Valve DAC from Linear Audio volume 13

[merlin el mago]

Originally Posted by MarcelvdG

It looks like it will be a challenge to mount those Russian 15 nF filter capacitors...

There is smaller available: FT-1...

[snax]

Hi Merlin,

I agree that the FT1's would be better but it's finding a reliable source.

I have been to St Petersburg a few times and Moscow infrequently but never found what you would call a supplier. (that sentence might need rethinking).

Online is even more hit and miss when it comes to component supply. Most of the eBay caps come from the Ukraine and I have not had the opportunity to go.

So you get what you can when its available and this is why I have a parts bin full of random parts that never quite fit the boards that I populate.

[merlin el mago]

I bought mine on ebay.

[nautibuoy]

A little progress today...

The reconstruction filter output boards are all assembled and ready for use. As you can see from the pictures below, I've designed these so the slot into channels in the back panel of my chassis so they take up very little real estate and the connections can be nice and short.





I'm using a similar arrangement for mounting the toroids for the power supplies. Power supplies are almost finished and I've started to assemble the chassis so I can power them up and test them.

Ray

[merlin el mago]

Congrats Ray, your work really shine.

[nautibuoy]

Originally Posted by merlin el mago

Congrats Ray, your work really shine.

Cheers Felipe

[MarcelvdG]

They certainly look better and more compact than my reconstruction filters (tan coloured board on the left, photo made by Piet Blaas).

[nautibuoy]

Originally Posted by MarcelvdG

They certainly look better and more compact than my reconstruction filters.

Thanks Marcel. The inductors are the custom wound jobs from Don Audio, caps are obviously polystyrene types and resistors metal films.

My next objective is to get the power supplies installed and tested so I can power up the Beaglebone Black in-situ and test the isolator/reclocker; when that checks out I'll be able to start testing the main Valve DAC board (for clock and data signals) before I finish populating it.

[audioillness]

Hi Ray,
Any progress made with this as yet?, I have been following this thread with interest.
Thanks 👍
Dave

[nautibuoy]

Originally Posted by audioillness

Hi Ray,
Any progress made with this as yet?, I have been following this thread with interest.
Thanks 👍
Dave

It's been a bit slow on this project Dave, busy at work and I've prioritised completing my DSC2 and Soekris dam1121 HPA projects first. DSC2 is now done and Soekris is waiting for a friend to do some smd soldering for me (he's got a reflow oven!) so coincidentally I am planning to do some work on the Valve DAC this weekend. I'll report back idc.