Hi all!
I'm seriously looking for an external DAC which features a well implemented TDA1541 in nos-mode and has USB input, all in full-kit form. After searching the web for days I was only able to find two interesting items with the TDA1541:
1. The Pedja Rogic Audial Aya II DIY-kit (Audial :: Do It Yourself)
2. The Satch DAC from diyhifisupply (Satch DAC | Diy HiFi Supply)
Unfortunately, the Aya is a bit too expensive for me at the moment (530,00EUR plus shipping), and the Satch DAC is without USB input and includes a case, so this is more a complete unit than a kit. But I would like choose a case on my own, and I need USB (in fact, I ONLY need USB input).
Of course there are countless chinese build clones and pcbs and kits out there, but I find it very hard to get some really useful informations about these in terms of layout, build quality, sound and technical informations to setup these devices properly.
Do some of you know about any other full kit offers of a TDA1541 NOS-DAC with USB input, which is really well build, affordable and promising nice sound?
Thanks a lot!
martin
I'm seriously looking for an external DAC which features a well implemented TDA1541 in nos-mode and has USB input, all in full-kit form. After searching the web for days I was only able to find two interesting items with the TDA1541:
1. The Pedja Rogic Audial Aya II DIY-kit (Audial :: Do It Yourself)
2. The Satch DAC from diyhifisupply (Satch DAC | Diy HiFi Supply)
Unfortunately, the Aya is a bit too expensive for me at the moment (530,00EUR plus shipping), and the Satch DAC is without USB input and includes a case, so this is more a complete unit than a kit. But I would like choose a case on my own, and I need USB (in fact, I ONLY need USB input).
Of course there are countless chinese build clones and pcbs and kits out there, but I find it very hard to get some really useful informations about these in terms of layout, build quality, sound and technical informations to setup these devices properly.
Do some of you know about any other full kit offers of a TDA1541 NOS-DAC with USB input, which is really well build, affordable and promising nice sound?
Thanks a lot!
martin
Hi Martin,
perhaps it is useful for you to look at my experiences with my "Big Blue" 4xTDA1541A.
The seller on ebay has also a 2x and solo TDA1541A version. And with the USB/I2S module from Doede Douma, is see no problem to make what you want.
Best regards,
Oliver
perhaps it is useful for you to look at my experiences with my "Big Blue" 4xTDA1541A.
The seller on ebay has also a 2x and solo TDA1541A version. And with the USB/I2S module from Doede Douma, is see no problem to make what you want.
Best regards,
Oliver
I have searched a bit by raindrop_hui on ebay and found something that is exact what you want:
DAC kit TDA1541A OS & NOS 1.0U multi-input (endet 20.12.09 18:18:45 MEZ)
Das passt wie die Faust auf´s Auge 😀
Greetings
Oliver
DAC kit TDA1541A OS & NOS 1.0U multi-input (endet 20.12.09 18:18:45 MEZ)
Das passt wie die Faust auf´s Auge 😀
Greetings
Oliver
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Hi Oliver,
thanks for your helpful replies!
I already had a quick look at the offers from raindrop_hui at ebay, and I thought: well, that's what I DON'T like! You see, the Audial Aya for example: These guys certainly played around with different DACs, different setups and so on, and in the end they decided to build this DAC as it is now. Plain, simple and elegant. And most important: only ONE solution.
In the contrary, raindrop_hui offers everything imaginable: a kit with 1 TDA1541, with 2 TDAs, with 4 TDAs, then some other interesting kits with AD1865N, also considered to sound VERY good. Then there are USBtoSPDIF converters, multi input controllers, HDAM and tube output stages, offers with transformer included, with transformer excluded, and so on and so on...
And this is what I don't like that much. If there is the possibility to design and build a very nice sounding DAC, with all the inputs which are of current interest (Toslink, SPDIF, USB, I2S), a convincing sounding output stage, and a tranformer for that, so why is there no offer like that?
At this time of evaluating these offers I have absolutely NO CLUE of wheather a single 1541, a dual 1541 or a quad 1541 sounds best to me. And further more I don't know if the JFET buffer, the HDAM buffer (what ever this means) or the tube buffer stage sounds best to me. And so, in the end I would have to buy nearly ALL the stuff this guy has to offer, just to try out every possible configuration.
