I want to start with "liquid music" but i don't know how and where to start

[ygg-it]

Hello I want to start with "liquid music" but i don't know how and where to start with DIY.
I'm quite confused.

Purpose is to get rid of phisical CDROMs, and I wish to create a DIY audiphile DAC, with low jitter clock. I could even replicate the PCM-1710 of my NAD 525 cd player and use my current mod I/V opamp filter with dedicated low noise power supply.

Hence, source should be 99% "flac 16/44" files (preferably in solid HDD, thus no noise at all) to be transferred from my PC at occurrence with usb pen or flash memory card or wifi.

I would like to have a friendly LCD interface to create directories, select files, transfer music from flash to HDD, repeat music and repeat directory, delete traces, go forward, stop, pause.

I would like to have also a remote controller.

I know I can build everything with a Raspberry pi 3 -> i2s to minidsp minisharc -> i2s Pair of MiniDSP Curryman DAC etc.. etc.. or something similar..

but may be the best for me could be to purchase the file management system source (a multimedia HDD) and build from scratch a separate homemade high end resolution DAC (connected by optical output is the best?).

Can you please give me a clear direction? Of course the new FLAC system must sound much better than my existing cd player with physical CDroms.... I don't mind to have two separate machines, but aesthetic should be good, minimising wirings and be solid and the interface has to be very user friendly...

Thanks!
Regards

I have another general question: if my sources are all "flac 16/44" is it worth to upgrade to a 24/96 system or even higher?

 

[abraxalito]

Sounds like you could start off with one of these - Lossless SD player I2S output

I can't think of a reason why an SD player should sound better than a CD player delivering the same bits but I would say you've no need to aim for 24/96 when you've gotten 16/44 decoded competently.

 

[Pano]

^ Agreed. Unless that CD player was a real dog, a media server won't sound any different, it's exactly the same content - exactly. The DAC and its following circuits might sound different. Ditto on FLAC, keep your rips in their original 16/44 format.

Welcome to the world of computer audio!

 

[Ken Newton]

While "liquid music" is a definition found in the ear of each listener, I would suggest building an NOS (non-oversampling digital filterless) DAC to obtain an subjectively non-fatiguing digital replay. I suspect that abraxalito would agree.

 

[abraxalito]

Indeed Ken, I still haven't found justification for the added complexity of a digital filter in my DAC designs though I have been looking long and hard. As regards NOS I have found that an analog filter between DAC and I/V stage makes a significant improvement subjectively (objectively too if you're in the habit of observing DAC output waveforms on your 'scope).

 

[Ken Newton]

Hi, Richard,

I suppose that I've come full circle on the OS versus NOS question. Long ago, I experimented with an AD1865 based DAC having on-the-fly switchable OS/NOS modes. I loved the fatigue-free quality of NOS, but also heard some desirable qualities from the OS mode. I then set out on a quest to see if I could obtain NOS's lack of fatigue, but via OS.

As you may recall, I've since been experimenting with OS via an PCM1794A based DAC. However, despite the many subjective benefits the PCM1794A, I haven't been able to fully remove the long-term fatiguing quality of OS - and lord knows I've tried. I've now concluded that I don't want to sacrifice the fatigue-free character of NOS, even if it proves out that I must sacrifice other subjective performance qualities to obtain that.

So, my next DAC will be an NOS design featuring a steep slope passive reconstruction filter. I'm hoping that it will deliver the fatigue-free playback of NOS with a bit more of the dynamic character I hear via OS.

 

[MarcelvdG]

but may be the best for me could be to purchase the file management system source (a multimedia HDD) and build from scratch a separate homemade high end resolution DAC (connected by optical output is the best?).

Judging by your avatar, you are into valves. If you are interested in using valves for converting digital signals to analogue, you might find these threads interesting:

Valve DAC from Linear Audio volume 13

Interest for GB for MarcelvdG valve DAC

Mind you, the design is expensive and doesn't have nearly as huge a dynamic range as most solid-state DACs have. On the other hand, it doesn't have the intersample clipping issues that almost all oversampling solid-state DACs have and it features an anti-imaging filter that really suppresses images from the Nyquist frequency onwards.

 

[TNT]

^ Agreed. Unless that CD player was a real dog, a media server won't sound any different, it's exactly the same content - exactly. The DAC and its following circuits might sound different. Ditto on FLAC, keep your rips in their original 16/44 format.

Welcome to the world of computer audio!

Data is equal - yes. Timing and electric "pollution" may however differ and this may, or may not, effect the end sound depending on the DAC architecture.

//

 

[Pano]

Yes. But that's true of any digital source and any DAC. A CD player might be connected to the same DAC as a music server. So it would mostly come down to the receiver chip in that case. Unless you go purely I2S.

 

[phase]

I have been using one of these, am pretty pleased with it so far.
Lossless SD digital turntable Player (Deluxe version) II2S coaxial output | eBay

Is in a case along with an AK4495 dac, and a headphone/pre amp.

 

[Tromperie]

This all you need, plus the DAC, of course. Rips, stores, retrieves metadata, administered remotely, phone as remote control, internet radio, alarms, sleep function, and much more.
Daphile – Digital Music Convenience for Audiophiles
Daphile - Audiophile Music Server & Player OS

Do yourself a favour.

 

[ygg-it]

Thanks.

Regarding the DIY DAC, as source are only 16/44 flac, should I replicate my PCM-1710 (which I like, I'm happy with, I have in my CDP and I can replicate the circuit) or what do you suggest as an upgrade?