I would think (with no testing) that what you hear is leakage current
Simply earth the uController board and it should be gone. Our SMPS and LPS is using earthing (optional connection with a SW)
I am thinking the issues described with the LPS you are using must come from the same. Gnd and earthing are such complicated subjects and differ in every installation . Still I think that transformers used are not great.
Simply earth the uController board and it should be gone. Our SMPS and LPS is using earthing (optional connection with a SW)
I am thinking the issues described with the LPS you are using must come from the same. Gnd and earthing are such complicated subjects and differ in every installation . Still I think that transformers used are not great.
I have earthed the uController board, but the +15V applied to pin 1 of J27 is still not getting through to the + of the large black cap. Why could that be? I have measured and checked the voltage and the current capability of my supply, and double-checked all connections.
@jonners,
THAT IS GREAT NEWS!
Now waiting to see what happens when @Fabio1068 gives that a try.
While based on this I still won't recommend these supplies, there is now a workaround for those who have bought them or want to do so. AND they appear to be a good value for the price.
Greg in Mississippi
THAT IS GREAT NEWS!
Now waiting to see what happens when @Fabio1068 gives that a try.
While based on this I still won't recommend these supplies, there is now a workaround for those who have bought them or want to do so. AND they appear to be a good value for the price.
Greg in Mississippi
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Just finished listening. The SQ has definitely improved. The music is mire resolute, I hear better definition in the Mids, He's and the bass has improved , I heat the notes better.
The background is dead quiet, so n the noise floor is lower. I an using the new Isolator board which helps keep the ALLO SMPS from flooding any noise. All the4se devices are plugged into a good Isolation Transformer. Even though is is we3inter time, The SQ seems to best at 1:00-1:30 AM. I am guessing the oil burner is off .
So knows I have twin LPS in the system and one ALLO 5v SMPS. I am waiting to get a Linear Technology LT 3042 board (already built) and a Dual winding toroidal transformer placed in a nice case. The board has dual halves at 5 volts so one run will be for the katana DAC board and the other with be for the MC board. The MC board had soldered wires underneath to avoid the USB-C connector. The RPI also has wires soldiered wires connected to avoid using the Micro-USB and the USB-C on the isolator board.
Once I am at the point, I would move the 5 Volt LPS to handle the RPI.
The background is dead quiet, so n the noise floor is lower. I an using the new Isolator board which helps keep the ALLO SMPS from flooding any noise. All the4se devices are plugged into a good Isolation Transformer. Even though is is we3inter time, The SQ seems to best at 1:00-1:30 AM. I am guessing the oil burner is off .
So knows I have twin LPS in the system and one ALLO 5v SMPS. I am waiting to get a Linear Technology LT 3042 board (already built) and a Dual winding toroidal transformer placed in a nice case. The board has dual halves at 5 volts so one run will be for the katana DAC board and the other with be for the MC board. The MC board had soldered wires underneath to avoid the USB-C connector. The RPI also has wires soldiered wires connected to avoid using the Micro-USB and the USB-C on the isolator board.
Once I am at the point, I would move the 5 Volt LPS to handle the RPI.
Strangely, I found that switching the + and - together doesn't work. I'm leaving the -ve line connected and only switching the +ve line. That works!
EDIT: I found a method that works without a switch: I connected a 3300uF cap from +15V to 0V of the PSU and just powered up normally.
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Great! I'll see if I can find an big cap to test it as well.
Do you think it is just a matter of timing? The positive rail needs to be turned on after the negative rail or maybe the cap you added is smoothing some ripple of the power supply. Did you try to add caps on both rails? In thi way, if it does not work, it means it is just a timing problem
@fabio1068
I have it working with 680uF now.
I think it's to do with timing. Switching with caps on both rails didn't work.
Even so, if I switch all the Kali supplies on together it doesn't work. It seems that the uController has to be on first.
I'm still experimenting to find the best method. Perhaps we should discuss this further by PM since it's just related to our particular supplies?
I must say that my impressions of the change to external 15V supplies are very positive. It's a kind of global change, as if the music is inviting me in more, rather than being projected at me. I haven't had a long listening session yet, but I guess it will prove very unfatiguing.
I have it working with 680uF now.
I think it's to do with timing. Switching with caps on both rails didn't work.
Even so, if I switch all the Kali supplies on together it doesn't work. It seems that the uController has to be on first.
I'm still experimenting to find the best method. Perhaps we should discuss this further by PM since it's just related to our particular supplies?
