AK4499EQ - Best DAC ever

I wanted to share my work. Maybe someone will give me Feedback of my work or will have any questions.
I probably chose the wrong topic.

It looks like you've invested a fair amount of time in the pcb, well done.

By all accounts it's a tricky DAC to get right so I'd say be prepared to do
some listening and make changes accordingly.

What are you driving it with, USB->I2S card?

T
 
It looks like you've invested a fair amount of time in the pcb, well done.

By all accounts it's a tricky DAC to get right so I'd say be prepared to do
some listening and make changes accordingly.

What are you driving it with, USB->I2S card?

T
Thank You :)

I know that is first version to get experience and later make something far complicated :)

I have 5 iputs way for my DAC:
-USB by amanerto to I2S
-2x SPDIF by AK4118
-2x COAX by AK4118
-Bluetooth by AK4118
 
I know that is first version to get experience and later make something far complicated :)

I have 5 iputs way for my DAC:
-USB by amanerto to I2S
-2x SPDIF by AK4118
-2x COAX by AK4118
-Bluetooth by AK4118

IIRC, you previously said something about maybe someone giving you some feedback and or asking you questions.

Feedback: If interested in learning to design for very good sound quality, IMHO, you are going about it backwards.

Questions: If another goal in mind, would you be be willing to say what it is?
Also, previously I asked if you had a chance to look at AK4499 eval board schematic yet. If not, maybe I can help you with that.
 
Feedback: If interested in learning to design for very good sound quality, IMHO, you are going about it backwards.

Why is good way because I understound from Your post that I do it wrong.
I like to learn new things.

Questions: If another goal in mind, would you be be willing to say what it is?
Could You be more specyfic with Your question?
It is a DAC based on AK4499EQ designed by my, so what other this is could be?


Also, previously I asked if you had a chance to look at AK4499 eval board schematic yet. If not, maybe I can help you with that.
Yes, I saw eval board schematic but what the point is for Your question?
In datasheet there is correct schematic to based on it.
 
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Maybe people build things for fun?

Of course, but humans are more complex than that. There are always more reasons.

Why are you such a jerk in DAC threads when anyone deviates from what you think is ideal?

Who are you to proclaim who is or isn't a jerk? Its your opinion, nothing more. A few people may think you are jerk, if that hasn't already occurred to you.
 
Why is good way because I understound from Your post that I do it wrong.
I like to learn new things.

Thanks for responding, I like to learn too:)

I don't know if you do it wrong exactly or not, but I'm not sure what result you are hoping for.

Some people think if the use a really good chip like ES9038PRO or AK4499, they will get very good sound quality as a result. Often people get rather poor sound quality, although they may have no way of knowing that if they don't have a better sounding dac to compare their diy dac with.

Then, even if they do find out they have a relatively poor sounding result from the dac project, they don't know why the sound quality isn't better.

One can see from the eval board example that a 4-layer board was used. Don't know if you are considering more or less layers than that?

Also, the eval board uses certain voltage regulators and other circuitry that has a very strong effect on the sound quality. The dac chip by itself can't sound good without the other circuitry being good. The eval board is designed to let people experiment and see for themselves what the wrong voltage regulators will do to the sound.

The filter on the eval board for the reference voltage also has a strong effect on sound quality (otherwise it wouldn't be there). It consists of the 10-ohm resistors and associated electrolytic caps located on the eval board dac chip daughterboard which are used to filter the Reference Voltage for each dac channel.

Since I did not see what looked like that much circuitry in the pictures you posted, I became concerned that you might not know about the reasons for some of voltage regulator and filter choices used by AKM eval board design.

Also, although I would probably counsel against it, some people you talk to may tell you the eval board design is flawed in that voltage regulators that give better measurements should have been used instead. Those people have not listened to the eval board and A/B compared it with the better measuring regulators, or they would not be so confident everything is so simple as they say.

Also, just wanted to mention again that for most purposes the dac needs 22/24MHz clocks, not the 45/49MHz clocks some people used with AKM dacs in the past.

If you have any questions or would like to talk any more about any of the above, I would be happy to respond. I'm just trying to be helpful, assuming that you want to end up with a diy dac that will give you good listening pleasure for many years. If I misunderstand and you only want any kind of AK4499 that works to play sound, doesn't have to be really good, then sorry for disturbing you.
 
I don't know if you do it wrong exactly or not, but I'm not sure what result you are hoping for.

A little humbleness because You act as if only you have knowledge.
What information let You think that I doing it wrong?
My target is to get good quality DAC in DIY way and learn new things, technologi, multilayer design board. Everywhere working peoples so we are not worse than other designer.


Some people think if the use a really good chip like ES9038PRO or AK4499, they will get very good sound quality as a result. Often people get rather poor sound quality, although they may have no way of knowing that if they don't have a better sounding dac to compare their diy dac with.

With that way of thinking peoples doesn't reach anything and we would still live in cave.

Then, even if they do find out they have a relatively poor sounding result from the dac project, they don't know why the sound quality isn't better.

If somebody doesn't think and learn on own mistakes.

Also, just wanted to mention again that for most purposes the dac needs 22/24MHz clocks, not the 45/49MHz clocks some people used with AKM dacs in the past.
That frequency are correct if You used frequency devider. You should know that.

You have knowledge but try to think from many different perspective.
 
There is no BEST DAC ever!
Don't wast your time and money,
Buy an good old t.t.,
a tape recorder,
even a cassette recorder and listen to the music.
Out of curiosity I have search on e-Bay for a car cassette radio with analog radio receiver and I found nothing under 200 euros.
 
...You act as if only you have knowledge...

Sorry you seem to have taken offense.

Its not that only I have knowledge, but I do have a working AK4499 evaluation board. The board was sent free of cost to me by AKM direct from Japan a few months before evaluation boards were available to the general public for purchase. They wanted feedback from a few people around the world, in this case from Jam and me.

For that reason I have spent a lot of time with AK4499 and learned about how to make it sound better than AKM could apparently do. Not that I am free to say everything I know, but I can say quite a bit without disclosing any proprietary information.

You seem to prefer to do it your way which is all I was asking about in the first place. That being the case I will stop bothering you from here on out.

Good day, sir.
 
A little humbleness because You act as if only you have knowledge.
What information let You think that I doing it wrong?
My target is to get good quality DAC in DIY way and learn new things, technologi, multilayer design board. Everywhere working peoples so we are not worse than other designer.

With that way of thinking peoples doesn't reach anything and we would still live in cave.

If somebody doesn't think and learn on own mistakes.

That frequency are correct if You used frequency devider. You should know that.

You have knowledge but try to think from many different perspective.

Oops, it looks like you missed the opportunity to learn something from someone smarter than you.
Now you will have more learning from your own mistakes.
 
Looks to me like Gustard and Topping are trying hit price targets around $1k or not too much more. Expensive enough to be able hit the performance numbers, but not too expensive to prevent selling a lot of them.

Ones that sound better to picky listeners should come along later, and most likely will cost more too.

All the foregoing IMHO.