Ok, well then, sorry for that! ;-) But I had to say this.
But then, I think the second link you gave me with the single TDA 1541 and multi input controller might be of interest, and I'm absolutely thinking of buying one.
But do you know:
1. The analog output in this kit is performed by 2xNE5532. What do you think, how necessary might a different output stage be? Day and night difference, or is a well implemented TDA1541 the most important key to the gates of High-End-Heaven? (Sorry for that expression, but it just took me away...🙂
2. What exactly does this controller board do?
3. Since this offer is without a transformer, can I just use two toroid transformers, one with 2x9V and another with 2x18V, say 30VA each? I mean, these are stock parts at many shops here in germany, so this would be no problem at alll.
Thanks very much Oliver, I appreciate your advices!
Regards - Martin
thanks for your helpful replies!
I already had a quick look at the offers from raindrop_hui at ebay, and I thought: well, that's what I DON'T like! You see, the Audial Aya for example: These guys certainly played around with different DACs, different setups and so on, and in the end they decided to build this DAC as it is now. Plain, simple and elegant. And most important: only ONE solution.
In the contrary, raindrop_hui offers everything imaginable: a kit with 1 TDA1541, with 2 TDAs, with 4 TDAs, then some other interesting kits with AD1865N, also considered to sound VERY good. Then there are USBtoSPDIF converters, multi input controllers, HDAM and tube output stages, offers with transformer included, with transformer excluded, and so on and so on...
And this is what I don't like that much. If there is the possibility to design and build a very nice sounding DAC, with all the inputs which are of current interest (Toslink, SPDIF, USB, I2S), a convincing sounding output stage, and a tranformer for that, so why is there no offer like that?
At this time of evaluating these offers I have absolutely NO CLUE of wheather a single 1541, a dual 1541 or a quad 1541 sounds best to me. And further more I don't know if the JFET buffer, the HDAM buffer (what ever this means) or the tube buffer stage sounds best to me. And so, in the end I would have to buy nearly ALL the stuff this guy has to offer, just to try out every possible configuration.
Ok, well then, sorry for that! ;-) But I had to say this.
But then, I think the second link you gave me with the single TDA 1541 and multi input controller might be of interest, and I'm absolutely thinking of buying one.
But do you know:
1. The analog output in this kit is performed by 2xNE5532. What do you think, how necessary might a different output stage be? Day and night difference, or is a well implemented TDA1541 the most important key to the gates of High-End-Heaven? (Sorry for that expression, but it just took me away...🙂
2. What exactly does this controller board do?
3. Since this offer is without a transformer, can I just use two toroid transformers, one with 2x9V and another with 2x18V, say 30VA each? I mean, these are stock parts at many shops here in germany, so this would be no problem at alll.
Thanks very much Oliver, I appreciate your advices!
Regards - Martin
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If you need spdif you can buy one of these and be done with it:
DAC kit AD1865N-K NOS 1.0 NOS w/ transformer - eBay (item 320457305230 end time Dec-12-09 14:35:32 PST)
If you don't need i2s you can buy a dddac.de usb to i2s convertor and connect a tda1541a directly. And build or buy yourself a tube stage.
Hi martin,
the output stage is a standard one and at this point you have a great possibility to tweak with i.e. the Tube-I-zator SRPP stage like i do in my "Big Blue".
This is not difficult and here is much sound potential. The basic circuit design around the TDA1541A, as far as i could see it on the photos, is top.
The controller board is for switching between the digital inputs (SPDIF/Optical/USB).
Sure you can get some standard transformer (AE-Europe, Amplimo, Tauscher, ect.).
Perhaps i buy this also for my next project, a High-End Electrostat Headphone-Amp. 🙄
Hi guys!
I thought about these offers for a while. Well, the "lampizator" says something very intersting about this kits, and its obvious that one has to tweak them a lot if a really nice performance is the goal. But honestly, I'm much more in building loudspeakers and amps, and I do not really have the skills to perform such tweaks.
BUT: As far as I can see, the DAC kit with multi input has a different layout compared to the 4xTDA1541 kit, e.g. the 100nF decoupling caps are very close to the chip now. Perhaps the whole circuit around the 1541 has been redesigned in this version.
