Photos of Buffalo II and IVY III project
I did a little snooping to educate myself on photos and posting. Here are some photos, compressed enough I hope, to be visible but not foul up the system.
I really wanted to get the chassis parts black-anodized, so the switch and knob would contrast with the front panel, but the cost is prohibitive for one-off projects: $130 for six chassis pieces, almost all of it set up charges. Instead I just gave the pieces a careful sanding, for the "brushed aluminum" look. I suppose that will have to do, and I'll just wear latex gloves all the time. ;>)
I did a little snooping to educate myself on photos and posting. Here are some photos, compressed enough I hope, to be visible but not foul up the system.
I really wanted to get the chassis parts black-anodized, so the switch and knob would contrast with the front panel, but the cost is prohibitive for one-off projects: $130 for six chassis pieces, almost all of it set up charges. Instead I just gave the pieces a careful sanding, for the "brushed aluminum" look. I suppose that will have to do, and I'll just wear latex gloves all the time. ;>)
Attachments
Kudos.
That is a very, very sweet build. Enjoy your new creation! I have my Buffalo 32S build right here if you want to see:
Buffalo 32S
Anand.
That is a very, very sweet build. Enjoy your new creation! I have my Buffalo 32S build right here if you want to see:
Buffalo 32S
Anand.
I envy you guys who have the energy to work on the looks.
For me it's always function, function and function. Often I feel people aren't taking my builds seriously because they don't have the beautiful/flashy exterior.
Anywho, nicely done.
I'm already making mental notes for my next BIII project. It'll be an all out effort att digital filtering, EQ'ing and active speakers.
For me it's always function, function and function. Often I feel people aren't taking my builds seriously because they don't have the beautiful/flashy exterior.
Anywho, nicely done.
I'm already making mental notes for my next BIII project. It'll be an all out effort att digital filtering, EQ'ing and active speakers.
attempt to playing 24bit/352khz with BII, 80mhzTCXO
This post might be suitable for "ESS sabre reference DAC" thread.
After some playing with my BII replaced 96mhz clock, I found some resistor setting can cure noise/extensive glitch, except
OSF bypass mode. Slow roll off and larger quaitizer setting eliminated those probrems and I got clean DXD playback.
"pseudo differencial mode" does not seem to work properly in my setup, so I used 8bit Qtizer in true differential mode.
After that, I had tried the same on another BII with 80mhz TCXO. The result was good, I 'd got nearly "clean" DXD playback - there's still very slight noises, but much lesser than when using stock MCU.
I use glt's latest code at this time (big thanks to glt)
The results with 80Mhz version BII under Arduino (glt's code)
sharp roll off mode
-Too glitchy, never lock
slow roll off mode, 6bit Qtizer
-can play music without unlock, but there's also annoying white noise.
slow roll off mode, 8bit Qtizer
-can play music, and less noise
I don't think everyone gets the same result because I think it's very dependent on entire transport-DAC setup.
Cheers,
This post might be suitable for "ESS sabre reference DAC" thread.
After some playing with my BII replaced 96mhz clock, I found some resistor setting can cure noise/extensive glitch, except
OSF bypass mode. Slow roll off and larger quaitizer setting eliminated those probrems and I got clean DXD playback.
"pseudo differencial mode" does not seem to work properly in my setup, so I used 8bit Qtizer in true differential mode.
After that, I had tried the same on another BII with 80mhz TCXO. The result was good, I 'd got nearly "clean" DXD playback - there's still very slight noises, but much lesser than when using stock MCU.
I use glt's latest code at this time (big thanks to glt
)The results with 80Mhz version BII under Arduino (glt's code)
sharp roll off mode
-Too glitchy, never lock
slow roll off mode, 6bit Qtizer
-can play music without unlock, but there's also annoying white noise.
slow roll off mode, 8bit Qtizer
-can play music, and less noise
I don't think everyone gets the same result because I think it's very dependent on entire transport-DAC setup.
