@pkonstantinidis
just powered by Apple charger (PurePi) and genuine Raspberry (RPI). Everything shielded and grounded (so important for final results).
i am very confused :
a friend and I have L75 with heavy plinth and great TA, cartige (ET2 and ZYX Universe for me, Phantom and Lyra Atlas for my friend). Great phono stage too (Phasenation). We listened with his (huge) system. Big mono amps (Aesthetix), good preamp (Thrax will come next weekend ), Nordost cables. The streamer/DAC gives better soundstage, timing, bandwidth and musicality overall. More than sound, the music is more present. Every instrument gives his melody. 5 hours of listening loudly (very loudly sometimes). No fatigue. Amazing. Our wifes who do not care about audio system sited to listen to.
Ian does an incredible job. Mark's DAC great to.
just powered by Apple charger (PurePi) and genuine Raspberry (RPI). Everything shielded and grounded (so important for final results).
i am very confused :
a friend and I have L75 with heavy plinth and great TA, cartige (ET2 and ZYX Universe for me, Phantom and Lyra Atlas for my friend). Great phono stage too (Phasenation). We listened with his (huge) system. Big mono amps (Aesthetix), good preamp (Thrax will come next weekend ), Nordost cables. The streamer/DAC gives better soundstage, timing, bandwidth and musicality overall. More than sound, the music is more present. Every instrument gives his melody. 5 hours of listening loudly (very loudly sometimes). No fatigue. Amazing. Our wifes who do not care about audio system sited to listen to.
Ian does an incredible job. Mark's DAC great to.
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@MaxB_70 Better than the Lenco L75? Wow!! That's all I can say. A well restored L75 with a heavy plinth is not easy to beat.
So, to recap, and to avoid any misunderstanding from my side, you have simply placed the ProtoDAC on top of the FifoPi Q7 and the connection is via the GPIO? In some previous photos of yours, I see a couple of wires soldered at the bottom of the ProtoDAC. What are those?
I also understand that you do NOT use an OPA861 after the ProtoDAC. You simply connect the ProtoDAC output to your preamp/amp. Can you please confirm?
Thanks a lot.
So, to recap, and to avoid any misunderstanding from my side, you have simply placed the ProtoDAC on top of the FifoPi Q7 and the connection is via the GPIO? In some previous photos of yours, I see a couple of wires soldered at the bottom of the ProtoDAC. What are those?
I also understand that you do NOT use an OPA861 after the ProtoDAC. You simply connect the ProtoDAC output to your preamp/amp. Can you please confirm?
Thanks a lot.
@pkonstantinidis
L75 sounds great. I have been helped to restore the L75 and set it up by a friend of mine whom job was to set up Linn LP12 (Klimax range) in France in a big retailer shop in Paris. He is famous in the French audiophile community vinyl lovers. So, my L75 sound ok 🙂 I sold my Linn Soundek with Ekos MKII for it. But this streamer/DAC provides more music. Classical, Pop, Jazz, Funk... are much more enjoyable and perceptible. JM Jarre Equinoxe... never heard it like this. I own the Japan first issue LP. Doesn't sound like Qobuz file does through this streamer/DAC. That's why I am so confused : right now, I don't listen music but sound of my system to figure out what it is happening. That why I tested at my friend's home with his huge system (big L75 included). I look forward to listening to music and only music and no more to my setup. And I think that the Ian's streamer/ProtoDAC is closer to the music than the L75. Not easy to accept.
As you told me previously, I still have to setup UcConditionner 3.3V to power Q7 clean side, and UcPure for ProtoDAC. PurePi will power UcConditionner trough 3.2V LifePO4 batteries and RPI (Q7 dark side also) through onboard ultracapacitors. I am waiting for transformers from Toroidy Polish brand.
"you have simply placed the ProtoDAC on top of the FifoPi Q7 and the connection is via the GPIO? " Yes GPIO pins 2and 4 cut (no power from Q7 to ProtoDAC).
" I see a couple of wires soldered at the bottom of the ProtoDAC. What are those?"
As Mark @hifiamps advised, I have connected 5V ultra capacitors from PurePI directly by soldering wires on ProtoDAC between RCA because Q7 only provides 3.3V from GPIO pins 2 and 4. ProtoDAC works under 5V. Great improvement. Thanks again Mark.
"I also understand that you do NOT use an OPA861 after the ProtoDAC."
ProtoDAC has is own RCA output, so no needed.
"You simply connect the ProtoDAC output to your preamp" Yes, with OCC silver platted wires, KLE RCA. Wonderful DIY interconnect cable.
L75 sounds great. I have been helped to restore the L75 and set it up by a friend of mine whom job was to set up Linn LP12 (Klimax range) in France in a big retailer shop in Paris. He is famous in the French audiophile community vinyl lovers. So, my L75 sound ok 🙂 I sold my Linn Soundek with Ekos MKII for it. But this streamer/DAC provides more music. Classical, Pop, Jazz, Funk... are much more enjoyable and perceptible. JM Jarre Equinoxe... never heard it like this. I own the Japan first issue LP. Doesn't sound like Qobuz file does through this streamer/DAC. That's why I am so confused : right now, I don't listen music but sound of my system to figure out what it is happening. That why I tested at my friend's home with his huge system (big L75 included). I look forward to listening to music and only music and no more to my setup. And I think that the Ian's streamer/ProtoDAC is closer to the music than the L75. Not easy to accept.
