More balanced dual mono questions
Would you be willing to elaborate a bit more on what is involved to implement the balanced dual mono setup? I've looked at your pictures quite a bit, but still not sure I understand the wiring fully...
In particular:
Any other "gotchas" or need-to-know info for doing balanced dual mono?
Thanks!
Would you be willing to elaborate a bit more on what is involved to implement the balanced dual mono setup? I've looked at your pictures quite a bit, but still not sure I understand the wiring fully...
In particular:
- Is the I2S wiring paralleled (in the same manner as you would the power)? How do you "neatly" pull that off? I envision a "Y-splitter" type cable going from input device to both DAMs. But maybe there's a better way?
- Same question for the volume control. Probably have to switch to a stereo-style pot?
- Are you using the isolated serial connections, or the "regular" serial connections?
- Do you have independent serial control of each DAM board? Or is one a "slave" to the other?
Any other "gotchas" or need-to-know info for doing balanced dual mono?
Thanks!
Toslink sounds better than amanero i2s
Hi
Yesterday I compared the sound of the optical spdif input with my amanero setup. I use an old macbook as a server, it has an optical out as well as the usb connection. The optical connection sounds more 3D, less in your face with much nicer treble, less listening fatigue, simply better...
I used the amanero powered by the usb bus, trusting that the isolators take care of the dirty usb power.
But I was obviously wrong, spdif sounds quite a bit better and that is not psychoacoustics
So I want to give the amanero its own powersupply, the question is, should I use something like the tps7a4700 or should I try a livepo4 batterysupply?
Do I understand the batterything right, when I assume, that the battery is used more or less like super cap? I just build a simple 3,3v LM317 powersupply with some current control and put the battery in parallel with it, maybe with a small resistor in front of the battery to seperate the 317 from the battery a little and that is it? Can I have the battery charged all the time without negative consequences? Set and forget, so to speak, leaving the DAC powered even when not in use and the battery is connected to the charging circuit?
If that would be possible it seems easier and even cheaper than a tps7a supply...
Thanks in advance for your help...
Hi
Yesterday I compared the sound of the optical spdif input with my amanero setup. I use an old macbook as a server, it has an optical out as well as the usb connection. The optical connection sounds more 3D, less in your face with much nicer treble, less listening fatigue, simply better...
I used the amanero powered by the usb bus, trusting that the isolators take care of the dirty usb power.
But I was obviously wrong, spdif sounds quite a bit better and that is not psychoacoustics
So I want to give the amanero its own powersupply, the question is, should I use something like the tps7a4700 or should I try a livepo4 batterysupply?
Do I understand the batterything right, when I assume, that the battery is used more or less like super cap? I just build a simple 3,3v LM317 powersupply with some current control and put the battery in parallel with it, maybe with a small resistor in front of the battery to seperate the 317 from the battery a little and that is it? Can I have the battery charged all the time without negative consequences? Set and forget, so to speak, leaving the DAC powered even when not in use and the battery is connected to the charging circuit?
If that would be possible it seems easier and even cheaper than a tps7a supply...
Thanks in advance for your help...
Hi
Yesterday I compared the sound of the optical spdif input with my amanero setup. I use an old macbook as a server, it has an optical out as well as the usb connection. The optical connection sounds more 3D, less in your face with much nicer treble, less listening fatigue, simply better...
I used the amanero powered by the usb bus, trusting that the isolators take care of the dirty usb power.
But I was obviously wrong, spdif sounds quite a bit better and that is not psychoacoustics
So I want to give the amanero its own powersupply, the question is, should I use something like the tps7a4700 or should I try a livepo4 batterysupply?
Do I understand the batterything right, when I assume, that the battery is used more or less like super cap? I just build a simple 3,3v LM317 powersupply with some current control and put the battery in parallel with it, maybe with a small resistor in front of the battery to seperate the 317 from the battery a little and that is it? Can I have the battery charged all the time without negative consequences? Set and forget, so to speak, leaving the DAC powered even when not in use and the battery is connected to the charging circuit?
If that would be possible it seems easier and even cheaper than a tps7a supply...
Thanks in advance for your help...
Hi,
It's good to hear your experience. I think everyone's mileage is different and no matter it's due to psychological effect or not, it's your own experience.
About the amanero power supply modding, I think both your idea should work, obviously tps7a is much more easier. You can set it to 3.3V and supply directly to the amanero and the I2S ISO 3.3v power input in dam.
For the lifepo4 way, it sounds okay, I've never try, when I use lifepo4, I use them as battery, using relay to control the connection so that when the dac is off, the battery circuit to dac is opened (and the charging circuit is closed); When the dac is on, the battery circuit to dac is closed (and the charging circuit is opened).
Look forward to your further experiment and finding.
Since I could get the lifepo4 battery locally and had the rest of the parts in my parts bin, I built that supply and yes! It makes a difference. The situation turned around, now the amanero sounds better than spdif
It is pretty easy to check, since the source is always the macbook, I just have to switch on the computer and the dam. I did not expect that, it is really much better.
What I did:
I built a simple LM317 3,3v power supply with a little 6V transformer. I put a 2ohm 2watt resistor at the output to limit current to the battery. This goes to a relais, which cuts the power from the charger to the battery as well as the power to the amanero from the battery, when the DAC is not powered. This is done that the battery does not discharge when the DAC is turned off.
I removed the LDO on the amanero. The whole circuit is just grounded through the USB cable, ground is not connected to the rest of the DAC to keep grounds isolated.
Does this all sound reasonable to you?
Thanks to all you guys experimenting! This lifted the dam1021 to a different level, it sounds pretty real now!
Using the battery as a capacitor is all there is to it.