I must say that my impressions of the change to external 15V supplies are very positive. It's a kind of global change, as if the music is inviting me in more, rather than being projected at me. I haven't had a long listening session yet, but I guess it will prove very unfatiguing.
Your recommended caps would cost as much as my Katana power supplies, so I may wait in the hope that someone will come up with a cheaper way.
Your recommended caps would cost as much as my Katana power supplies, so I may wait in the hope that someone will come up with a cheaper way.
If you can hear some remaining graininess to the sound, then film caps are one very effective fix for it. If you can't hear that or if it doesn't bother you, then no need for any solution.
Woe, Just finished listening and I was blown away. The full Katana stack, Isolator board and the SQ board are so musical in my system. Three Power supplies at this time, two LPS and the Allo SMPS. If the piece sounds this god, I can only wonder what is will sound like when I shook u 4 LPS
@cdsgames
Some thoughts.
I'm wondering if you guys would be considering to work on a less complex DAC above
the Boss league!?!?
In my opinion the Katana - including all the required PSes is much too complex
and after all too expensive. IMO for (most of) the users and I guess for u too.
The choice of Sabre is one or the two main reasons for complexity.
A $12 DAC chip that requires a controller board. This is unacceptable.
The 2nd is the output stage for that $12 chip. That stage - your choice - is IMO
massive overkill. And it also causes major efforts on your side.
And on top of all that comes a separate isolator HAT.
Why that reasoning !?!? It seems that there are "commercial"
DACs out there achieving similar (sound-) levels at much lower effort.
Yep. There seem to be options .
Not to forget. That addressed $1000 league meanwhile offers DACs (e.g AudioGD)
with dual-mono SABRE ES9038Pro !! chips. And these come without that awful PS challenge.
I'd be surprised if you guys wouldn't have had similar thoughts about the project,
alternative projects and the future.
Good luck.
Some thoughts.
I'm wondering if you guys would be considering to work on a less complex DAC above
the Boss league!?!?
In my opinion the Katana - including all the required PSes is much too complex
and after all too expensive. IMO for (most of) the users and I guess for u too.
The choice of Sabre is one or the two main reasons for complexity.
A $12 DAC chip that requires a controller board. This is unacceptable.
The 2nd is the output stage for that $12 chip. That stage - your choice - is IMO
massive overkill. And it also causes major efforts on your side.
And on top of all that comes a separate isolator HAT.
Why that reasoning !?!? It seems that there are "commercial"
DACs out there achieving similar (sound-) levels at much lower effort.
Yep. There seem to be options .
Not to forget. That addressed $1000 league meanwhile offers DACs (e.g AudioGD)
with dual-mono SABRE ES9038Pro !! chips. And these come without that awful PS challenge.
I'd be surprised if you guys wouldn't have had similar thoughts about the project,
alternative projects and the future.
Good luck.
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I'm not aware of graininess, but then it might be one of those things that I don't hear until it's not there, if you know what I mean?
To hear the graininess, you have to know how to listen critically, and listen close to the speakers at a low volume level when your ears are still fresh for the day. If you listen too loud you will quickly get ear fatigue. If you listen from too much distance you will get to much room reflections, etc. Also, it can help a lot to use a very low distortion power amp or headphone amp.
Although not everyone may be able to hear it, it is the kind of thing that likely contributes to listening fatigue that some people attribute to delta-sigma dacs, and that they consider to be bad thing.
It will show up in the texture of cleanly recorded cymbal sounds. Cymbals are the first thing recording and mastering engineers are trained to listen critically to. At least, that's how it worked in the old days where there was more of an apprentice system in those fields. Today, with the loss of almost all of the big studios, the rise of the much smaller project studios, and large budget cuts for producing most records, its not clear how people should learn to listen. It may be up to each person to mostly teach themselves after reading things perhaps something like this on the web. I wrote much more about how to listen in post #48 of another thread here: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/dig...proving-ak4490-thd-figures-5.html#post5666915
Although not everyone may be able to hear it, it is the kind of thing that likely contributes to listening fatigue that some people attribute to delta-sigma dacs, and that they consider to be bad thing.
It will show up in the texture of cleanly recorded cymbal sounds. Cymbals are the first thing recording and mastering engineers are trained to listen critically to. At least, that's how it worked in the old days where there was more of an apprentice system in those fields. Today, with the loss of almost all of the big studios, the rise of the much smaller project studios, and large budget cuts for producing most records, its not clear how people should learn to listen. It may be up to each person to mostly teach themselves after reading things perhaps something like this on the web. I wrote much more about how to listen in post #48 of another thread here: https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/dig...proving-ak4490-thd-figures-5.html#post5666915
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