Hi
I was looking for a DAC to replace my current DAC which I bought many years ago. It uses a Yamaha YM3623B chip feeding two PCM63s. The analog section is of a tube design using 2 6DJ8/6922. I felt that although it was sweet, it lacked transparency and clarity and tube rolling was incredibly expensive!
I have never put a kit together, let alone a DAC. Anyway, due to cost and wanting to get my hands ‘dirty’ I began looking for one. I read here that the DAC Chip is largely responsible for sound quality in a properly designed DAC. After some further research, I came to the conclusion that the TI PCM1794A chip may be the best chip out there. I began searching and stumbled upon a site called Fetaudio that just released a PCM1794A DAC in kit form. After an email inquiry I decided to give this a try. It appears that the DAC is decked out with audio grade parts and uses a discrete transistor IV analog output. To top it all up, Fetaudio is in Hong Kong, where I live. I thought if all else fails, I can at least make a trip to the company and have the kit fixed!
Anyway, after working on it for two full days, I got the DAC to work. However, that was not before some troubleshooting. I must commend Spencer, the owner of Fetaudio as he was always very thoughtful and prompt in his replies to questions. When the left channel didn’t work, he helped me trouble shoot. He asked me to take some MM readings and suggested, before anything else, that the issue might be a dry solder joint and asked me to touch up the left channel IV solder joints. That seemed to solve the problem and the DAC has been singing for about 2 weeks without any problems.
The experience has been very rewarding as the feeling of being able to put something together for the first time that works is indescribable. It is like winning a lottery!
Anyway, Spencer continued to keep tabs on my progress and sent me 4 Silmic 2 100uf caps with instructions on how to create a pair of bi-polar caps to upgrade the original Panasonic ones used for output decoupling. I also got 2 Russian 10uf boxed caps from him. I had a few Jensen 0.01uf PIO lying around and I put these in too.
I must say the improvement in clarity, transparency and musicality was stunning. It blew my old tube DAC away by a wide margin. For those thinking of trying out this DAC, don’t waste time on the Panasonics output decoupling, go for the SiImics BP. They give a more neutral and defined mid and high. Bass is also deeper and lower. If you can, try out the Jensen's too.
Although the DAC was not cheap compared to those on ebay, it does sound incredible.
BTW, Spencer offered to solder all the SMD parts, including the CS8416 and PCM1794. I think that was fantastic as I wouldn’t have been able to manage them. The parts are tiny and the pins are well, microscopic….. I think I would need to be a surgeon to manage that!
I must say I am surprised that even a first timer like me can do this. I never thought I could. Anyway I did and the DAC sounds like a million dollars. It is open, clear, dynamic and musical. With the Jensen’s, I think the overall sound is best as it smoothens out some of the edgyness in the highs and adds a touch ‘Jensen’ mellowness too. I am very happy with the DAC.
What next? Well, I can hook up another DAC to create a true full balanced DAC. There are some jumpers to set to configure the boards to mono L and R mode. This will double the analog output voltage which should improve performance even further. As my pre amp and power amp are balanced too, I ordered and have received a second kit. I am working on this right now and things are getting exciting. Apart from inhaling some more flux smoke (and more sleep deprivation), this DIY business is very exciting and fun and yes, I expect it to get 100% infectious!! I have to be careful.
Watch this space ……!
Best wishes
TC
I was looking for a DAC to replace my current DAC which I bought many years ago. It uses a Yamaha YM3623B chip feeding two PCM63s. The analog section is of a tube design using 2 6DJ8/6922. I felt that although it was sweet, it lacked transparency and clarity and tube rolling was incredibly expensive!
I have never put a kit together, let alone a DAC. Anyway, due to cost and wanting to get my hands ‘dirty’ I began looking for one. I read here that the DAC Chip is largely responsible for sound quality in a properly designed DAC. After some further research, I came to the conclusion that the TI PCM1794A chip may be the best chip out there. I began searching and stumbled upon a site called Fetaudio that just released a PCM1794A DAC in kit form. After an email inquiry I decided to give this a try. It appears that the DAC is decked out with audio grade parts and uses a discrete transistor IV analog output. To top it all up, Fetaudio is in Hong Kong, where I live. I thought if all else fails, I can at least make a trip to the company and have the kit fixed!
Anyway, after working on it for two full days, I got the DAC to work. However, that was not before some troubleshooting. I must commend Spencer, the owner of Fetaudio as he was always very thoughtful and prompt in his replies to questions. When the left channel didn’t work, he helped me trouble shoot. He asked me to take some MM readings and suggested, before anything else, that the issue might be a dry solder joint and asked me to touch up the left channel IV solder joints. That seemed to solve the problem and the DAC has been singing for about 2 weeks without any problems.
The experience has been very rewarding as the feeling of being able to put something together for the first time that works is indescribable. It is like winning a lottery!
Anyway, Spencer continued to keep tabs on my progress and sent me 4 Silmic 2 100uf caps with instructions on how to create a pair of bi-polar caps to upgrade the original Panasonic ones used for output decoupling. I also got 2 Russian 10uf boxed caps from him. I had a few Jensen 0.01uf PIO lying around and I put these in too.
I must say the improvement in clarity, transparency and musicality was stunning. It blew my old tube DAC away by a wide margin. For those thinking of trying out this DAC, don’t waste time on the Panasonics output decoupling, go for the SiImics BP. They give a more neutral and defined mid and high. Bass is also deeper and lower. If you can, try out the Jensen's too.
Although the DAC was not cheap compared to those on ebay, it does sound incredible.
BTW, Spencer offered to solder all the SMD parts, including the CS8416 and PCM1794. I think that was fantastic as I wouldn’t have been able to manage them. The parts are tiny and the pins are well, microscopic….. I think I would need to be a surgeon to manage that!
I must say I am surprised that even a first timer like me can do this. I never thought I could. Anyway I did and the DAC sounds like a million dollars. It is open, clear, dynamic and musical. With the Jensen’s, I think the overall sound is best as it smoothens out some of the edgyness in the highs and adds a touch ‘Jensen’ mellowness too. I am very happy with the DAC.
What next? Well, I can hook up another DAC to create a true full balanced DAC. There are some jumpers to set to configure the boards to mono L and R mode. This will double the analog output voltage which should improve performance even further. As my pre amp and power amp are balanced too, I ordered and have received a second kit. I am working on this right now and things are getting exciting. Apart from inhaling some more flux smoke (and more sleep deprivation), this DIY business is very exciting and fun and yes, I expect it to get 100% infectious!! I have to be careful.
Watch this space ……!
Best wishes
TC
