My ES9038Q2M DAC board

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It use a es9038q2m , works in i/v mode , spdif input by sa8804 , support pcm 44.1 to 384khz , and dop64 to dop128 , sync mode mclk , has shutdown the asrc of es9038q2m .

the sa8804 spdif receiver can output a mclk , rms jitter below 15ps ,it's the best dir on the world .

there are four LT3042 work aroud the es9038q2m and sa8804 , a Parallel regulated power supply befor come into lt3042 .
 

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Did you also buy Transformer output?
No i2s possibility? Sync ..async is switchable with black switch?
Sound?
Thank you D

You so clever ! yes , i realy output by transformer , it since better than opamp .
the ne5532 just to be a I/V .

because my mclk is 22.5792 and 24.576 , although mclk2 switch can select asrc and sync , but i can't found any difference .
 

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It use a es9038q2m , works in i/v mode , spdif input by sa8804 , support pcm 44.1 to 384khz , and dop64 to dop128 , sync mode mclk , has shutdown the asrc of es9038q2m .

the sa8804 spdif receiver can output a mclk , rms jitter below 15ps ,it's the best dir on the world .

there are four LT3042 work aroud the es9038q2m and sa8804 , a Parallel regulated power supply befor come into lt3042 .
Are you making this DAC board for sale on Ebay or at AliExpress? Do you have your own website?
 
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Depends what you like I guess. DACs like Benchmark DAC-3 and Crane Song Solaris are very low distortion and very high sound quality. It means you hear the CD as it was intended to sound.

However, some people may prefer a little distortion. It means you color the sound a little to taste, maybe like putting spice on food. However, the same spice on every meal can get a little old, IMHO only.
 
Here is one with probably better sound quality: WZ-21 SSM2141 Balanced Signal to Unbalanced Signal 2mm Finished Board | eBay

Or, you could make your own. In any case, don't know why someone would buy an expensive DAC then use a cheap, $6 low SQ balanced to unbalanced converters. For one thing, you would want the differential amp stage resistors closely matched for good performance. I used .01% tolerance thin film SMD resistors for my own DAC. To get really low-distortion, very high-fidelity sound quality, it takes great attention to all the little details.
 
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Here is one with probably better sound quality: WZ-21 SSM2141 Balanced Signal to Unbalanced Signal 2mm Finished Board | eBay

Or, you could make your own. In any case, don't know why someone would buy an expensive DAC then use a cheap, $6 low SQ balanced to unbalanced converters. For one thing, you would want the differential amp stage resistors closely matched for good performance. I used .01% tolerance thin film SMD resistors for my own DAC. To get really low-distortion, very high-fidelity sound quality, it takes great attention to all the little details.
I picked the $6 converter because the seller posted a schematic that I can understand. The schematic looks good. From past experience, the more expensive item from Chinese ebay seller is not necessarily the better product, but could be.

This other ebay seller shows the same converter picture as the one you recommended, only much cheaper. Neither of them have the schematic of the board they sell. They both use the laser trimmed SSM2141 which should make them better than the $6, NE5532 only board.
SSM2141 Balanced input and unbalanced output Dual Channel Preamplifier Board | eBay

Yes, I agree with you that buying a DIY kit and hand select to match components can provide significant improvement for ANY kit.
 
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keilau, good find on the lower cost SSM2141 board. You do want careful matching of resistors to get best differential mode performance and best common mode rejection.
I have built many audio equipment from kit or from scratch over the years. The DAC is my first dip into the digital domain. You have been very helpful to get me to learn. I enjoy reading your posts.

I first tried the power supply with 7815/7915 pair, but found the balance to be poor. I purchased 10 pieces each to match them, but am not happy with the results. I decided to change gear and try the LT1083CP dual. I expect the LDO chips to have lower noise too. The better balance will come in handy when I am ready for the I/V mod.
 
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