I asked the seller, and he told me that he can deliver a suitable transformer for this kit, what makes everything even more convincing.
As for the analog output OPs NE5532, do you know to which ones I could change these to get a better performance? I noticed that these OPAs are installed on sockets, so it will be quite eays to change them.
Oliver, I read the whole thread about your DAC, and I think this an amazing project, very nice work! But unfortunately, as said before, this would be simply a bit too difficult for me, and further more, all in all a bit too expensive at the moment...
Regards!
martin
I thought about these offers for a while. Well, the "lampizator" says something very intersting about this kits, and its obvious that one has to tweak them a lot if a really nice performance is the goal. But honestly, I'm much more in building loudspeakers and amps, and I do not really have the skills to perform such tweaks.
BUT: As far as I can see, the DAC kit with multi input has a different layout compared to the 4xTDA1541 kit, e.g. the 100nF decoupling caps are very close to the chip now. Perhaps the whole circuit around the 1541 has been redesigned in this version.
I asked the seller, and he told me that he can deliver a suitable transformer for this kit, what makes everything even more convincing.
As for the analog output OPs NE5532, do you know to which ones I could change these to get a better performance? I noticed that these OPAs are installed on sockets, so it will be quite eays to change them.
Oliver, I read the whole thread about your DAC, and I think this an amazing project, very nice work! But unfortunately, as said before, this would be simply a bit too difficult for me, and further more, all in all a bit too expensive at the moment...
Regards!
martin
I am also lucky, that raindrop_hui had redesigned the position of the coupling caps!
Unfortunately i could not state anything to different OP-Amps, if you like to
go with this output stage.
Perhaps we have some members, who could give their support to that.
Unfortunately i could not state anything to different OP-Amps, if you like to
go with this output stage.
Perhaps we have some members, who could give their support to that.
Well, trying out some different configurations with the already exsisting output stage would be my first choice. Of course some other output coupling caps could be used (I have a few BG-N 4,7/50 left), but then some op-amp rolling would be interesting.
I tried to figure out what OPAs could possibly be a substitute and had a look at some datasheets. If I'm not totally wrong (and I'm total new to all this), this OPAs should be usable instead of the NE5532 without changing anything of the exsisting circuit:
AD OP275
BB OPA2134
NS LME49720
Perhaps anybody can confirm this...
What I also found to be interesting is the idea of changing all the rectifier diodes to shottkys or hyper fast diodes. Perhaps Fairchilds RHRP 1560 or IR HFA08TB60 would be a good choice (even though these are a bit oversized in this application).
Thanks a lot!
martin
I tried to figure out what OPAs could possibly be a substitute and had a look at some datasheets. If I'm not totally wrong (and I'm total new to all this), this OPAs should be usable instead of the NE5532 without changing anything of the exsisting circuit:
AD OP275
BB OPA2134
NS LME49720
Perhaps anybody can confirm this...
What I also found to be interesting is the idea of changing all the rectifier diodes to shottkys or hyper fast diodes. Perhaps Fairchilds RHRP 1560 or IR HFA08TB60 would be a good choice (even though these are a bit oversized in this application).
Thanks a lot!
martin
Do it!
The changing to Fairchild Stelth ISL9R460PF2 at my DAC was an unexpected big sounding succeess.
Aya II Experience
I have been through a few TDA1541A and other NOS dacs. At present, I purchased the Aya II board and transformer and installed a double crown chip. I am very pleased with it and like it far better than the Satch with tube output I used to have. I do not use the USB input, but rather use the USB relays to input i2s from a Pace Car attached to a Squeezebox system. I also had an Empirical Audio modified Ack Dack that was very nice sounding.
I have a few other dac projects underway. One is a modified Lite Dac60 with 1704 converters and Sowter transformer coupling to the existing SRPP output to reduce the IV resistor down to 10 ohms and eliminate the lousy analogue filter. The other projects include an AD1865N-K dac from Raindrop and also the Andrea AD1865. I got Quanghao's boards for thet, but will forego the SRPP output that I think it less than ideal.
