A NOS 192/24 DAC with the PCM1794 (and WaveIO USB input)

Is this transformer also one that can be used as a substitute for the Cinemag or the Sowter?
And would it fare well against those?

AIT1_index.jpg

AIT1 from Audience, the makers of the Auricaps.
http://audience-av.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/AIT1.pdf
 
It is not a clone of the Cinemag 15k input transformer. Note that it is a 600:600 ohm isolation transformer. It looks like it may be manufactured by Cinemag but they state it uses special wire, so I would guess it’s a OEM adaptation of a Cinemag design, manufactured by Cinemag exclusively for Audience.
Not sure it would work well unless you had a lot of boards to drive it. The input impedance is specified at less than 600ohms which will require some current to drive if terminated properly with 600ohms on the secondary.
Also no voltage gain that you would get with the Sowther.
 
It is not a clone of the Cinemag 15k input transformer. Note that it is a 600:600 ohm isolation transformer. It looks like it may be manufactured by Cinemag but they state it uses special wire, so I would guess it’s a OEM adaptation of a Cinemag design, manufactured by Cinemag exclusively for Audience.
Not sure it would work well unless you had a lot of boards to drive it. The input impedance is specified at less than 600ohms which will require some current to drive if terminated properly with 600ohms on the secondary.
Also no voltage gain that you would get with the Sowther.

Ok, not the ideal transformer, specially to start with....
Voltage gain was not an requirement for me, I was just looking if it would be a worthy transformer next to the other two in terms of (sound)quality.
I forgo on the inpedance difference between the two, I did not take that into account, thnx for pointing that out.
 
Wishing every one a great 2018. Hope we all find time for our hobby and having some creative ideas for the DIY :)

Happy new year !
I have a question regarding the signal input resistors (R1). There are there for line impedance matching? The Hermes - Cronus are having 33ohm resistors in the signals paths , so I am guessing it will be a good thing to change all the DAC boards R1 to 33ohm as well?
EDIT: with the Hermes Cronus connected directly to the DAC, without the main board
 
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Hello,
Happy new year to all dddac users who did share their precious information.
Next step will be to try berry streamer to compare it to the Aurender.
If playing files from a hardddisk in possible with the berry streamer.
Maybe open a new thread about it in a few weeks.
Greetings, Eduard
 
Disabled Account
Joined 2002
Hello,
Happy new year to all dddac users who did share their precious information.
Next step will be to try berry streamer to compare it to the Aurender.
If playing files from a hardddisk in possible with the berry streamer.
Maybe open a new thread about it in a few weeks.
Greetings, Eduard
 
Next step will be to try berry streamer to compare it to the Aurender.
If playing files from a hardddisk in possible with the berry streamer.

I am running one of my DDDACs using the I2S output of an RPI+HifiBerry DAC+ Pro. The RPI runs Volumio. Playing from harddisk is no problem, and it also plays music via network (NAS / disk shares, AirPlay, etc.). Volumio also controls a stepped volume control (Allo Relay Attenuator). This whole setup works very well. Operation is super convenient and it sounds very, very good.
 
Left Channel is louder

Hello!
I have also a RPi 3 with Allo Isolator and HiFi Berry digi pro and i am very satisfied with the Sound :)
I habe 3 Decks af the dddac since 3years (red motherboard). Now there is a Problem because the left Channel plays louder than the right. The amp is okay though it must be the dac. Is it possible that One Deck of the right Channel is defect?
Where should i Check the Volt to compare?
Thanks, mario
 
Happy new year !
I have a question regarding the signal input resistors (R1). There are there for line impedance matching? The Hermes - Cronus are having 33ohm resistors in the signals paths , so I am guessing it will be a good thing to change all the DAC boards R1 to 33ohm as well?
EDIT: with the Hermes Cronus connected directly to the DAC, without the main board

I see no need for this, as R1 is not the impedance from the input line. it is just a decoupling between sender and input.
 
Hello!
I have also a RPi 3 with Allo Isolator and HiFi Berry digi pro and i am very satisfied with the Sound :)
I habe 3 Decks af the dddac since 3years (red motherboard). Now there is a Problem because the left Channel plays louder than the right. The amp is okay though it must be the dac. Is it possible that One Deck of the right Channel is defect?
Where should i Check the Volt to compare?
Thanks, mario

Swap out the cables at the analog out on the DDDAC board to verify the issue is on the DDDAC board(s) and not somewhere "downstream" (wiring, transformers, etc.). If the issue really is on the DDDAC, check the I/V resistors. Are they (still) all the same value? Solder connections ok? My next steps would be (1) to check if the input data is not somehow "unbalanced" (*) and (2) take off one DAC deck after the other and see if the problem can be isolated to one of the decks.

[*: I once thought I have a broken DAC (not DDDAC) and sent it in for repair, but it was perfectly ok. It turned out I somehow managed to modify the digital data so become out of balance...]
 
Hello, I want to go from cinch to balanced output, are the load resistors still important coz they are connected to common which is not in use when going balanced

and I also want to know, if I had to use the load resistors, is it ok to use 8 x 68R in total for a 4 deck

yes they are important as they are there for the bias. leave everything as is and use POS and NEG for the balanced outputs (pin 2 and 3) leave COMMON unconnected

yes in total 8x 68 in stead of 4x34 is also right for 4 decks. that is why there is place for 8 resistors, the positions Ra and Rb are in parallel
 
Hello,

I want to buy the Cinemags to try them, but on the Audio Creative site are the 600 model, and untill now everybody used the 15k model. What are the differences regard the SQ between them, and when to use one instead of another?
Just yesterday I changed to from 15/15B to 600/600C.
I believe you need 4 decks to properly drive rhese (I have 4 TENT decks).
Output resistor is 1.8k (RCA).
Soundwise I am very pleased! More natural, more presence, more detail, more bass/body.
Hope this helps...