Decided to step back into digital and see where its at.
Well I got one of those 1.04 boards.
Powered it with a 317/337 regulator and it sounded pretty good.
Then I took out an old Preregulated Sulzer I had lying around and removed the 7808 and fed the Dual 15 off the Sulzer and 8 V out of the 317. Then the sound improved immensely.
Next I changed the 5532 to the LME4972 and got more detail and refinement but it lost some dynamics but the tradeoff was worth it in the higher frequencies for sure..much more detail.
I was quite surprised at this board. I had been thinking of getting a decent DAC but this might do the trick. Does it get much better than this? I need to know before dropping more money on the better DACs.
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Latest Q9 ES9038PRO DAC HiFi Audio Decoder SUPER DAC assembled board | eBay
Well I got one of those 1.04 boards.
Powered it with a 317/337 regulator and it sounded pretty good.
Then I took out an old Preregulated Sulzer I had lying around and removed the 7808 and fed the Dual 15 off the Sulzer and 8 V out of the 317. Then the sound improved immensely.
Next I changed the 5532 to the LME4972 and got more detail and refinement but it lost some dynamics but the tradeoff was worth it in the higher frequencies for sure..much more detail.
I was quite surprised at this board. I had been thinking of getting a decent DAC but this might do the trick. Does it get much better than this? I need to know before dropping more money on the better DACs.
Like
Latest Q9 ES9038PRO DAC HiFi Audio Decoder SUPER DAC assembled board | eBay
😀 something on that way.
I like this DAC as I said for this money it is miracle.....i will wait for better
implementation of this 9038q2m to reach better SQ
Hi,
I have the same feeling about micro details and clarity that are better than audiophonics 9028q2m, but the sound is more flat to me.
Voices and timber are lless natural and the overall sound lacks some kind of density, is less solid.
I will try next week with better linear power supply and new opamp Dexa ultimate edition dual.
My setup is rpi3 + kali reclocker + 1.04 9038q2m board + Moode 4b12 customized by Taobao (32b/384k/DSD128)
I read in another thread that TioFrancotirador uses ebay es9038 -> Legato discrete output stage from TweastedPearAudio. But I don't know wich version of 9038 he uses.
And that Allo next dac will be 9038q2m with separate board for output stage.
(Dac board + Output stage board + power supply board)
New DAC from Allo ess9028q2m for RPI
On the new 1.06 board i see the i2s input has a pad for V5.0. I dont think i saw that on the 1.04 board. What is that for?
BR Daniel
BR Daniel
Hi , for my ears sound is not flat, 9028 was smoother...this DAC has much richer sound, but as you told i also feel that for example timbers are too loud and rather artifical sometimes, change of ap amp (better ones) caused nuances in SQ, overall i feel too much highs from 5 kz to 15khz area for my ears, maybe better output stage would help...and i use this power supply
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kubota-low...wer-supply-PSU-Assembled-/182372072625http://
Do you think that better power supply for opa amp section would help or use another separate linear good power supply instead onboard 7808 (remove it..) as Mikett adviced here.
and now i have OPA627 dual onto desc.
I will wait for better DAC based onto 9038q2m to reach better SQ...
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It may be to power the USB > I2S board, as an option to powering it from the USB port it is being fed from.
I think that pad is unused on this board, but is foreseen for this second board that has another regulator on it.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-...alanced-dsd-1x-lt1963-regulators-p-12557.html
Attachments
the ebay link is dead.
Is it this one?
Kubota low noise regulator rectified and filtered power supply PSU Assembled | eBay
I use this 1A psu for now:
Module Alimentation A-13 2x15V 1A regulee - Audiophonics
Do you think the ebay one is better?
I know about nothing about psu 🙂
Hello, i will not guess, but i think that Kubota (your link) should be better....
I will try to disconnect DAC onboard 7808 regulator and will place (connect) LT3042 regulator board 15V/8V to see if his low noise out voltage will improve SQ...
Hi,
Did you tried the different onboard filters(Fast roll-off, slow, brickwall etc...)?
Which setting is you favorite?
Did you tried the different onboard filters(Fast roll-off, slow, brickwall etc...)?
Which setting is you favorite?
Hello, I have tried but see no difference, maybe some nuances are there but it is difficult switch and while listening music...maybe by another person who would switch and you listen and catch any change...
thanx for the info.
That's what I read before, but I didn't have the time to test myself.
I don't even understand what the filter names mean.
So folks, it is a great card for the price, but what may be the way to get more natural tones and voices and more controlled basses with this card?
Better opamp? new regulators? other things ?
From my point of view, try better power supply, better regulators (i will have one soon...) i will try to change capacitors (I dont expect any change...) ans opamp makes small change especially if you try better ones (LME49720, OPA627, MUSES8920 - this one i will try this week) , this card bested more expensive cards for Rpi like Mambo LS, Kali 2.1 or Audioph. 9028q2m so I am satisfied , only dont like (sometimes) too much transparent sound in highs...but this also depends on quality of record.. best option will be wait for better implementation of 9038q2m...from Allo or another company...😀
Hello, i will try this one onto 8V from 15V instead onboard 7808
LT3045-S Ultralow-noise (0.8mVrms) LDO linear regulator 0V-15V - 500mA Fixed out | eBay
thanks,
tell us if it helps when you will try it.
Very interested by the muses results too.
so my 50 cent to it:
today the ES9038Q2M from taobao/ebay/Kguss arrived, i call it the "blue" one:
for me it sounds absolutely "platy", sounds like plate/sheet..changed immidiately to Muses02; not far better..
i guess it really needs the 15V; have here now 12V (plug)..
something really important is missing; don´t know if its a "crappy"-made pcb or something..
absolute no comparison to my old ES9018K2M and ES9028Q2M-chinese-boards; they sound far more hifi, are superior..
with my Skysong-USB-bridge its almost unbearable and on a Pi (via I2S) it sounds better; less problems/hassle..
(okay, this is "whining" at a high level, but nevertheless)
wrote my experiences so far also here->ES9038Q2M: just arrived, first impressions.. – ES Sabre-90xx-Rpi
today the ES9038Q2M from taobao/ebay/Kguss arrived, i call it the "blue" one:
for me it sounds absolutely "platy", sounds like plate/sheet..changed immidiately to Muses02; not far better..
i guess it really needs the 15V; have here now 12V (plug)..
something really important is missing; don´t know if its a "crappy"-made pcb or something..
absolute no comparison to my old ES9018K2M and ES9028Q2M-chinese-boards; they sound far more hifi, are superior..
with my Skysong-USB-bridge its almost unbearable and on a Pi (via I2S) it sounds better; less problems/hassle..
(okay, this is "whining" at a high level, but nevertheless)
wrote my experiences so far also here->ES9038Q2M: just arrived, first impressions.. – ES Sabre-90xx-Rpi
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I have "old" one 1.04 version, powered by Kubota Power suplly +-15V, Rpi3 + KaliReclocker is powered by Ifi Power plug supply 5V, honestly amount od details (high middles and overall highs) and soundstage is much better by this DAC9038q2m than ES9023 from Mambo or 9028q2m from audiophonics, but also too much present of high middles sometimes cover rest of spectrum and maybe it seems that sound dynamics is missing...with good quality of record it is better solution, but poor recorder metal or rock or another music can caused feeling that this dac is not good...but it is cheap board so what can we expect more...