Experience with this DIY DAC ?

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#3,382
No, I'm pretty much a minimalist. With the 2 VRMS output available from the 4398 chip there is really no need, as long as your interconnects are not too long. The reflected impedance from the 4398 chip is around 120 ohms, plenty low to drive anything. The dynamics and background blackness compare to anything I've ever heard.

This setup destroys my previous PCM63 with jfet I/V output in every way.
 
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#3,386
#3,387
WDYSUN said:
yes trafos add some magic! I wonder whether they can be easily used after a tube gain stage to avoid cathode followers and the like!

Best
Pietro
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I'm sure it was done in the old days. You would still have to deal with the DC bias with cap coupling, or trafos with air gapped cores, but that hurts low frequency performance. You would also need trafos with impedance ratios higher than 1/1 to lower output impedance reflected from the tube stage.

I really don't know why you would want to though, unless a person thinks there is magic in tubes. Personally, I don't think there is magic in anything, just synergy.
 
#3,389
Bill Fuss said:
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I really don't know why you would want to though, unless a person thinks there is magic in tubes. Personally, I don't think there is magic in anything, just synergy.
Click to expand...

I use solid state amps paired with tube preamp from a long time now. I don't know whether tubes have magic really, but I never found a solid state preamp that could beat the tube stuffs I have had (Audio Research SP10, Counterpoint SA3000, Convergent, Audio Note etc.) . The only SS preamp I could have bought was a Threshold FET 9 that a friend of mine wanted to try in my system, at that time I couldn't say that my SP10 was much better to be honest.

I am sure transistor/opamps can do magic but the fact that on average tube line stages (imho) sound better it might be because these are easier to design and better understood (?).

Cheers
Pietro
 
#3,391
WDYSUN said:
I use solid state amps paired with tube preamp from a long time now. I don't know whether tubes have magic really, but I never found a solid state preamp that could beat the tube stuffs I have had (Audio Research SP10, Counterpoint SA3000, Convergent, Audio Note etc.) . The only SS preamp I could have bought was a Threshold FET 9 that a friend of mine wanted to try in my system, at that time I couldn't say that my SP10 was much better to be honest.

I am sure transistor/opamps can do magic but the fact that on average tube line stages (imho) sound better it might be because these are easier to design and better understood (?).

Cheers
Pietro
Click to expand...

Opamps!😱

I do own an Aikido with 6N1Ps that is no slouch, and a couple other tube pres in the past. There is nothing wrong with them, but they do add their own color. I have an Aleph P clone now, and it is in a different league, the proverbial straight wire with gain, and deathly silent.
 
#3,392
#3,393
The clock was a TentLabs XO1, nothing too elaborate, powered off the Rotel PS. The OP stage actually was designed by Spencer, but his inspiration was Borbely. It had its own trafo and PS. I would have liked to give the clock its own trafo, but ran out of room. The 971 is very cramped inside.
 
#3,394
#3,398
There isn't enough info to tell much about them. What they do tell you is not very good.

What you really should know is the distortion level at 20hz with a corresponding signal level. They ARE cheap but they probably sound cheap too. There is only one way to find out, but personally I wouldn't buy them. I probably have more options than you though. Do you have an Ebay you can search for good used units?
 
#3,400
I would put them in the same category. All this very inexpensive stuff is fine if you are just trying out the concept, but don't expect great results from any of these cheapos. There is a reason the good ones cost more, they cost more to make. Generally you hope you get what you paid for, but you NEVER get more than you paid for.

For good inexpensive trafos, consider the Jensen JT-11 FLPCH. $36USD
 
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