As you told me previously, I still have to setup UcConditionner 3.3V to power Q7 clean side, and UcPure for ProtoDAC. PurePi will power UcConditionner trough 3.2V LifePO4 batteries and RPI (Q7 dark side also) through onboard ultracapacitors. I am waiting for transformers from Toroidy Polish brand.
"you have simply placed the ProtoDAC on top of the FifoPi Q7 and the connection is via the GPIO? " Yes GPIO pins 2and 4 cut (no power from Q7 to ProtoDAC).
" I see a couple of wires soldered at the bottom of the ProtoDAC. What are those?"
As Mark @hifiamps advised, I have connected 5V ultra capacitors from PurePI directly by soldering wires on ProtoDAC between RCA because Q7 only provides 3.3V from GPIO pins 2 and 4. ProtoDAC works under 5V. Great improvement. Thanks again Mark.
"I also understand that you do NOT use an OPA861 after the ProtoDAC."
ProtoDAC has is own RCA output, so no needed.
"You simply connect the ProtoDAC output to your preamp" Yes, with OCC silver platted wires, KLE RCA. Wonderful DIY interconnect cable.
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If it is not recommended to power the ProtoDAC via the GPIO of the FifoPi Q7, which will be placed underneath the ProtoDAC, I am wondering whether I can use the same 5V UCconditioner, which I am currently using to power the clean side of the StationPiPro, to also power the ProtoDAC. I hope it works and I won't short-circuit anything (the middle UCconditioner of the three in the photo).
I guess I must be careful with the polarity of the power supply to the ProtoDAC.
Any thoughts about my approach, please? @MaxB_70 @iancanada @hifiamps
I guess I must be careful with the polarity of the power supply to the ProtoDAC.
Any thoughts about my approach, please? @MaxB_70 @iancanada @hifiamps
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@pkonstantinidis I think is a good idea. I don't see any problem to proceed like this. In parallel, there will not have any shortcut. GPIO 2 and 4 has to be cutted to avoid Q7 3.3V has @hifiamps advised.
@hifiamps @MaxB_70 Thanks very much for your quick replies. So, I guess I will have to solder two wires under the ProtoDAC board, to provide the 5V power. Would you be kind to upload a photo or a sketch of where to solder the + and - wires? Or is there an easier way to do it perhaps instead of soldering?
Electronics newbie questions : is the module under the toroidal transformer a voltage regulator ? In this case, is it better to use it to power UcCconditionner than to plug directly the transformer to the UcConditioner ? That the reason you use it ?
@pkonstantinidis
Soldered wires to the two holes GND and 5V (please see attached photo from Mark GitHub)
th setup is working, so I can't take good pictures of the soldering results right now
Soldered wires to the two holes GND and 5V (please see attached photo from Mark GitHub)
th setup is working, so I can't take good pictures of the soldering results right now
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Just double check polarity. You can solder directly to the PCB, or you can use a 5mm lead spacing screw terminal. Be sure the screw terminal has polarity clearly labeled.
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The blue board image is an early version and was generated by the EasyEDA design software. The latest PCB version has two ground holes for the C3/C4 caps, with 3.5mm and 5mm lead spacing. The PCBs in my kits are black. I don't think sound quality is affected by the different versions. The versions give more lead spacing options for the C3/C4 and output caps (27.5mm and 37.5mm lead spacing for radial caps).
It is a Salas L-adapter, a quite powerful linear supply that can provide up to 20V (if required). https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/gb-for-salas-l-adapter-board.338109/
I had it lying around and that's why I've used it. If it were not available, I would have used a LinearPi (a third one in my streamer).
I'd rather find a prebuilt ProtoDAC available in Europe, so that I avoid any import duties. But I do not know whether this green ProtoDAC is at the highest possible spec. Any thoughts about it?
Here is mine from @hifiamps. By the way, I will pick up the one Mark you provide to my friend Eric (in Paris) to begin his full device based on @Gabster 2000 D6.
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You can download the Gerber files from Moode Audio and then send them to any PCB manufacturer you like, made to your own specs. Your build uses naked metal foil audio resistors, not sure if they are S or Z-foil. The JB caps are fairly generic, low cost. Some potential upgrade possibilities in the output caps.
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@pkonstantinidis
Assembled by myself. Parts provided by Mark @hifiamps through eBay. Good solder station which provides 80W at least. When I see your streamer built I am pretty sure that is an easy work for you.
Assembled by myself. Parts provided by Mark @hifiamps through eBay. Good solder station which provides 80W at least. When I see your streamer built I am pretty sure that is an easy work for you.