Cheers,
markusA:
I plead guilty as charged, because I did indeed spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make the project look nice, for a number of reasons, including Wife Acceptance Factor. (Never underestimate the importance of WAF to the ultimate success of any project!) I also wanted to house Russ and Brian's well thought-out and beautifully-executed product in something that would do it justice. To quote Nelson Pass: "Whatever you do, keep in mind that the chassis will be the temple in which your project is housed, and do a good job. Plan it carefully, take your time, and try not to be too cheap about it. For proper perspective, [Pass recommends] the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig." (A-75, Part II article)
We all bring different skills to DIY audio. Mine include greater ability at metal working than at circuit analysis, and I saw no way that my meager knowledge of electronics would allow me to improve on this Twisted Pair product. My last two projects were linear regulated power supplies, done in point-to-point wiring on vectorboard, and I took the opportunity in building those to substitute some higher quality parts and to draw from the design ideas of more than one person. Since I couldn't do that with the Buff and IVY, I concentrated on the temple, rather than on the truths within.
Incidently, the exterior of the thing is only part of it. I took care to put the AC bits and the transformer magnetic fields as far as possible from the sensitive audio and digital circuitry, and added a full partition to aid in shielding the latter. I went back and re-did the chassis (when it was already complete) with strategically placed holes on the bottom, and I milled out sections on the top, after learning that shunt regulators have the potential to generate a lot of heat that needs ventilating. I imagine this will help with circuit stability and with component life. I included an AC line-filter network to avoid messing up Russ's sterling results with the garbage on my power lines. I included a nice Bourns CP pot instead of the unit supplied with the Volumite kit, because I'm an incurable pot snob. (Sorry Brian, that was one place where I had to ignore the BOM and go it alone. I know it has absolutely no effect on sound quality in this case.)
I agree, Function is what it's ultimately all about. But Form is very important too; and Form-married-to-Function is an ideal worth striving for.
I wish you well on your upcoming Buffalo III project and will be interested to hear how your endeavors turn out.
I plead guilty as charged, because I did indeed spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make the project look nice, for a number of reasons, including Wife Acceptance Factor. (Never underestimate the importance of WAF to the ultimate success of any project!) I also wanted to house Russ and Brian's well thought-out and beautifully-executed product in something that would do it justice. To quote Nelson Pass: "Whatever you do, keep in mind that the chassis will be the temple in which your project is housed, and do a good job. Plan it carefully, take your time, and try not to be too cheap about it. For proper perspective, [Pass recommends] the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig." (A-75, Part II article)
We all bring different skills to DIY audio. Mine include greater ability at metal working than at circuit analysis, and I saw no way that my meager knowledge of electronics would allow me to improve on this Twisted Pair product. My last two projects were linear regulated power supplies, done in point-to-point wiring on vectorboard, and I took the opportunity in building those to substitute some higher quality parts and to draw from the design ideas of more than one person. Since I couldn't do that with the Buff and IVY, I concentrated on the temple, rather than on the truths within.
Incidently, the exterior of the thing is only part of it. I took care to put the AC bits and the transformer magnetic fields as far as possible from the sensitive audio and digital circuitry, and added a full partition to aid in shielding the latter. I went back and re-did the chassis (when it was already complete) with strategically placed holes on the bottom, and I milled out sections on the top, after learning that shunt regulators have the potential to generate a lot of heat that needs ventilating. I imagine this will help with circuit stability and with component life. I included an AC line-filter network to avoid messing up Russ's sterling results with the garbage on my power lines. I included a nice Bourns CP pot instead of the unit supplied with the Volumite kit, because I'm an incurable pot snob. (Sorry Brian, that was one place where I had to ignore the BOM and go it alone. I know it has absolutely no effect on sound quality in this case.)
I agree, Function is what it's ultimately all about. But Form is very important too; and Form-married-to-Function is an ideal worth striving for.
