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.
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.
If someone asking me about what is my dream for the vintage multibit DAC to own is for sure the Nakamichi Dragon DAC.
Anyone who doesn't know the original Nakamichi brand is a company that specialized in the high fidelity audio product and they are all made in Japan. Unlike today Nakamichi which already bought by the Asian company and they missing it's original culture.
The Nakamichi Dragon is the highest level of audio product and the DAC in this Dragon line-up is the limited edition product with ultimate price tag to own.
Don't expect me to buy it, I guess I better make it by my own:)
The curiosity I got from studying the DAC2000 schematic that I previously post are on the analog stages.
Although this analog stage is quite common for the third pole LPF, but the specific resistors value become the key factor for the overall LPF slope result. The goal for a better LPF calculator is we want the slope of the LPF as linear as possible because it reflect to the sound quality.
That is why I want to make the same DAC2000 but with some changes, especially on the DAC section that will be using AD1865.
So let's continue.
In November 1999, Elektor Electronics magazine released a series articles about the building process of their state of the art multibit DAC using PCM1704.
They named it DAC2000.
This is quite spectacular because at that time, almost everything named with 2000. It is the new millennium and if you lived at that era you can feel the hype that everyone are excited to welcoming the year 2000.
But how good is the DAC2000?
We are two decades ahead but why I still digging out this ancient vintage multibit DAC article?
Seriously?!
When I was build a DAC using PCM63, it always in the oversampling method using SM5813 IC. The reason is simply I was comfortable with this design and it is guarantee to work very well.
But I often think if I can try in the non-oversampling method with this specific DAC. Probably because in my experience with the good non-oversampling DAC build, the sound characteristic are more natural. This issue is always keep rolling in my head if this non-oversampling PCM63 can outperform the previous oversampling DAC build or not?
So here it is, the non-oversampling PCM63 DAC building process.
In this post, I will going to disassembly the original Schiit Bifrost to see what components inside. The unit that I got here is a broken unit. I was told from the seller that the unit is broken during courier delivery which the power transformer is pulled out from the main board. So I bought it for cheap then I repair it while checking the components inside.
Previously I was disassembly the Schiit Bifrost 2 which are promoted as a multibit DAC. It use dual 18 bit AD5781 DAC from Analog Device which is so much different with the first original Bifrost here using 32 bit AKM AK4399EQ Delta Sigma DAC.
The similarity between the original Bifrost and the Bifrost 2 DAC is both utilized the modular design, separate between the main board and the daughter boards on top of it.
Let's get started.
Although I am a DAC builder, I strongly not recommend anyone who are love to hear the music with their equipment trying to heat up their soldering iron and start to build one. Because making a working DAC is simple but making a good sound quality DAC is far difficult than you might think.
Thankfully, without any trouble to built a vintage multibit DAC for your own, Schiit audio already make a DAC named Bifrost 2. It is considerably an affordable modern multibit DAC that having the sound signature of the vintage multibit DAC. It sound pretty good indeed. I have review it and compare to my DAC built here and I wish you visit it again.
So in this post, let's see what components that Schiit audio use on their Bifrost 2 DAC.
In the past 2 years, I was focus on the vintage multibit DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). I think all popular vintage multibit DAC IC has been use in my DAC project built. Those built are various in many different approach for each DAC section, solely to find what is the best variation among them.
I really like the sound characteristic coming from the vintage multibit DAC. For the example a complete audio system can be optimized in the sound quality by using a better source (media player). This what I found when I was a kid playing around making my own amplifier and speakers but when the same setups are using, and then I only changed the source from cassette tape to CD player, the sound quality was improving so much. The reason was because of the CD player specification are far superior than cassette tape. That finding was shocking me and then I keep continue to do the audition from many kind CD player that they are actually sound different one to another. Lately I was aware that the good sound quality CD player are mostly depend on what DAC use inside.
The vintage multibit DAC is an old technology. The latest is Delta Sigma DAC or anything they called it Bit-stream or 1 bit DAC are comes after it. Delta Sigma DAC is intended to contend the tolerance issue and the expensive production process of the vintage multibit DAC. But it cannot deliver the music lively compare to the vintage multibit DAC that sound more like human and musical. My love to the vintage multibit DAC are simply not for any nostalgic reason at all. I tried to convinced myself about today Delta Sigma DAC are better, but again, they never satisfy me to fulfilled my listening pleasure especially for realistic music performance experience.
In this post, I will explain my experience when building vintage multibit DAC.
Hope you enjoy this post and happy reading:)
Few month ago, I post my DAC project called "the secret" DAC and the first project is post in here.
The term of "secret" is actually the components are hidden inside the copper shield, so it cannot be seen from the outside. It is not only for aesthetic layout but the copper shield helps the DAC inside to immune to any noise interfere.
The second project is post in here. This is a fully remake DAC, using the same chassis but the components inside are all changed. This is because most of my friends that become the reviewer of this DAC doesn't really like the sound from the first one.
The second version of this DAC is become a better sounding DAC than the first one and I think I better reveal what inside those secret DAC.
From my previous DAC project, I was working on my non-oversampling PCM1704 DAC using the Zen IV. It is a pair of 2SK170 and 2SJ74 JFET transistor per channel as a DAC IV converter. It is a good sounding DAC but still, in my opinion, DAC using vacuum tube at the output give more life to the music.
In contrast, if compare to the super accuracy of the op-amps or the neutral sound of the Zen IV, I prefer this PCM1704 DAC using vacuum tube at the output. It make the sound beautiful.
This PCM1704 DAC built here is using resistors as the IV converter. Then the vacuum tube multiple the gain output up to 10 times, so the voltage output are around 2 volt.
It is sound great and lots of potential to upgrade the components inside especially for the IV resistor and the capacitors output.
This post is the update from my PCM1704 DAC built.
As I always mentioned that a DAC will sound good if it is feed with a good power supply as well. It is all begin with the power transformer, regulator circuitry, the capacitors around it and the components layout. It will bring significant improvement to the DAC sound quality.
In this post, I will upgrade my previous PCM1704 DAC built with better transformer and I will make a small change to the power supply layout as well.
