Help me decide which ebay dac please?

For the three and more legged things
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IslandPink
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#391

Post by IslandPink »

Is any of you DAC dabblers going to have a go at recreating the AudioNote DAC2 for reasonable outlay ?

http://www.audionote.co.uk/products/dig ... g_01.shtml

I'd like to hear that !
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Max N
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#392

Post by Max N »

Check out the Audionote DAC Kit 3.1 at HiFi Collective. I'm tempted......

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/kits/audionotekits.html
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IslandPink
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#393

Post by IslandPink »

I've seen it :shock: and coveted it ..
It's a fair few quid ... and I've got too much on my plate currently .

Hey 'plate currently' - it's some sort of pun !

I think that would be a very tasty DAC though .
"Once you find out ... the Circumstances ; then you can go out"
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Dave the bass
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#394

Post by Dave the bass »

IslandPink wrote: Hey 'plate currently' - it's some sort of pun !
Aye.... shoddy!

:-)

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David
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#395 Audio Note Dacs

Post by David »

Hi, I had a 2.1 DAC and as standard it very disappointing, whilst it sounded inoffensively analogue it never excited or provided much in the way of detail. Once I modded it, using a master clock to synch it back to the transport and upgrading the power supply it really sang, but that's quite a lot of extra pounds. There are far better bargains around!

Now, I mainly listen to stuff from my Macbook via USB. I recently spent around £50 notes on an E Bay DAC, which sounded pretty good out the box. Now I've rebuilt it with Oscons on digital curcuits, Black Gates on analogue, WIMA and VIsahy all round, upgraded OP amp, Schottkies and better regulators it sounds really high end, and better than the synched Audio Note. Total cost? Around £120!

This is now my joint favourite DAC with a TDA1541 feeding a valve output stage. The 1541 had the edge for intimate music, this one is a better all-rounder with not a hint of digital!
David
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#396

Post by Andrew »

Hi David,

Which e-bay DAC? The mini2496 by any chance?

Andrew
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David
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#397

Post by David »

No, it was the cs8416 /4398 USB DAC from e bay, seller along. I can give you the link if interested. I couldn't find a 2496 with USB input.
David
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al newall
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#398

Post by al newall »

The CS4398 seems to be the later version of the 4397. :)
The 4397 (Lampucera) is the one i just replaced, with the AKM2496.
Much to learn there is.
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#399

Post by David »

Do you prefer the 2496 to the 4397 then? I can't see why the 2496 is not available with a USB convertor going into the receiver chip as the DAC only sees the receiver chip and not what went before. However, reports on various Fora indicated there was little to choose between the 2496 and the 4398.
David
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#400

Post by David »

PS I do find the whole Lampucera philosophy pretty suspect. Eg, i did try bypassing the coupler between the USB convertor and receiver with a Wima cap and it does get better. But randomly banging in Oscons caused the regulators to run really hot, so obviously there was some oscillation or other effect happening.
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al newall
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#401

Post by al newall »

Do you prefer the 2496 to the 4397 then?
Yes, but it's partly down to presentation.
The AKM makes it easier hear whats going on, by digging a bit deeper into recordings.
The bass is deeper and clearer too.
It's gained some popularity here, because it has a more analogue sound.

I was very content with the Cirrus dac, but it stopped working and i couldn't find the fault. I still think the Cirrus dac was somehow a bit more punchy and dynamic, but i only notice this on certain recordings.

I played some Sinatra last night for the first time with this dac, and i found it a more interesting and involving experience than last time i played it.
I noticed that with other CDs too, but not all. Could all be down to my mood on the night though. But i don't think so.
It's a bit like listening to a Solid State amp then swapping to valves.

Your later Cirrus dac might be different again, i don't know and can't comment.
Much to learn there is.
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#402

Post by Max N »

Andrew wrote:Here's how it measures, this is just the e-bay DAC not the valve output stage.
Hi Andrew
Did you have the LPF and the Op-amp fitted for these measurements?
What is causing the HF roll-off? Is it the anti-aliasing filter in your measurement system?
Thanks
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#403

Post by Andrew »

Max N wrote:
Andrew wrote:Here's how it measures, this is just the e-bay DAC not the valve output stage.
Hi Andrew
Did you have the LPF and the Op-amp fitted for these measurements?
Yes, the standard op amp, and the LFP for the 96.

What is causing the HF roll-off? Is it the anti-aliasing filter in your measurement system?
Thanks
Here's the freq resp of the system in pass through, with no device under test, this the measurement system's baseline, if you prefer.

As you can see its pretty flat from 10Hz to 100kHz.

So the roll off you see on the DAC must be coming from the 2496 itself. I suspect the upper freq roll off must be, as you say, the LPF. I don't know about the lower freq roll off, perhaps its the op amp?

cheers,

Andrew
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Max N
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#404

Post by Max N »

OK Andrew, thanks very much.
I need to read up on filters. I'm familiar with passive filters with a corner frequency and than a slope. But that HF response looks like something else. Is it some kind of active circuit using feedback around the op-amp? In which case it wouldn't be trivial to reproduce the response passively for those of us not using the op-amp.
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#405

Post by Max N »

Hmm, I still think the response of the LPF should have a slope, even if it is an active filter. Maybe its the 'switched capacitor' filter?
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