"hot swaping any caps"
D3nsityD3nt,
Your photographs are spectacular!
Hot swapping and testing caps is sabotaged by the 300 hour burn-in period. Black Gates take even longer. It is my experience that the differences in sq for the same cap throughout the burn-in period is much larger than the sq difference between two different high quality burned-in caps.
IMO, "voicing" the sound is probably over 90% influenced by caps on the analog side of the PCM1794 chip and very little from the digital side. I would include the WIMA 0.022uf FKP2 PP film and foil caps as an alternative to the PET 0.100uf standard caps on the analog side.
Better caps and Vregs on the digital side improve the correctness of musical details, nuance, and ambiance. The music just sounds more real and less "digital" in subtle ways. This has very little to do with finding the right synergy between parts selection and the rest of your system. I would start with the consensus best digital parts and optimize the analog section first. I am very interested in what you discover from your parts evaluation.
D3nsityD3nt,
Your photographs are spectacular!
Hot swapping and testing caps is sabotaged by the 300 hour burn-in period. Black Gates take even longer. It is my experience that the differences in sq for the same cap throughout the burn-in period is much larger than the sq difference between two different high quality burned-in caps.
IMO, "voicing" the sound is probably over 90% influenced by caps on the analog side of the PCM1794 chip and very little from the digital side. I would include the WIMA 0.022uf FKP2 PP film and foil caps as an alternative to the PET 0.100uf standard caps on the analog side.
Better caps and Vregs on the digital side improve the correctness of musical details, nuance, and ambiance. The music just sounds more real and less "digital" in subtle ways. This has very little to do with finding the right synergy between parts selection and the rest of your system. I would start with the consensus best digital parts and optimize the analog section first. I am very interested in what you discover from your parts evaluation.
Thanks again carlsor 🙂
Yeah I know it will take a lot of time to burn caps in. Therefore I'm opting for my first and hopefully last choice - analog side are 2x 100uF 25v cerafines, 1x 47uF 25v silmicII, 2x 47uF 16v silmic (approx supersurfer's choice), and here we come to WIMAs, I was thinking to place 0,068uF but yes I will take your advice about 0,022uF FKP2 PP. It's all about high frequencies right? The only thing to be changed (hopefully not) in case I won't be happy, will be a swap from one or two cerafines to silmics. WIMAs most probably will stay put, but I can see constant development in this subject by you guys, so I leave this subject opened.
All digi side are Oscons and WIMAs 0,068uF (already on pictures). Still, WIMAS subject opened here (that's why I mounted dip pins there).
These two boards I have now are only the testing bench for upcoming updated version of dac boards. Until then I plan to be ready and happy to place all components of my ultimate choice. Ultimate aim is to do 6 to 8 dac boards (of a new version). I need so many in order to give more than enough current to run optimally Sowter's Transformer Volume Control. The TVC from its side has to give enough current to move 4 power amps solid state with little low (dificult) input impedance per amp.
I can't literally wait to hit the road with this project. Next week I'll get my encapsulated Lundahls back from workshop. The opened side of the boxes was planned to make slick surface, as this part will be mounted to the radiators of my chassis, which I receive the same day from workshop after small modifications. So then I start finally (yuppie!) puting everything togheter. Then if everything will go ok, in first place I most probably get drank with expensive champagne :-D and then in following days you will get some info about SQ. I recon beginning of another week.
Yeah I know it will take a lot of time to burn caps in. Therefore I'm opting for my first and hopefully last choice - analog side are 2x 100uF 25v cerafines, 1x 47uF 25v silmicII, 2x 47uF 16v silmic (approx supersurfer's choice), and here we come to WIMAs, I was thinking to place 0,068uF but yes I will take your advice about 0,022uF FKP2 PP. It's all about high frequencies right? The only thing to be changed (hopefully not) in case I won't be happy, will be a swap from one or two cerafines to silmics. WIMAs most probably will stay put, but I can see constant development in this subject by you guys, so I leave this subject opened.
All digi side are Oscons and WIMAs 0,068uF (already on pictures). Still, WIMAS subject opened here (that's why I mounted dip pins there).
These two boards I have now are only the testing bench for upcoming updated version of dac boards. Until then I plan to be ready and happy to place all components of my ultimate choice. Ultimate aim is to do 6 to 8 dac boards (of a new version). I need so many in order to give more than enough current to run optimally Sowter's Transformer Volume Control. The TVC from its side has to give enough current to move 4 power amps solid state with little low (dificult) input impedance per amp.
