THE ORRONOCO AUDIO DIY

It is about last year I finished this tube DAC AD1865 using high-performance USB input from JLsound USB receiver module, but somehow, this project was burry in my photo archive, so, I think I will reveal it now. This project starting after my previous DAC project using the same 6DJ8 tube in SRPP configuration as gain-amplifier at the DAC output stage. This SRPP circuit is proven to work best with DAC as gain stage and I've made the best sounding tube DAC  here , at that time with PCM1704 high-performance 24-bit multibit DAC. Although in this project I will use different DAC IC, but one lesson for the key success for good sound is the components selection and individual component upgrade that most of the time will cost more than the whole initial DAC build itself. Fast forward to this DAC build, I will build almost the same DAC but with few different approach. Please continue reading.

If we align our perception in term of vintage resistor-to-resistor (R2R) ladder DAC, it is specific to the over the shelf DAC like Burr-brown and Analog Device DAC. In their golden years of vintage multibit DAC around 80's to 90's, only those two manufacture built DAC IC in this R2R configuration. Philips with TDA1540, TDA1541 and TDA1543 is Dynamic Element Matching DAC, which is also multibit, but different in the internal configuration compare to the R2R DAC. I am pretty sure in those golden era, lot's of money spent in their R&D to achieve the best R2R multibit DAC, starting from PCM53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 63, 1702, 1704 and AD1856, 1861, 1862, 1865. Those DAC exists before this audio industry force them to shift to the more economic and easy to build DAC, it is the Delta Sigma DAC. Fast forward today, audiophile still believe that vintage multibit DAC sound superior to Delta Sigma DAC (hey, it's me:). Moreover, the Delta Sigma DAC is not become a true single bit any...

As a  do it yourself  in audio system, finding the sweet-spot is more exciting and challenging at the same time. This is because you can do by yourself, to match between the components and upgrade the audio system based on what you think they will be improve. There almost no limit in this action, only self-satisfaction and at one point, enough is the finish line. I have made many DAC before. I know how to make a DAC that will be sound marvelous, or just right. And I have them all. The problem now is the other chain in my audio system need to maximized like what I did with the DAC. So, in this post, I shared my listening session activity, changing and replacing DAC, set up the room, and tuning speaker cross-over (again), which all of them are the culprits to finding the sweet-spot.

TDA1543 is a miniature and economic DAC which is the only vintage multibit DAC to use single-rail supply, make it simple to use in the portable circuit. It is stereo 16 bit DAC with popular I2s input format. The nominal voltage supply is 5 volt, but with the tolerance can be supply up to 9 volt maximum, makes this DAC can use passive IV with up to 1.5 K ohm resistor to generate undistorted high voltage line output. With this possibility, no wonder this IC never vanished from the DIY audio popularity. From of my previous TDA1543 DAC project, unfortunately this DAC never sound good for me. I am so curious and never stop experimenting to make this DAC sound better. Finally, I can stay with this TDA1543 DAC with few points that need to be addressed. In this post, I will share the steps that I have tried, which makes this TDA1543 sound good, having its own sound signature which can compete with others high performance DAC.

This is the following post regarding building the miniaturized DAC that should sound good, just like full-size desktop DAC. But the difference is in the small chassis. The reason for this is because in my opinion, a DAC unit is not to be shown as the main show unit in the audio system. So let it be hidden somewhere else at the back of the system and let the tube amplifier, speaker and source player as the part of the main show in the audio system. In this post, I will make another DAC using the components that what I have left in my bin. I think in this post, the description will be more in technical. I will try to explain the building concept for the good sounding DAC based on my experienced. This build will be more complex, harder to follow for beginner, but for some reason, I just want to do it. So, let's begin for this AD1865 miniaturized DAC build.

