the next
in a few days I get this PCB and I will look for where the problem is