I wish you well on your upcoming Buffalo III project and will be interested to hear how your endeavors turn out.
Just wanted to thank Russ & Brian as well. After a long time wading through the various Buffalo stampedes I finally got all the way through progression to dual mono with tridents in my modified SCD-1. There is little left of the original Sony other than the stock transport section upgraded with Audiocom PPR2 discrete regulation, powered by large SLA batteries with lots of filtering capacitance. The analog output section uses a 95AH SLA battery to power Placids & Buffalos. The Buffalos are summed in parallel as a voltage source into Audio Consulting New Silver Rock 1:2 transformers and battery-powered Nat Semi LME 49600 buffers. It's the best RBCD I've heard. Even with no break-in, the upgrade to dual mono adds effortless dynamics and smoother more natural timbre. An amazing project in both in terms of performance and simplicity of installation.
Now I just need to think about linking Buffalo to external hi-res USB. I'm new to computer audio. All I want is two switchable inputs: SPDIF from internal transport and external SPDIF interface to USB. Does it really require a mux card to do this, or can this be done through a high-quality mini-toggle?
Second question is can someone compare/contrast the TP solution to an external async USB/SPDIF converter like the Audiophilleo or Empirical Off-Ramp?
Now I just need to think about linking Buffalo to external hi-res USB. I'm new to computer audio. All I want is two switchable inputs: SPDIF from internal transport and external SPDIF interface to USB. Does it really require a mux card to do this, or can this be done through a high-quality mini-toggle?
Second question is can someone compare/contrast the TP solution to an external async USB/SPDIF converter like the Audiophilleo or Empirical Off-Ramp?
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Give us a clue...
Any chance of spilling the beans? I'd rather not order something that is about to be rendered obsolete before the postie delivers it.
I too would be happy to stump up money in advance for a more structured ordering process. I'm eagerly awaiting the B3, hopefully some tridents and the new USB module too, to join the bits I have already ordered.
Many Thanks, your products allow people like me who haven't looked at a circuit since university a chance of decent audio without having to spend a fortune on commercial products who's quality is hard to verify before purchasing.
Out of curiosity, Russ and Brian, what do you play your DACs through when developing and testing? Which amps, headphones or speaker drivers?
Cheers
Dan
Any chance of spilling the beans? I'd rather not order something that is about to be rendered obsolete before the postie delivers it.
I too would be happy to stump up money in advance for a more structured ordering process. I'm eagerly awaiting the B3, hopefully some tridents and the new USB module too, to join the bits I have already ordered.
Many Thanks, your products allow people like me who haven't looked at a circuit since university a chance of decent audio without having to spend a fortune on commercial products who's quality is hard to verify before purchasing.
Out of curiosity, Russ and Brian, what do you play your DACs through when developing and testing? Which amps, headphones or speaker drivers?
Cheers
Dan
scramble or...
possibly a true pre order wherein we pay upfront and you two order enough to cover what we have prepaid. It took six month for me to acquire the bits for a BII and I still do not have tridents and a volumite. I'd love to build an all out dual mono BII or BIII, but I am unsure as to how long it would take to gather all of the bits up.
Nice work regardless. Thank you!
possibly a true pre order wherein we pay upfront and you two order enough to cover what we have prepaid. It took six month for me to acquire the bits for a BII and I still do not have tridents and a volumite. I'd love to build an all out dual mono BII or BIII, but I am unsure as to how long it would take to gather all of the bits up.
Nice work regardless. Thank you!
Its a fair question, and one Brian and I have spent the past few months trying to come to grips with.
Really its a matter of logistics and not wanting to over extend our resources.
We are working out the logistics part so that we can bring things like Buffalo 3 to you folks quicker and more predictably.
Once we get this worked out we should be able to better fulfill demand. In the mean time we appreciate the support and patience of our fellow DIYers.
Always remember, this is our hobby too.
Cheers!
Russ
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