It is been a while I am out of making a DAC. I am enjoying what I have right now and just listening the music through my audio system. My audio system is consisting of the 300B amplifier and DAC that sitting next to it. I was thinking that the DAC not the main unit to be shown, but the 300B is. The DAC is basically a simple and plain box that convert the digital to analog. I look at many commercially available DAC and they are all physically look the same. Many of them have only LEDs to indicate the sampling rate, inputs, and operation status. Few of them have their own LCD to show the same things like LEDs but in more fancy display. if we're honest to ourself, that display or LEDs indicator are not really important, especially when we listening to the music and enjoy it. So, I want to try something new in this DAC project. The things that more universal and easier to use, rather than a bulky DAC box unit. This DAC project should be small enough to hide away from the main show of t...

Since end of last year, my focus on this DIY audio is more on 300B tube amplifier. This kind of tube amplifier is well known as a holy grail of sound, and it is true. Then I remember I have one DAC project that need to be complete. It is the PCM58 DAC using the PCB ordered from PCBway.com. You might want to refresh the PCM58 DAC PCB that I mentioned in  here  and  here , those post are the first time I ordered the PCB from PCBway.com and that was the easy and enjoyable order experienced. So, let's begin this project.

This post is a series from my the previous post about my PCB order at pcbway.com. Please check the details on their websites  PCBway The PCB that I ordered from PCB Way is actually consisting of main board for PCM58 DAC with an op-amp output per channel for IV conversion and low-pass filter. This DAC is in non-oversampling and using shift-register for I2s input. The I2s input is chosen because it is more flexible for me to put the digital input module, either USB or SPDIF input, as long as the output from receiver module is I2s. The other PCB is for the power supply board. This power supply is consist of rectifier and capacitors, then goes to DC regulator using 2 pair of LM317 and LM337. Now let's see how good is the PCB quality ordered from PCB Way and how easy to soldering the pads with the components installed on it.

I never build my own PCB ever in my life before. I always thought making a PCB for my electronic project is difficult. It is simply by the reason that making a PCB in the old ways is troublesome. It was all started by preparing the empty plain copper board and start making the traces on the paper screen, then located and drawing the components size manually. After its done, the layout screen is print to the PCB by using an iron, which often the printing not fully attach to the PCB and need correction manually. The pain is not stopping yet; you need to soak the PCB with the printing on it to the acid (that I also don't know what kind of acid is). The acid function is to peel out the copper on the PCB that not yet covered by the printed screen. Is it done? Not yet! After it soaked and cleaned, the PCB need to drill for many holes as the components required to put on top of it, then clean it again with fine sand paper. Besides for the trouble when making the PCB, I also found for the ...

This post is about sharing my experience for the present of DC offset at the output of a DAC, especially when we build it by our own, we want to make sure it is safe to the equipment after it. Since the DAC is considerably the top-chain in the audio system, so it is important to look this issue in the first place. DC offset is a nightmare, especially when the equipment after the DAC such as preamp or the power amplifier is not using any capacitor or transformers in the signal path to blocking the DC present at the input. Just a small amount of DC, let's say 100 mV at the input of an amplifier will multiple by the gain from the amplifier, plus its current, will harm to the speaker's driver. In most cases, it will burn the driver's coil. DC is inaudible, but it moves the driver cone. It creating the heat to the woofer driver coils and burn it. It is safe for the tweeter since the capacitor included in the cross-over network inside the speakers will protect it, act as DC block...

This year, I built again a TDA1541 DAC. This is because I still have one DAC IC spare, together with the others parts required. The main difference is the power supply circuit is now using simple discrete Darlington transistor with Zener diode as reference voltage. In this post, I will share the finishing build process, continue from the previous post. I also will compare to listen the music with or without the asynchronous circuit. Let's take a deep dive.

It is been awhile I am using Parasound DAC-1000 and satisfy with the sound. Moreover, my amplifier is also Parasound and enjoy this combo a lot. But when I look again to my DAC collection and try to find what left from my DIY journey within few years back, I don't have much. They mostly gone already, sold to my friends and fellow that appreciate my built. Their feedback for the sound quality gives me an excitement. So, since few months back, I started to build another DAC again, from what left in my components bin. With my spares time that already limited, consume by my main professional work, this DAC build is slow. So, let's share this DAC build.