I have never used a resistor between the regulator and the battery. I did consider it at first but then nige2000 said it was not necessary so I left it out.
All I can say is what you are hearing would only be magnified by using the batteries on the DAC, too.
My system sounds so good these days I am having reverse audio anxiety - I cannot think of anything to improve.
The DAM DAC is very fine by itself but as the foundation for something REALLY good it is unparalleled - nothing like it I am aware of.
I have never used a resistor between the regulator and the battery. I did consider it at first but then nige2000 said it was not necessary so I left it out.
All I can say is what you are hearing would only be magnified by using the batteries on the DAC, too.
My system sounds so good these days I am having reverse audio anxiety - I cannot think of anything to improve.
The DAM DAC is very fine by itself but as the foundation for something REALLY good it is unparalleled - nothing like it I am aware of.
" Without headphone, do some members have the same hole in the middle between the speakers ? Like if the speakers were toe towards the exterior (not in: towards the listener) ?
Sorry to re ask ? I had no answer about that, I called this "phase" but have not technical knowledge about this (it's certainly not the good word) but I have not this strange stage presentation with my others dacs and cd players : e.g. voice is not centrer but divided in each speakers comming from the laterral walls !!!! (not nice) " .
Hi Eldam , I am experimenting the same strange sensation than you ...
Could be related with filter configuration . Mine is default . any clue ?
Sorry to re ask ? I had no answer about that, I called this "phase" but have not technical knowledge about this (it's certainly not the good word) but I have not this strange stage presentation with my others dacs and cd players : e.g. voice is not centrer but divided in each speakers comming from the laterral walls !!!! (not nice) " .
Hi Eldam , I am experimenting the same strange sensation than you ...
Could be related with filter configuration . Mine is default . any clue ?
I have DimDim's well sorted out build in the house. He left it to me over the weekend for listening. Nice project you got here guys. I like its very natural vocal rendering. No artificial stinging edge. In a nutshell I would describe it as not trying to be "wow". But with persuasive tone, discrete flow, and an organic kind of analysis. Coherent. Listening from the SE outputs to a 50K pot tube preamp as load. Through Foobar USB and DVD/CDP or TV Toslink both coax and optical. USB is surely the more pristine channel. But the other don't let it down per se. The Subbu plays nicely for Toslink only too. Both satisfying but the distinction is there you still know which one is which. When HD content is playing through PC/USB the fair comparisons end though. Flac HD very nice, DSD .dsf .dff on 384kHz mode are very nice too.
Attachments
putting a resistor between reg and battery to limit the current to within the capabilities of the regulator and heatsink is not a bad idea
its the components between the battery and device that can cause differences
@ Guytou:
I lived the DAM DAC boat for a long time, so I don't know, I sold my first edition because too much dac projects around TDA1541A chip !
But viewing Salas's picture : are all the new Dams uf-l inputs friendly as well ?
@ Salas, what is your current dac please ? Any chance to benchmark it with old dac chips : PCM 1704, AD1862/5, TDA1542A ?
Was it a moded Subbu DAC ?
I lived the DAM DAC boat for a long time, so I don't know, I sold my first edition because too much dac projects around TDA1541A chip !
But viewing Salas's picture : are all the new Dams uf-l inputs friendly as well ?
@ Salas, what is your current dac please ? Any chance to benchmark it with old dac chips : PCM 1704, AD1862/5, TDA1542A ?
Was it a moded Subbu DAC ?
I have a Benchmark DAC1* and a normal Subbu V3 SE** that both are non USB. I also had listened to Aune S16*** in the same system a couple of days before but I did not have the DAM to A/B at the time. I listened to Aune X1s**** too but via spdif only.
*Analog Devices AD1853
**ESS ES9023
***AKM AK4495SEQ
****ESS ES9018K2M
*Analog Devices AD1853
**ESS ES9023
***AKM AK4495SEQ
****ESS ES9018K2M
My DAM is loaded with the filter pack "EQHQ variations v1" (the one with no extra headroom) and the selected filter was the second one.
What you are seeing is a small PCB that I built to accomodate U.FL sockets. It is plugged on to the DAM's header.
If I might chime in here, a couple of months back with some friends we did an A/B comparison with a DIY DAC based on 8 x 1704-K ICs. It was a hi-end design, loaded to the teeth (special exotic shunt PS, class-A no-compromise output stage, etc). We are talkin' about several thousand euros of parts here.
The 1704 sounded more dynamic, but the DAM (with no output stage whatsoever) bested it in practically every other department. All tests were done with a CD player as transport.
I think you might be talking about Audio-Gd rev. 7 here. Right? If so, then:
I found that proper power for the DAC has impact on its dynamics.
I tested bunch of different shunts including ones from Audio-Gd: (PSU-2013, PSU-A) and twisteadpearaudio Placid HD. Salas Reflector D simply best outs all of them. However what I notecied JFet mod in Vref is must in Salas Ref D. It makes sound more tight and dynamic.
So I can bet that if you removed -/+5V regs from your Soekris board and powered them with two Salas Reflector D -/+5V directelly then you would have even better results (I bet more dynamic).
That is what I am going to do anyway once dam1121 is released.
No, I'm not talking about an Audio-GD DAC. It was a DIY DAC.
I suspect the same thing you are saying about the DAM's power supply and I have been seriously considering doing exactly what you have described.
I had put it off because I was considering getting an 1121 instead (much easier to power properly), but when I saw its price I have decided to mod my 1021 instead.
I suspect the same thing you are saying about the DAM's power supply and I have been seriously considering doing exactly what you have described.
I had put it off because I was considering getting an 1121 instead (much easier to power properly), but when I saw its price I have decided to mod my 1021 instead.