Hi Rick
You won’t regret it. Think me , Eldam & Shane whom I’ve not chatted with are the only once whose tweak the living daylights out of this Dac, out of the box it sounds good but after all the tweaks, you wonder what all this DSD hype is all about. There really is much life left in Red Book which has yet to be exploited. I have auditioned many DSD set up & frankly I don’t feel that I missing anything.
You won’t regret it. Think me , Eldam & Shane whom I’ve not chatted with are the only once whose tweak the living daylights out of this Dac, out of the box it sounds good but after all the tweaks, you wonder what all this DSD hype is all about. There really is much life left in Red Book which has yet to be exploited. I have auditioned many DSD set up & frankly I don’t feel that I missing anything.
So looked a little further ...
This is something I will have to find in the used marketplace? Or am I looking in the wrong places?
1541 double crowns - yikes. I have a pair of single crowns within a Joe Curcio DAC from twenty or more years ago. I hate the thought of removing them. From what I read it never goes very well.
I see no crowns on EBAY for silly money.
This might be a device made of unobtanium!
Tell me where to go, please, to get more information on purchasing what is needed and how to do the mods you mention.
Thanks, sumotan.
This is something I will have to find in the used marketplace? Or am I looking in the wrong places?
1541 double crowns - yikes. I have a pair of single crowns within a Joe Curcio DAC from twenty or more years ago. I hate the thought of removing them. From what I read it never goes very well.
I see no crowns on EBAY for silly money.
This might be a device made of unobtanium!
Tell me where to go, please, to get more information on purchasing what is needed and how to do the mods you mention.
Thanks, sumotan.
Im using S1 on mine. Sounds so much better then Stock. Had a double crown once but sold it, a little to refine for me as my musical taste is multiple palette.
Im afraid yes you’ve got to look into the use market.
Go join Audial online, that’s Pedja site where there is a forum,
you can post a wtb thread there.
Ciao
Im afraid yes you’ve got to look into the use market.
Go join Audial online, that’s Pedja site where there is a forum,
you can post a wtb thread there.
Ciao
Member
Joined 2006
@sumotan, @RickMcInnis, @CFT,
Thanks for the info on that DAC. I'll go check it out.
I have a couple of the Distinction TDA1541 boards along with some of the later chips from John Brown's company and some older ones (including 1 single crown chip). Oh, and one of Ian's I2S->PCM boards.
One 'someday' project is to build another TDA1541 DAC with those and likely an SD-card player front end, but I'll check this one out too.
Greg in Mississippi
Thanks for the info on that DAC. I'll go check it out.
I have a couple of the Distinction TDA1541 boards along with some of the later chips from John Brown's company and some older ones (including 1 single crown chip). Oh, and one of Ian's I2S->PCM boards.
One 'someday' project is to build another TDA1541 DAC with those and likely an SD-card player front end, but I'll check this one out too.
Greg in Mississippi
Dear sumotan,
Of course, you are right. i should do something with the thing. There is something about it that has kept me from revisiting it. It has been awhile since I thought about it so I must look over the board and the schematic.
It does have a tube stage and that might be why I put it aside. I think Joe used 6dj8s and I did not want to hear that kind of sound. I do not think I ever got it into working condition. I think soo thereafter I bit the bullet and got a THETA Pro Gen. Which I later spent another small fortune getting it updated to the highest level before they discontinued it. One channel fails about two years later and the new owners of THETA told me they could not fix. Would not even look at it. You can imagine how likely it is I would ever buy anything from them. I think they are more interested in absurd packaging than sound quality these days so not as if I am denying myself. And even less likely i would spend that kind money on any component. The joys of DIY and the lure of the silk purse (I would accept rayon in fact) out of a sow's ear
Does the AYA use two or more chips per channel? The Curcio circuit uses one per channel. My aesthetic sense is that paralleling chips is not always a great idea. There is always compromise and we get to choose which ones we can live with.
But thanks for the prompt. I should do something with that thing!
Take care,
HI Rick ,Greg present
As far as I know AyA is the most accomplished present day implementation for the TDA1541 . Pedja has been doing this commercially for sometime. When I read that he was producing some kits for sale I just jump in. In short it's a very very good dac & not to be missed by tda 1541 fans
As far as I know AyA is the most accomplished present day implementation for the TDA1541 . Pedja has been doing this commercially for sometime. When I read that he was producing some kits for sale I just jump in. In short it's a very very good dac & not to be missed by tda 1541 fans
Aya dac
Hi gents,
New to this dac lark but this AYa DAC sounds like a must have?, are there any ( ligitimate) PCB offered for this DAC any more? , nothing mentioned on the website but you never know!
