current ebay dac board

What people are working on at the moment
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ed
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#1 current ebay dac board

Post by ed »

I'm a bit out of touch here...

Is there any consencus on which is the ebay USB DAC board to go for at the moment. There seem to be quite a few and I wasn't sure which config/chip was flavour of the month. I know there was some talk about this a while ago but it's a bit confusing wading through the thread on this. Also, things may have moved on.

I'm not confident I can tell the difference between them all so I'll take the general vote on which one to get. My current Lite AH still sounds good to me but I imagine it's a bit second rate to the modern stuff.

I want it to plug into the beaglebone thingy.
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Paul Barker
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#2

Post by Paul Barker »

I am also out of touch still using the AK4396 but it does for me. I do need to build a valve output stage though.
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#3

Post by Neal »

Ed, I've used the SPDIF only version of this with v.good results:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hi-Fi-24bit-1 ... 2c6f9a2891

Async USB capable out-of-the-box with windows and there's a board mode somewhere for OSX...not sure about Linux
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#4

Post by figlet108 »

Ed, I have one of the new versions of these £43 Hifimediy DACs
Image
Image

In theory this DAC should sound good:
- Sabre DAC chip (although a cheaper and lesser implementation to the top spec Sabre chip)
- No output stage as such, as the DAC chip can drive the amp directly
- Better than average oscillator for better timing and PRATishness
- USB Isolator chip that isolates the DAC from any negative effects of power coming in from the USB

And if that's not enough for your £43 it also contains the rectification and regulation circuitry so that all you need for a perfectly decent linear PSU is simply a transformer.
I am powering it from this 6v/4a 50va toroidal (£12)
Image
The secondaries are wired in parallel so that more current is available (not that it's needed, but what else are you going to do with 2 secondaries when you only need one)

And indeed in practice, this DAC with that PSU does sound very very good. Hide it in a bling case and sell it for £500 and I'd be none the wiser...
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#5

Post by little eddy »

I am using a CS4398 kit from e-bay with transformer output. If I can make Owston would be good to review against SS output variants as well as Nick's one with valve output stage that had the better of my bog standard initial prototype.

£21 for the PCB kit - great value IMHO: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-DAC-CM102 ... 2c6be3be73
TD-125/RB250/MC25FL & 'Snail' phono, NAS/SBT with CS4398 DAC, 41MP pre & MoFo Power, still messing with OBs.
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#6

Post by Dave the bass »

Neal wrote:Ed, I've used the SPDIF only version of this with v.good results:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hi-Fi-24bit-1 ... 2c6f9a2891

Async USB capable out-of-the-box with windows and there's a board mode somewhere for OSX...not sure about Linux
Quick question for our-Neal, did you need to download a driver to support the CM6631A to achieve 24/192 over USB?

Reading through some of the spec's on eBay makes things a bit confusing (to me) where some USB DAC's only support up to 16Bit/48KHz whilst others require a driver download to see the USB to SPDIF working up to 24/192KHz like here -> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CM6631A-USB-t ... 4aca08bd7e

I'd like to have a DAC that I can use up to 24/192 with the Touch (with EDO mod natch) but also have a USB i/p so I can stream Hi Res from my laptop too via USB. I'm a-wondering if one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CM6631A-USB-t ... 4aca08bd7e used in conjunction with a 4396 'eBay DAC' is a way of achieving it?

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#7

Post by Neal »

Hi Dave, for Windows; yes. There's a link on the eBay addy.

For the Mac you have to perform a bit of surgery and it works with no additional drivers. Need to find the link..... Edit: Here: http://archimago.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03 ... ne-x1.html

The CM6631A Dac works with the EDO mod on the Touch but it's a bit temperamental to get recognized at first...once setup it sounded very good indeed, given the price!
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#8

Post by nic »

I have a cheap CM6631A USB SPDIF board into a CS4397 DAC and it wipes the floor with TE7022/PCM2706 convertors used previously . A better option is an asynchronous USB sound card with I2S interface , similar CM6631/CM6631A boards are available with I2S as well as SPDIF outputs . Currently running an XMOS/I2S board into a ES9023 Sabre DAC with Intact autoformers , I highly recommended this setup :) XMOS is USB powered , ES9023 DAC is running off 5 2500mA/H NimH rechargeables . Small , neat and elegant . Flexible enough to accept any similar I2S DACS
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#9

Post by Paul Barker »

Is it just me that is light years behind understanding this?

Sounds like I may need educating. Is my muse usb spdif converter into ak4396 no longer acceptable? What bit rate would I be using with those? Because I don't know.
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#10

Post by Paul Barker »

Is it just me that is light years behind understanding this?

Sounds like I may need educating. Is my muse usb spdif converter into ak4396 no longer acceptable? What bit rate would I be using with those? Because I don't know.
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#11

Post by nic »

Paul Barker wrote:Is it just me that is light years behind understanding this?

Sounds like I may need educating. Is my muse usb spdif converter into ak4396 no longer acceptable? What bit rate would I be using with those? Because I don't know.
I think the Muse is PCM2704 based . Easily bettered . Try a CM6631/CM6631A board , you'll need to run a driver with these for Windows . Suggest one with I2S outputs for future DAC upgrades . I guess the bit rate will be whatever your media is , probably 16/44.1
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#12

Post by Mike H »

Paul Barker wrote:Is it just me that is light years behind understanding this?
No.




:D
 
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andrew Ivimey
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#13

Post by andrew Ivimey »

Nope!
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#14

Post by pre65 »

I'm Mr Thicko on these matters. :wink:
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Paul Barker
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#15

Post by Paul Barker »

nic wrote:
Paul Barker wrote:Is it just me that is light years behind understanding this?

Sounds like I may need educating. Is my muse usb spdif converter into ak4396 no longer acceptable? What bit rate would I be using with those? Because I don't know.
I think the Muse is PCM2704 based . Easily bettered . Try a CM6631/CM6631A board , you'll need to run a driver with these for Windows . Suggest one with I2S outputs for future DAC upgrades . I guess the bit rate will be whatever your media is , probably 16/44.1
Indeed it turns out that the pcm2704 is on board of it.

But when I ebay searched the chips you say I see those boards come in wold varieties and it is beginning to look like I have to ask the question is my ak4396 not worth coupling it to or do I get for instance a package like

Finished DAC7 parallel dual WM8741 + WM8805 + CM6631A +AD627 Audio DAC

which is £125 built.

Then I will have two muses spdif converters for sale as I had to buy a second as first kept dropping out , but I found out it didn't like Linux, doesn't drop out on Windows.
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