I've built DAC with pre-amp and headphone amplifier combo several times which surprisingly sound good. Moreover, this might become more practical unit that act as headphone amplifier and can be also connect to home audio system with the same output from the unit itself. I made PCM63 DAC with this combo  here , long before that, I also made portable TDA1543 DAC combo  here . The secret of those combo lies on the current output booster that act as buffer, lowering the output impedance which easily drive any headphone or as a signal output to feed the home audio system. Especially in this post, I will share my latest upgrade for my previous TDA1543 portable DAC combo that I've built last time. This upgrade resulting to better sound quality.

Sometimes we bought the vintage audio equipment's not because only for the built quality, or the sound signature, or the price. I bought this Parasound DAC 1000 because it looks just like new. Parasound is the big name in 90's which at that time, I am just can saw it on the borrowed Stereophile magazine. So, when I saw this DAC today and sold to me for under $300, who can resist?!

It started when I tidied up my storage bin on last weekends, I remember that I had an unused AD1865 DAC complete board from my previous DAC project. This board is okay, I think it performed quite well at that time, but I immediately replaced it with another DAC project because my curiosity is much faster than waiting 100 hours of capacitors break-in. So here it is, an old AD1865 DAC board with new refinement and better calculation, using all parts I have in my bin. The building cost is nothing because all the new parts are already in my hands.

Once again, I like to have another DAC using TDA1541, because all of my previous built TDA1541 DAC already sold like hot cakes. Same story, I missed it. Because any DAC using TDA1541 has the magic that always keep me back again, to experience the sound quality from this marvellous DAC IC. Today DAC build is completely different. I start with multiple power supply for each ICs voltage required, total of them are 5 individual voltages using a toroidal transformer and an EI transformer. Then going to rectifier and filtered using capacitors-resistor-capacitors to passively reduce the voltage ripples. The 10 pieces voltage regulators are used to every voltage required by every ICs pin. The signal from digital receiver to DAC IC are asynchronous re-clocking using external thermal-controlled-oscillator, then the DAC current output is converted to voltage by Pass D1 original design. The result from this design are marvellous.

I am a lucky person that having this Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra today. This model is the highest grade from Parasound DAC line-up in the 90's, which using the latest 20-bit DAC module from the Ultra-analog company. The Ultra-analog DAC module itself is one of the best DAC and can only be found inside the highest-grade DAC like this. Ultra-analog module has different approach compared to the mainstream DAC manufacturer such as Burr-brown, Analog Device, or Philips. Unlike producing an IC die, this Ultra-analog DAC is producing a module that inside it are consist of many IC's from those popular manufacture as well. I still believe the reason why this Ultra-analog DAC comes in module is because the engineering behind it knows how the good sound should be, so they combining many IC's to make this DAC module. So here is the Parasound DAC-2000 Ultra review with Ultra-analog DAC module inside.

I only keep few DAC's for my personal collection. They are all the best DAC I've ever built, but only one DAC that I have spending so much money on it is this PCM1704 DAC using vacuum tubes. The building process was publish in series post  here  and the first upgrade was publish in  here . The improvement from that upgrade was way better than the first built with many components are replaced with the boutique parts. The cost from this upgrade is expensive. But how if I going further with changing the remaining standard industrial components with the highest-grade components as well? Will it improve the sound so much? Let see.

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.

This is the post I made for closing this year. Such a beautiful years with lot of new experienced especially when I made a DAC with the vintage multibit DAC IC. The latest DAC I made is a clone from Nakamichi Dragon DAC and I named it "the Dragon DAC". The overall result is surprisingly good and I can now stop thinking about building another new DAC with new concept using the vintage multibit DAC since all of them are already done. This post is just an update from my previously built, the Dragon DAC, with some components added and changes for the sake of an improvement.