Hi ADVR,
I saw the 6x4wa ac is 450V, which drops to aprox 360V with a choke input. What I/V tubes did you use? Which ac voltge is required for them?
Tks
Nilton
Thanks Ryan. I couldn’t have done it without you...literally, the SMD stuff would have been too much for me I think. I’m so glad to be relaxing and enjoying music right now...going through every genre from jazz ensembles to rock to orchestral I am very happy right now.
@Nilton...I missed your question on the open baffles. They are Tang Band W8-1808 up top with Acoustic Elegance Dipole 15 below. Frequencies are handled by a First Watt B5 with my DIY F2J mono blocks driving the Tang Bands and some Rotel HT amps bridged driving the AE 15s. I have a Jamo Sub that fills in the very bottom end a little as well.
@Nilton...I missed your question on the open baffles. They are Tang Band W8-1808 up top with Acoustic Elegance Dipole 15 below. Frequencies are handled by a First Watt B5 with my DIY F2J mono blocks driving the Tang Bands and some Rotel HT amps bridged driving the AE 15s. I have a Jamo Sub that fills in the very bottom end a little as well.
For the 6N2P i am using a setup like this :
http://lampizator.eu/lampizator/references/SATCH/IMG_5501.jpg
It sounds very nice. I use one power supply for the high voltage and another psu with two independent windings for the 6.3V heaters with some kind of soft-start and lm317 regulation. Its based on this design : Tube DC heater PSU with soft start - iAMP - DIY way to build Your own amplifier
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You're welcone, glad it's all worked out for you.
Dear Ryan,
As you mentioned that D3 boards are developed in cooperation with Mr John from EC Designs, so Im curious if boards design was influenced by John´s Direct Interpolation concept...
I have 2 TDA1541A S1 single crown, in your opinion, what should be the best configuration for using both chips in the DAC? I also would like to get a I/V tube stage with 6N2P as per Lampizators project already shown in a previous post.
Also, what kind of inputs are suitable for this DAC? Are possible multiple inputs, like USB, SPDIF and I2S and also a bluetooth receiver? Concerning I2S, what type of connector is recommended? Converter board to SIM is required only for I2S?
Sorry for too many questions, we can chat by MP?
Tks!
Nilton
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There is no best solution since "best" is determined by the individual. We all have our tastes and preferences.
I used to have tube IV output stage, tube preamp, and tube amplifiers. Now I have IV resistor into a single ended Sony VFET preamp and single ended Tokin SIT mono block amplifiers (all solid state).
I have enough gain in my system in conjunction with my high sensitivity horn speakers that an IV resistor (hand wound, approximately 65 Ohms if I remember correctly) is enough. No need for an additional gain stage between the IV resistor and preamp.
After experiencing solid state with VFETs and SITs - they have similar properties to triodes - I would not go back to noise and hiss of tubes.
As for D3 board and tube IV, definitely keep the supplies separate. One has low voltage requirements and the other has high voltage requirements.
Choice of power supply for the tubes is up to you. There are plenty of examples out there and many opinions on what is best, whether tube or solid state rectifiers, choke input or capacitor input, low DCR or high DCR chokes, electrolytic or film capacitors, etc. Definitely though, I would not provide so much voltage that excess voltage needs to be dropped. PSUDII is a good power supply simulation program that may be used to come up with a power supply that provides the B+ that you need.
Thanks Vunce
@Ben
You’re already enjoying the view from where I have been climbing toward. I haven’t pulled out my tube equipment in a long while even with just my DCB1/F2J combination.
I have been a busy hoarding greedy boy. Although I’ve collected several amps that I want to build I’d say the SONY VFET and SissySIT have moved to the top of my list...along with the Iron Pumpkin pre.
My horns getting damaged have been a set back, but I’m working on a plan to build something that will have even higher sensitivity and imaging that won’t have my head in a vise.
I wanted to know if you wound your iv resistors yourself? John from EC mentioned wire wound was the way to go with iv resistors. If so, any resources you can point to on the process?
@Ben
You’re already enjoying the view from where I have been climbing toward. I haven’t pulled out my tube equipment in a long while even with just my DCB1/F2J combination.
I have been a busy hoarding greedy boy. Although I’ve collected several amps that I want to build I’d say the SONY VFET and SissySIT have moved to the top of my list...along with the Iron Pumpkin pre.
My horns getting damaged have been a set back, but I’m working on a plan to build something that will have even higher sensitivity and imaging that won’t have my head in a vise.
I wanted to know if you wound your iv resistors yourself? John from EC mentioned wire wound was the way to go with iv resistors. If so, any resources you can point to on the process?
Here is how I wound my resistors:
DIY_Copper_Wire_Resitors
I used Isotan Constantin wire (or something similar) that I purchased on ebay.
The wire is available in various resistances. The wire diameter is very small, so taking the insulation off the ends and keeping the wires from tangling was challenging.
Here is a picture of my diy resistors. Each channel has a 15R and 50R resistor in series. In previous incarnations of my TDA1541A dac, I had used 50R and 15R resistors separately in conjunction with a 5842 tube gain stage.