I have for some time bought kits from Hifidiy.net in China. Their CDM 12 Transport I built is quite nice and was only 300 USD. I rarely use it as the Squeezebox/Pace Car setup sounds great and is so convenient. I have a TDA1541A kit from them including the board with nice power supplies, transformers, case, tube output and everything needed to assemble it and paid only 200 USD for it. The prices buying in China direct from them are some 50% less than buying on their English website.
Too much to do and play with at the moment, but honestly, the Aya II wil be very hard to beat, I think.
I have been through a few TDA1541A and other NOS dacs. At present, I purchased the Aya II board and transformer and installed a double crown chip. I am very pleased with it and like it far better than the Satch with tube output I used to have. I do not use the USB input, but rather use the USB relays to input i2s from a Pace Car attached to a Squeezebox system. I also had an Empirical Audio modified Ack Dack that was very nice sounding.
I have a few other dac projects underway. One is a modified Lite Dac60 with 1704 converters and Sowter transformer coupling to the existing SRPP output to reduce the IV resistor down to 10 ohms and eliminate the lousy analogue filter. The other projects include an AD1865N-K dac from Raindrop and also the Andrea AD1865. I got Quanghao's boards for thet, but will forego the SRPP output that I think it less than ideal.
I have for some time bought kits from Hifidiy.net in China. Their CDM 12 Transport I built is quite nice and was only 300 USD. I rarely use it as the Squeezebox/Pace Car setup sounds great and is so convenient. I have a TDA1541A kit from them including the board with nice power supplies, transformers, case, tube output and everything needed to assemble it and paid only 200 USD for it. The prices buying in China direct from them are some 50% less than buying on their English website.
Too much to do and play with at the moment, but honestly, the Aya II wil be very hard to beat, I think.
Hi,
First, I think you can get the PCB only set of the Satch, drop Brian at diyhifisupply dot com a line.
Second, one of the best choices currently for "budget" USB to DAC is the Musiland Monitor Series, which can be made to perform very well with a few small modifications.
One of them (Monitor 01 US) has a DAC on board which receives I2S, so you could pick off the signals and connect them directly to the I2S input option of the Satch.
FWIW, I am running an earlier Satch with some upgrades (powersupplies, DEM reclocking as per ecdesigns and I2S attenuators also per ecdesigns, Universal Tube Stage, new Pat "Jocko Homo" DiGiaccomo inspired frontend for CS8414) at home and it sounds pretty darn decent.
In my view the DEM reclocking and the I2S attenuators are a must, no matter what kit you are using.
I was able to re-use the divider chip originally fitted on the Satch (for asynchronous reclocking - which does not really work) to divide BCK for the DEM reclocking, the space vacated by the clock module (which is useless unless using re-clocking which does of course not work in the first place) was filled by a hex inverter, so with this I had my DEM reclocking. I fitted the I2S attenuators to a piece of veroboard made to plug into the SAA7220 socket. With using the various Jumpers now useless and /or original I was able to compare easily both the DEM reclocking and the I2S attenuation...
Ciao T
First, I think you can get the PCB only set of the Satch, drop Brian at diyhifisupply dot com a line.
Second, one of the best choices currently for "budget" USB to DAC is the Musiland Monitor Series, which can be made to perform very well with a few small modifications.
One of them (Monitor 01 US) has a DAC on board which receives I2S, so you could pick off the signals and connect them directly to the I2S input option of the Satch.
FWIW, I am running an earlier Satch with some upgrades (powersupplies, DEM reclocking as per ecdesigns and I2S attenuators also per ecdesigns, Universal Tube Stage, new Pat "Jocko Homo" DiGiaccomo inspired frontend for CS8414) at home and it sounds pretty darn decent.
In my view the DEM reclocking and the I2S attenuators are a must, no matter what kit you are using.
I was able to re-use the divider chip originally fitted on the Satch (for asynchronous reclocking - which does not really work) to divide BCK for the DEM reclocking, the space vacated by the clock module (which is useless unless using re-clocking which does of course not work in the first place) was filled by a hex inverter, so with this I had my DEM reclocking. I fitted the I2S attenuators to a piece of veroboard made to plug into the SAA7220 socket. With using the various Jumpers now useless and /or original I was able to compare easily both the DEM reclocking and the I2S attenuation...
Ciao T
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