The Nakamichi Dragon DAC Clone 2024 Updates

One of my reasons posting the same DAC again is because I not making new DAC anymore. I listen to the music from my digital source, with the SPDIF output, then it convert the PCM data to the analog sound by using this Nakamichi Dragon DAC clone. I like the sound so much and this might be the most expensive DAC I've ever built. It sounds so good, probably not the best, but I feel proud to having this DAC.

I guess more than three months has pass and I think I should revisit this DAC again.

Actually, I have some issue with the sound, not really major for me, but I think it is lack of the detail music presentation. Probably because of the LPF cut-off should be setting up again. I also want to have cleaner digital supply to each PCM1704 DAC IC by adding the inductors, as per original Nakamichi Dragon DAC schematic.

So here is the refinement of my Nakamichi Dragon DAC clone.

As usual, all boards inside the case are dissemble first, so I can access to each component.

The analog stage board is the first things I am working on by recalculate the low frequency cut off at previously 22 kHz, then increase to 24 kHz.

This cut-off frequency setting are possible by replacing the capacitors and resistors value to the desirable value. Thanks to this modern era of internet, I can use simple R-C filter calculator and along with the inverted op-amp LPF calculator online to get the exact value of each component.

Also, in this update, I try to put all components on the top of the board, which previously, some of them are placed underneath the board.

Next update are lies in the main DAC board.

I am adding 10uH inductors to each voltage rail to the digital supply required by the PCM1704 DAC IC. This is the same as the original Nakamichi Dragon DAC schematic.

The progress is as per my expectation, they are nicely done.

So, the last process is to assembly all together.

This update gives some improvement. One is the detail are now richer and the other, probably only my placebo effect, that I think the overall sound are more cleaner.

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