I thought the Audionote DAC 5 kit was along the ultimate semi affordable way to go for us mortals, is Aya DAC in that region? ( Assumeing someone has listened to both DACS)
Much thanks for all your efforts.
Johnny
Hi gents,
New to this dac lark but this AYa DAC sounds like a must have?, are there any ( ligitimate) PCB offered for this DAC any more? , nothing mentioned on the website but you never know!
I thought the Audionote DAC 5 kit was along the ultimate semi affordable way to go for us mortals, is Aya DAC in that region? ( Assumeing someone has listened to both DACS)
Much thanks for all your efforts.
Johnny
Hi Johnny,
The boards or kits where sold under a group buy.
Is AyA above the audio note, yes its is. Here we’re discussing about the SDtrans384 which has an I2S out connection. The Philip dac chips allows such form of direct connection. Audio note uses an AD dac which cannot accept direct I2S connection. As far as Red Book playback is concern spidf, aes , usb etc connection is evil. Until you hear a I2S connected dac driven by a proper transport you’ll then know what you’ve been missing all this time.
The boards or kits where sold under a group buy.
Is AyA above the audio note, yes its is. Here we’re discussing about the SDtrans384 which has an I2S out connection. The Philip dac chips allows such form of direct connection. Audio note uses an AD dac which cannot accept direct I2S connection. As far as Red Book playback is concern spidf, aes , usb etc connection is evil. Until you hear a I2S connected dac driven by a proper transport you’ll then know what you’ve been missing all this time.
wow thats good toknow
Hi Sumotan,
Good point about about the audio note DAC- unless you get ian 12s/pcm pcb?(dont quote me on that as i am a newbee)--but i get 100% what you mean, and thats what I would like (but my record player tops anything just now!)
Any idear about a group buy, or a kind soul haveig a Aya DAC to sell (are they surface mount or through hole componenants?)
Thank you for the reply,it " smacked my inner audiophile"
Best regards and hope for a Aya PCB
"Shallow " Johnny
Hi Sumotan,
Good point about about the audio note DAC- unless you get ian 12s/pcm pcb?(dont quote me on that as i am a newbee)--but i get 100% what you mean, and thats what I would like (but my record player tops anything just now!)
Any idear about a group buy, or a kind soul haveig a Aya DAC to sell (are they surface mount or through hole componenants?)
Thank you for the reply,it " smacked my inner audiophile"
Best regards and hope for a Aya PCB
"Shallow " Johnny
Hi Johnny.
Send an email to Pedja maybe you could get a surprise. lol
It's partly smd partly through hole. Your LP tops anything ya,
Wait till you hear a properly tweaked AyA with a good recordings.
This is the beauty of the TDA 1541, properly implemented it sounds so so good like LP & dare I say surpasses LP at certain levels, off course this must come from the recordings as dynamic range of CD are suppose to be higher then LP.
Send an email to Pedja maybe you could get a surprise. lol
It's partly smd partly through hole. Your LP tops anything ya,
Wait till you hear a properly tweaked AyA with a good recordings.
This is the beauty of the TDA 1541, properly implemented it sounds so so good like LP & dare I say surpasses LP at certain levels, off course this must come from the recordings as dynamic range of CD are suppose to be higher then LP.
Sold !
Yo Sumotan,
Ok, ya got me hook lne and sinker....is there a good known contact for Pedja or should I just contact via website? ( pse PM me if personal e mail is there)
Any idear when he SD trans is available again?
Sorry for all the questions, I am a bit excited!! ( I was ok till I logged on to this site)
Very best regards
Johnny
Yo Sumotan,
Ok, ya got me hook lne and sinker....is there a good known contact for Pedja or should I just contact via website? ( pse PM me if personal e mail is there)
Any idear when he SD trans is available again?