I cover the later resistors with epoxy to protect the delicate wires from accidental breakage.
Fittingly, the D3 is also the third edition of my TDA dac. The first was point to point wired and the second was on diy copper foil board (as suggested by Thorsten Loesch in the big TDA1541A thread).
DIY_Copper_Wire_Resitors
I used Isotan Constantin wire (or something similar) that I purchased on ebay.
The wire is available in various resistances. The wire diameter is very small, so taking the insulation off the ends and keeping the wires from tangling was challenging.
Here is a picture of my diy resistors. Each channel has a 15R and 50R resistor in series. In previous incarnations of my TDA1541A dac, I had used 50R and 15R resistors separately in conjunction with a 5842 tube gain stage.
I cover the later resistors with epoxy to protect the delicate wires from accidental breakage.
Fittingly, the D3 is also the third edition of my TDA dac. The first was point to point wired and the second was on diy copper foil board (as suggested by Thorsten Loesch in the big TDA1541A thread).
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Hi Nilton,
Not quite that high. I feed the 6x4wa with 300vac to lower to 230v to feed i/v ecc88 tubes or equivalent.
Works perfect.
Regards,
Ad.
No changes for me. I am very happy with the sound of my system.
Besides, perhaps my diy resistors are just as good or even better than the Shinkohs.
Fellow diyAudio members have also done their own diy Isotan and Manganin IV resistors and have really liked the results. So you never know.
Hi SoundBrazil,
All of Johns work and sharing has influenced me, its amazing how much he has given diyers
You could go balanced and use a good quality transformer for iv conversion?
TDA1541A accepts I2S, Simultaneous, and multiplexed offset binary. Most diyers have come to the conclusion that simultaneous sounds the best by far - this is what I use and recommend.
Both the I2StoSIM and the D3 PCBs use u.fl connectors.
Yeah no problem, also good to chat here so we can all help each other.
All of Johns work and sharing has influenced me, its amazing how much he has given diyers
You could go balanced and use a good quality transformer for iv conversion?
TDA1541A accepts I2S, Simultaneous, and multiplexed offset binary. Most diyers have come to the conclusion that simultaneous sounds the best by far - this is what I use and recommend.
Both the I2StoSIM and the D3 PCBs use u.fl connectors.
Yeah no problem, also good to chat here so we can all help each other.
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@Ben
Thanks for the link with DIY resistor information. I had searched the subject more than once and never come across that particular source.
Can I ask what gauge wire you chose?
I’m on the fence about pursuing making my own resistors. I’m wondering if I can successfully do a better job than what is available commercially at a reasonable price.
John from EC seemed very enthusiastic about the Welwyn wire wound resistors which can be had for a couple bucks each from Mouser.
Thanks for the link with DIY resistor information. I had searched the subject more than once and never come across that particular source.
Can I ask what gauge wire you chose?
I’m on the fence about pursuing making my own resistors. I’m wondering if I can successfully do a better job than what is available commercially at a reasonable price.
John from EC seemed very enthusiastic about the Welwyn wire wound resistors which can be had for a couple bucks each from Mouser.
I have two sizes:
-0.15mm dia. (34.6 AWG equivalent), 27.7 Ohm/m of Constantin/Isotan
-0.07mm dia., 53.2 Ohm/m, I can't remember whether it is Constantin/Isotan or Manganin, as it was not written.
Both wires were purchase years ago from sellers on ebay. My purchase history for those years are no longer available so I cannot verify the composition of the smaller diameter wire.
The 0.15mm diameter was quite manageable to work with, but the 0.07mm diameter wire was as finer than hair and more difficult to handle, but still doable.
When I bought the wires years ago, they were readily available in small quantities at very reasonable prices so the cost was low compared to the very expensive resistors that some diyers were trying.
-0.15mm dia. (34.6 AWG equivalent), 27.7 Ohm/m of Constantin/Isotan
-0.07mm dia., 53.2 Ohm/m, I can't remember whether it is Constantin/Isotan or Manganin, as it was not written.
Both wires were purchase years ago from sellers on ebay. My purchase history for those years are no longer available so I cannot verify the composition of the smaller diameter wire.
The 0.15mm diameter was quite manageable to work with, but the 0.07mm diameter wire was as finer than hair and more difficult to handle, but still doable.
When I bought the wires years ago, they were readily available in small quantities at very reasonable prices so the cost was low compared to the very expensive resistors that some diyers were trying.
Hi Ryan,
So, could you consider D3 design as a Direct Interpolation DAC?
Tks for all your help and patience with a newbie...
Nilton
So, could you consider D3 design as a Direct Interpolation DAC?
Only output transformers instead of tubes? I really like to try a Lampizator 6N2P tube stage... Have you ever tried this?
I did not find so many players/transport units with i2s outputs, and I need a versatile dac so that I can switch it from transport/streamer to TV, to PC and also to my cell phone by bluetooth. Is it possible to have I2S, SPDIF, USB and Bluetooth inputs? If it is possible, SIM would be used only when I2S input is selected?
Tks for all your help and patience with a newbie...
Nilton