I can't literally wait to hit the road with this project. Next week I'll get my encapsulated Lundahls back from workshop. The opened side of the boxes was planned to make slick surface, as this part will be mounted to the radiators of my chassis, which I receive the same day from workshop after small modifications. So then I start finally (yuppie!) puting everything togheter. Then if everything will go ok, in first place I most probably get drank with expensive champagne :-D and then in following days you will get some info about SQ. I recon beginning of another week.
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Digital Film bypass caps
The WIMA 0.068uf could be the MKS PET or the larger MKP PP. I found the Kemet 0.068uf PPS (Mouser - SMR5683J100J03L4) cap to sound the best although this one is also larger than the PET. I also put these on the Main Board as well. One nice thing about digital film caps is that most of the sound change is immediate with the burnin only removing the last trace of edginess. You will know right away what sounds best.
The WIMA 0.068uf could be the MKS PET or the larger MKP PP. I found the Kemet 0.068uf PPS (Mouser - SMR5683J100J03L4) cap to sound the best although this one is also larger than the PET. I also put these on the Main Board as well. One nice thing about digital film caps is that most of the sound change is immediate with the burnin only removing the last trace of edginess. You will know right away what sounds best.
I will try PPS when all my bits turn up from Korea......along with Black Gates on the analogue side🙂🙂
On the motherboard, did you change the values to 0,068uF too? Which exactly model of WIMA 0.022uf FKP2 PP do you recomend? Do you have maybe mouser link for it too?
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If caps value should be lowered to 0,068uF on the motherboard, in case of having shunts there, the caps next to them I understand should be on that value too right? Or they stay 0,1uF? How about the 1uf cap next to the Tent clock?
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WIMA 0.022uf FKP2 PP = Mouser - 505-FKP2.022/100/5. I cant find the forum post, but a person who tested a wide range of film bypass values for the Elna Silmics concluded that the 0.022uf values sounded best in analog applications. I chose the Wima FKP2 because it is a PP film and foil construction and gets positive reviews in the forums. It sounds great to me. See http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digi...pcm1794-waveio-usb-input-428.html#post4263256
Yes, I replaced all the PET caps on my RED main board with the 0.068uf PPS caps. See http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digi...e-board-pcm1794-nos-dddac-42.html#post4239418 A few years ago a forum member reported that 0.068uf was the optimum value for DAC digital circuit decoupling. PPS caps get excellent comments in reviews. I put 2 + 2 together, installed 0.068 PPS caps and heard an improvement over the PETs on 2 of my DDDAC builds. I'm looking forward to someone confirming what I heard.
I use a single external Salas Shunt 8V power supply for both PCM1794s so I used all the analog caps locations - with my choice of caps. With Tent shunts located right near the use points - the cap requirements may be different - see what others in the forum have done.
Ross
Balanced Volume for "Wire" headphone amp
The following are my reactions to the Balanced Vol control feeding the "Wire" headphone amp.
1. The Wire headphone amp has a gain of 1 and the Balanced pot schematic has a gain of 0.5 so you may not have enough volume into your headphones.
2. The Balanced pot resistors must be of the highest quality. Susumu RG or better for the 5K and a stepped SMD pot or LDR for the 10K pot.
3. The load to the transformer would change with volume from 10K-20K total.
After looking at the various "Wire" schematics - it appears that the "Wire" can be used as a single-ended input with your Sowter. The input load can be a constant 10K pot/LDR volume attenuator with little loss in gain. I don't see any advantage for going balanced.
The following are my reactions to the Balanced Vol control feeding the "Wire" headphone amp.
1. The Wire headphone amp has a gain of 1 and the Balanced pot schematic has a gain of 0.5 so you may not have enough volume into your headphones.
2. The Balanced pot resistors must be of the highest quality. Susumu RG or better for the 5K and a stepped SMD pot or LDR for the 10K pot.
3. The load to the transformer would change with volume from 10K-20K total.
After looking at the various "Wire" schematics - it appears that the "Wire" can be used as a single-ended input with your Sowter. The input load can be a constant 10K pot/LDR volume attenuator with little loss in gain. I don't see any advantage for going balanced.
Ross,
Many thanks for take your time to check the issue and for the detailed reply.
Tonight, when I back home, I will give a better look based on your comments.
Thanks again and Regards,
Enrico
Hello,
I wanted to thank very much for great work and also great help from emyeuoi and carlsor with this small CCS unit.
As I'm new to this I can understand frustrations of some people (like me🙂 which never did this kind of small exact soldering and exact regulations, which can seem very difficult for many and scare them off. I did it following exactly carlsor's construction guide placed on this page. As it all went not too bad I decided to place some photos of it. I did it using soldering iron with nice sharp tip, a big lens with light integrated, and for holding small smd parts I used just a screwdriver.
