Non Oversampling DAC-complementing CD-PRO

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jump to Latest
#141
5v dac and spdif/12 s

Hi Guys,

Has anyone actually comapred 12s 1543 connection to spdif connection via reciever chip? I know it could be better in theory, but no-one has actually posted aconclusive finding yet! Peter and Fedde have yo both used the same value resitors in the 5v setup? I will try the same also, but will probably use vishay bulk foils.

Thanks
Raja
 
#142
Raj, Elso has posted his results a while ago. I concur with him that the DAC sounds better without receiver/SPDIF. It would have been a real surprise if it had been the other way around anyway 😉

I still can't understand why I like my old rubbed up DAC more than my new one
Click to expand...

Fedde, you posted the opposite here and on your website when you built your new one 😕

Just change the new one's supply to 5V ( and the I/V and Iref resistors ) and compare it then, otherwise it is comparing apples with pears. I am pretty sure that the new one is a winner when power supply and components are equal to the other one. Nothing beats a tidy layout, whether it be with hardwiring or with a PCB. I never experienced the fatiguing "headache" effect you describe with either DAC that I built with TDA1543.

http://home.student.utwente.nl/f.s.bouwman/audio/nonoz2.html
 
#152
CS8412 is out of production and it's now replaced with CS8414 which is in an SOIC package. CS8412 is DIP-28 and is kind of hard to find. CS8414 can be obtained as samples at cirrus.com but they might not call you back..

TDA1543- can't get samples but can be obtained cheaply from places like newark.com

74vhc74 - try:
http://www.fairchildsemi.com/pf/74/74VHC74.html

tl431 - try:
http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/productfolder.jhtml?genericPartNumber=TL431

but these are so cheap you can just get them from any electronics store. LM431 is practically the same. I can get TL or LM 431 for less than 75 cent Canadian $.
 
#153
Re: BG's

Raj1 said:
Hi Jean-Paul,

Well I havn't heard the bg bipolars yet, but I always thought that film caps were the best and always superceded electo's although some of the electro's have been know to come very close in tterms of the infamous word - distortion. I guess you've done more subjective listening than me Jean-Paul. I have used bg FK's in my pre as a replacement for oscon's and I did notice a difference although, the question is was it better or just different, I couldn't a/b to convince myself completley?

I did however notice that when I bypassed the FK's with a 4.7uf film cap the sound was immediatley - 'more open'.

Did you find the bg's nonpolars to outperform the film caps 'accross the board' so to speak? Would like to hear your opinion on this as I was convinced the black gate's are superior to other electro's but always thought they came close but not bettering good quality film caps.
Click to expand...

I compared yesterday BG N 4.7V as coupling caps with Hovlands (4U) Siemens MKV (6.8u) and Wondercaps (10u). I think that BG sounded the best and that's what I left in the DAC for now.

It wasn't very accurate test yet, just short impressions of listening to ea. cap, but I think that BG were most detailed and provided the tonal balance I preferred. The other caps seemed to be somewhat slower or laid back or smeared at highs or simply not right.😉

I was using Vishays S102 for 1K resistors and this may have influence here as well, for capacitor prefference. But considering the size and price of those BG caps, they must be regarded as great value in coupling applications.
 
#154
Peter, that kind of makes me think about changing the coupling caps of my X-bosoz to nonpolar BG. If nothing else, that would definitely slim down the size of the whole setup at the moment that is governed by the 12uF 400V pp caps I am using.
The only potential problem I can see is the voltage rating.
 
#155
The caps I'm using are 50V and they also have 10u/50V at $6.5 from Percyaudio.

Because I didn't do detailed comparisons, and I didn't compare cap vs no cap setup, I cannot say that those BG are neutral or the best solution, but from what I've heard so far they are pretty good sounding and definitely worth consideration. They work really well at the output of my DAC and in the gainclones. Some people complain that they are too hi-fi sounding, but I can't complain. Again, for the size and price, nothing beats them, I guess😉
 
#156
I guess I was too fast raving about BG. When compared to really good film caps they still lack refinment and detail and easyness of presentation. Here, I'm using 3u MIT RTX caps paralleled with 0.022 silver foil caps and they are much better than BG (but the BG are not broken in, MITs are). But look at the size and price (10x more?).

Siemens MKV seemed to sound a bit lean and Hovlands too aggressive in highs and not smooth enough. When comparing BG to the pictured combination, they have nice highs at first listen, but then, when analysing more, they lack in detail, the midrange isn't natural sounding and bass is kind of bloated, also the overall sound is kinda slower.

But I will still be using BG, where size and price is an issue. They supposedly improve much after breaking in, so my comments might not be accurate.😉
 

Attachments

  • cap.jpg
    cap.jpg
    66.4 KB · Views: 1,804
#158
And here's my all out attempt at the SOTA of TDA1543 DAC. I'm using 3 transformers (receiver, dac and clock with logic). The filtering employs chokes and series resistors and is separate for digital and analog section of CS8412. No 3 pin regulators, TL431 for receiver (dig and analog sep), and Elso's regulator for DAC. The reclocking circuit is also based on schematic from Elso and is using 100Mhz crystal and all 3 signals reclocked.

PS is 5V and I'm using Vishay S102 1k resistors for I/V conversion. This DAC sounds way better than my previous one, simple implementation of TDA1543. The reclocking brought much improvement, adding more depth and resolution. I still have to remove DAC chip from a socket and mount it directly, and add more bypass caps, but I'm very pleased with that DAC.

I like very much working with plywood as a base now, and the days of aluminum might be coming to an end😉

PS. When using Elso's reclocking circuit, don't forget to connect ground and Vcc. I forgot yesterday and wasted half day figuring out what was wrong 😉
 

Attachments

  • dac1.jpg
    dac1.jpg
    95.9 KB · Views: 1,859
#159
grataku said:



I wonder what that is...they sound too "hi-end"?😉
Click to expand...


I said too "hi-fi" and I think it means simple exaggeration of some frequencies to achieve certain effect, without the usual refinments that "hi-end" presents😉

What I like about BG is that add a sort of depth (especially in lower midrange) that some other caps, although nice sounding, don't present.
 
#160
film caps

Hi,

Well I think I'll try the trusted 4.7uf monacor film caps at the output, I already have this make of caps at work in my pre and power amps, and I think they sound pretty good. These are rectangular in shape and cost around £4.50 a piece in the UK, so are not much more expensive than the equivalent black gates, and they're not very big either. I'm toying with the idea of using the nx-hiq's in super e formation for the decoupling etc. I wonder if the massive 0.1uf 500v teflons would be of use anywhere..........?


Thanks
Raja
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom