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GB for ES9038PRODAC-Core

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#21
spiri said:
Thanks for your interest. Your guess is correct. The volume of all 8 channels is controlled by a common encoder.
For more flexibility, I use a preamp with MUSES volume control after the DAC. This could also be multi-channel, but this is complex and expensive.
Click to expand...

Thank you for replay
The thing is that I would like to keep it simple this way but would like to get the best sound I could get...

As you write, you are using preamplifier after DAC.
Is it because of sound quality or just flexibility ?
as for me it would be much convenient not to have anything behaind DAC but amplifier.
If ES9038PRO inside volume controller degrade sound quality I could add attenuator after (yours) I/V stage.
But does I/V stage have enough ''power'' to drive amplifier directly ?

my amplifiers are Pass Aleph clones ( AlephX, AlephMini and D-class )
would you advise me to use preamplifiers in my case ?

If I'm gonna need preamplifier after DAC, I would have to look for some other solution which will go with you project 😀

One more thing, does AKOUO Controller Board support VFD display ?
It state that it support 2x16 display, what info does it provide on screen ?

What about power supllays for DAC and I/V stage ? Do you have some raedy made solution to offer (without transformers, just electronic, pcb...) ?
 
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#22
I still have a record player and I need the analogue volume control. The puristic way is to use only the digital volume control and connect the power amplifier directly to the DAC. I 've done this with my EC AW250R and I can say , the digital volume control works fine.
The tested I-V stage provides an output voltage of + 6dBm with an output impedance of 220 Ohm. This will driver most of the amplifier.
In some cases an additional line driver is recommended...

The controller supports only a 2x16 LCD. One line will display Input and Volume. The second line displays Lock status = sample rate. That's all during normal playing.
In addition the menu is displayed during the configuration

We have designed a dual tracking regulator with TPS7A4700/3300 for the IV-Stage, similar to our Series 45 Low Noise Power Supply. That's my way, but he power supply is usually DIY, so I have no exact plan yet what I will offer. If several modules are offered, these should also be easy to wire. Such as directly plugged on/in or wired with flat ribbon cable. I'll will think about it.
 
#29
There are some scattered bits of information in Ian's threads.
But the MC FIFO and clock board are in production and testing now.

I think the best way to get information would be to reach out to Ian.

I will also drop him a message to get in touch with you.
 
#30
There are very few good multichannel sources and multichannel DACs available.
They are really good for PC based active systems and even for standalone DSP based systems. Yet choices are few.

Diyinhk offers an XMOS usb to i2s multichannel board.
This couple with Ian's FIFO and your DAC/IV/Control + Power supplies can form a very good system for PC based active loudspeaker.

My current system is a 4-way active louspeaker with DSP on an HTPC. I use an 8CH es9018 DAC, but havent been very happy with it.
 
#32
from what i know, minidsp USBstreamer has large jitter issues on its i2s interface due to clocking choices made.
Both JesH and AAK (designer of my DAC) reported problems with DAC having locking issues.
JensH developed some workaround clocking board, but eventually abandoned Usbstreamer option for his design.
I dropped that and picked up a used Exau2i board.
 
#33
Would I be correct in thinking that with Ian's mc-fifo, the jitter issues of the USBstreamer would be irrelevant as the clocks would be regenerated by the fifo? Also, the USBstreamer could then be usb bus powered without a negative effect.
 
#35
spiri said:
With our good experiences with our new ES9028PRO/OEM board in some projects, we want to build a universal platform based on the ES9038PRO. The new 9038PRO-Core, the IV stage and the digital inputs are on individual boards. This allows each unit to be used independently.
The AKOUO Controller Board is recommended for initialisation and controlling.
Here are some features of the new board or the planned features for the additional modules

ES9038PRO Core:

all DAC outputs on two header can be used for Stereo/4 Channel/8 Channel output
separated power supplies
AVCC-L/R with two LT3045
multiple LP5907 for 1,2V DSP and 3,3V Logic and CLK
5x7mm CLK and COAX for external CLK
Input multiplexer for I2S and Spdif (Data1-5) blocks digital signals on unused inputs.
extra Header for Data IN6-8
I2C input with enable to isolate the I2C if used on other boards
full SMD assembled and tested

I/V-Stage:
8 channel balanced I/V converter with OPA1632
four channels connected parallel in stereo mode. Rout is about 100 Ohms T and therefore you do not need an additional output driver.
Dual tracking regulator with TPS7A4700/3300
Enable controlled from the DAC-Core, to prevent unwanted DC on the DAC-chip during power up

Digital input board:
AES-EBU and/or Spdif
AES EBU pass through
Amanero
2 x Toslink
general I2S input for Raspberry, MINI-Shark...
LVDS I2S Port …..


The 9038PRO Core is ready for production. We want to share this project with you and we look out for interested people in this project to get a better price for the production.
The calculated selling price for the first series of the PRODAC-Core is about 420€ excl. VAT.
If we have 20 orders more the price will be reduced to 360 € excl. VAT

The IV stage and the digital input board are in the final design phase and I am also looking forward to some new suggestions and discussion on these designs.

Best regards
Click to expand...

Thanks Spiri for your effort and your nice project.

I'm looking forward to use your multi-channel DAC with my MC FIFO.


MultiChannelClockBoard by Ian, on Flickr

Good lock

Ian
 
#36
diyaudnut said:
I think that would be the case.

Also note that usbstreamer is limited to 24-bit/192KHz.
The DAC is 32-bits and though irrelevant for sound quality, getting the 32-bits across to the DAC is useful if using its digital volume control.
Click to expand...

Are there real 32 bit audiofiles out there, mainly in a multichannel application.
I think 24 bit is enough.
The volumecontrol always works internally with 32 bit.
 
#39
spiri said:
Are there real 32 bit audiofiles out there, mainly in a multichannel application.
I think 24 bit is enough.
The volumecontrol always works internally with 32 bit.
Click to expand...

For music stream in i2S format, If Fsck=32Fs, it means the music is in 16bit. If Fsck=64Fs, the music could be either 24bit or 32bit.

Sound track from a CD are normally 16bit. Most HD music and upsampling musci are already 24bit for now. ESS9018/ES9038 are 32bit DAC. With digital volume control, 32bit is much better than 24bit.

Though MC FIFO is true 32bit (internal 64bit) design. But it works with all 16/24/32bit formats.

Ian
 
#40
iancanada said:
For music stream in i2S format, If Fsck=32Fs, it means the music is in 16bit. If Fsck=64Fs, the music could be either 24bit or 32bit.

Sound track from a CD are normally 16bit. Most HD music and upsampling musci are already 24bit for now. ESS9018/ES9038 are 32bit DAC. With digital volume control, 32bit is much better than 24bit.

Though MC FIFO is true 32bit (internal 64bit) design. But it works with all 16/24/32bit formats.

Ian
Click to expand...

Work your fifo always with 32bit/64fs on the I2S port or will be 16/32fs passed through with 32fs.
 
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