Sorry for all the questions, I am a bit excited!! ( I was ok till I logged on to this site
)Very best regards
Johnny
additional though :ref AyA DAC in 12s in SDTrans/Squeezbox Touch
Apart from a SDTrans (Which I have yet to get- re avaiiblilty)
i wonder if a Squeezbox touch (which i do have) could be butchered to get 12s out of it in to an AyA DAC and run in simultanious mode via Ian Canadia PCM PCB in lue of an SDTrans becomeing available?--Sorry for thread deveation
johnny
Apart from a SDTrans (Which I have yet to get- re avaiiblilty)
i wonder if a Squeezbox touch (which i do have) could be butchered to get 12s out of it in to an AyA DAC and run in simultanious mode via Ian Canadia PCM PCB in lue of an SDTrans becomeing available?--Sorry for thread deveation
johnny
Johnny,
A few years back I considered doing the same thing to the Squeezebox Touch. I searched for mods on the units and did find some who had accesses I2S out of the Touch, so it is possible. BUT it looked like a challenging job with a high possibility of failure and likely ruining the Touch... I decided to go down other paths.
One of those paths has proven to be a good bet. Nowadays you can get a Raspberry Pi (I prefer the 2B model which does not have built-in WiFi) and an Allo.com Kali reclocker and get I2S output. Load the Pi with PiCorePlayer and it runs pretty much just like the Touch... you can even add a screen if you want (I haven't, as I want to keep the electrical activity and noise to a minimum). You can add one of Ian's RPi-I2S adapter to make the hookup easier and an isolator (either Ian's IsolatorPi or the one from Allo.com) to further reduce electrical noise at the Kali. Power it all well and it is a good, solid I2S source. I have one where I use an RPi modified with ldovr.com's RPi power mezzanine to provide very low-noise power for the 3 power rails used on the RPi (1.8V, 3.3V, and 5V) and removed the on-board switching DC-DC converter. This is my best RPi I2S source and is getting into the same realm as a good, but not reference-powered SDTrans384, IMHO.
Also, over at TirNaHiFi.org, they are working with some alternative SD card players and getting good results too. BUT the RPi setup gives easy access to all of one's music library and if done right with only a moderate sonic penalty.
Greg in Mississippi
P.S. Sorry, I don't have any of the links to modifying the Touch saved anymore
A few years back I considered doing the same thing to the Squeezebox Touch. I searched for mods on the units and did find some who had accesses I2S out of the Touch, so it is possible. BUT it looked like a challenging job with a high possibility of failure and likely ruining the Touch... I decided to go down other paths.
One of those paths has proven to be a good bet. Nowadays you can get a Raspberry Pi (I prefer the 2B model which does not have built-in WiFi) and an Allo.com Kali reclocker and get I2S output. Load the Pi with PiCorePlayer and it runs pretty much just like the Touch... you can even add a screen if you want (I haven't, as I want to keep the electrical activity and noise to a minimum). You can add one of Ian's RPi-I2S adapter to make the hookup easier and an isolator (either Ian's IsolatorPi or the one from Allo.com) to further reduce electrical noise at the Kali. Power it all well and it is a good, solid I2S source. I have one where I use an RPi modified with ldovr.com's RPi power mezzanine to provide very low-noise power for the 3 power rails used on the RPi (1.8V, 3.3V, and 5V) and removed the on-board switching DC-DC converter. This is my best RPi I2S source and is getting into the same realm as a good, but not reference-powered SDTrans384, IMHO.
Also, over at TirNaHiFi.org, they are working with some alternative SD card players and getting good results too. BUT the RPi setup gives easy access to all of one's music library and if done right with only a moderate sonic penalty.
Greg in Mississippi
P.S. Sorry, I don't have any of the links to modifying the Touch saved anymore
Thank you Greg
That's qute food for thoughts, I noted Soundcheck was really in to the Squeezbox touch but I think he broke his in the end with all the mods?
I quite like the idear of the pi core functionlity but I think you confirmed the Sdtrans has the edge on sonics.......but I do have a Pi 2 in my treasure box.....decisions, decisions, I shall follow up the links you kindely provided Greg and try to weigh it all up ( on the basis of no expearence whatsoever ever)
Cheers for the intrest, I shall follow it all up now!
Very best to you
Johnny
That's qute food for thoughts, I noted Soundcheck was really in to the Squeezbox touch but I think he broke his in the end with all the mods?
I quite like the idear of the pi core functionlity but I think you confirmed the Sdtrans has the edge on sonics.......but I do have a Pi 2 in my treasure box.....decisions, decisions, I shall follow up the links you kindely provided Greg and try to weigh it all up ( on the basis of no expearence whatsoever ever
)Cheers for the intrest, I shall follow it all up now!
Very best to you
Johnny