As for a procedure. Soldering flux was applied to all soldering spots, and this is the most important thing to do for smooth and easy tin placing on them. One drop of melted tin on the iron should last to cover 4-5 spots. Any excess of the solder on the spots can be very easly reduced with soldering wick to a minimum. And then smd parts are placed, alined and pressed with screwdriver and soldering iron (1second on each soldering spot!).
At the end, following emyeuoi's example, I did simulate 2,4v output using two new AA batteries soldered in series and a load made of resistances in parallel applied to them achiving exactly 2,4V. I used 1x 15oHm and 2x 6,8oHm 10W and more (voltage might be little high at the the beginning, just wait a moment it will drop with 1-2minutes), that lets you to regulate your units exactly to 0,188v. But I have to say, that it was just to confirm the values that carlsor wrote on the pouches which you will receive from him (again, great work from his side). All the resistance's values from pouches were spot on, but one. As we are all humans we all can make small errors, therefore I encourage everyone to do some tests before mounting CCS boads on dac, just to sleap in peace. After all, regulating screw was lacked in order to not to move it again even by an accident. No further regulation is needed. I share the carlsor's and emyeuoi's idea about that, as it would be rather difficult to do with more than one stack, plus it's better to not to do any regulations on working boards for sake of safety of them. Also bottom part of the CCS boards are lacked for isolation against accidental shorts with holes on the dac bords. CCS board is actualy mounted up side down.
Please, let me know if you find any shortcomings or have any suggestions. All are most apreciated.
Hi d3ensityd3nt,
Sorry I didn't reply to your nice post... quite busy in the past few days 🙁
Congratulation for you job... Well done
When I send you the boards I choose to keep all the small pcbs togheter instead of breaking up. Looking you pics I think that was the right choice, much easier to manage a big board then 15 micro boards 🙂
Take care and enjoy your build
Enrico
After a wee bit of help here, I am trawling through this thread and the main DDDAC thread to try and compile a list of components to upgrade my main board and DAC boards.
The problem I have when I seach on Farnel or what ever I am presented with so many options I don't know what to buy.
I know it may be a lot of work but if some of you are able to post the upgrade components along with the darnel / Mouser / CPC numbers that would be a massive help to me as I get easily lost.
Thanks very much !!!
The problem I have when I seach on Farnel or what ever I am presented with so many options I don't know what to buy.
I know it may be a lot of work but if some of you are able to post the upgrade components along with the darnel / Mouser / CPC numbers that would be a massive help to me as I get easily lost.
Thanks very much !!!
Hi Enrico, I received the PCBs and components here in Denmark Monday 23rd (sorry for this delayed response) Everything looks absolutely top notch 🙂 Thank you so much. Lot of thanks go to carlsor too for his part of the project. BR, Per
Hi d3ensityd3nt,
Sorry I didn't reply to your nice post... quite busy in the past few days 🙁
Congratulation for you job... Well done
When I send you the boards I choose to keep all the small pcbs togheter instead of breaking up. Looking you pics I think that was the right choice, much easier to manage a big board then 15 micro boards 🙂
Take care and enjoy your build
Enrico
Thanks Enrico! 🙂 Precisely, keeping all the boards unseparated is the main point of the comfort, speed and easyness of the soldering process.
post the upgrade components
No two upgraded DDDAC units are exactly the same - there is no magic set of parts. It would be helpful for you to list the specific sections of the DAC build you are interested in to get specific responses.
No two upgraded DDDAC units are exactly the same - there is no magic set of parts. It would be helpful for you to list the specific sections of the DAC build you are interested in to get specific responses.
I know what you are saying. Say I want to order Bourns 3296 trim pot, the suppliers will give me 61 different options I have no idea which one to choose.
I thought if we could collate a few supplier part numbers it would not only help me but a few more, and make upgrading a lot easier.
I thought if we could collate a few supplier part numbers it would not only help me but a few more, and make upgrading a lot easier.
It's on my first photo. Is on Italian but states the name and product code there. Farnell product code is 9353283, and the name is Trimmer, 25 Turn 500R. Manufacturer product code is 3296W-1-501LF.
I spotted that thanks, also a mouser number Ross mentioned a few days ago, which I have ordered but I'm at a loss with the other components, perhaps I should draw up a list of the ones I'm struing to source.
A list, is what I did a long time ago ;-) Anything that you spot, and suits your needs, just write down immediately, add important forum posts into your bookmarks. This is the only way.