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Hi,
I'm in the market for a very high quality DAC to replace my CDP which sadly just failed. It was highly modded and sounded great, so I need something which will at least match it.
Firstly, what is the best interface for getting the best sound out of one of the Buffalo III DACs- I hear some people are using Squeezebox Touches, but don't know if this is recommended as optimal, or which interface would be best for linking the SBT into the Buffalo, etc?
I'd be looking to build a 2-channel DAC with the highest quality PSUs and output stages, and whichever interface is recommended for best sound quality, as above. Any recommended builds for this? Also any source of good cases?
How does one of these compare to a high quality pre-built DAC such as a TeddyDac, or Young DAC, please?
Lastly, I've built amps from a kit, and am quite handy with a soldering iron, but by no means an electronics expert, so how much hand-holding are you guys prepared to do, if I decide to DIY? ;)
Cheers,
James
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Most of your questions are likely already answered in the integration guide. The best interface depends on your transport. For now I2S using a teleporter set is propably the best you can get.
Building is quite simple and straight-forward, provided you use the standard building blocks as described.
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Hi Leon,
Thanks for the reply- I read the integration guide before posting and there are so many configuration options I found it quite confusing, sorry. I think the problem is that with my CD player broken I'm not sure which 'transport' option to go with for best sound quality? To ask a specific question- can I use I2S from a computer? Or, what is the best way, the most accurate, jitter-free way, to get music out of a hard-drive, or computer, and feed this DAC?
Is there a build manual? I couldn't see one...
Cheers.
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Sorry, just found the document you meant- I think I had read one of the older manuals! Would still appreciate knowing a bit more about transport/computer setups if you have a moment. Cheers.
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One of the simplest high-end setups will likely be the upcoming USB module. This allows you to use the DAC directly from a PC. But since that is not available, you have to look at other options. What is available is the teleporter module, you can use this module to tap into the I2S stream of a soundcard or transport. It sends this stream to the DAC using LVDS, meaning it's a very robust signal, with little chance of interference.
A very easy candidate for modding is the Asus Xonar range of cards, since they actually have a header on them which exposes the I2S pins. Other options include fi. the Musiland 03 mod by glt (http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/musiland-03us-i2s-output-mod/) or simply modding an existing CD player.
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LeonvB wrote:One of the simplest high-end setups will likely be the upcoming USB module. This allows you to use the DAC directly from a PC. But since that is not available, you have to look at other options. What is available is the teleporter module, you can use this module to tap into the I2S stream of a soundcard or transport. It sends this stream to the DAC using LVDS, meaning it's a very robust signal, with little chance of interference.
A very easy candidate for modding is the Asus Xonar range of cards, since they actually have a header on them which exposes the I2S pins. Other options include fi. the Musiland 03 mod by glt (http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/musiland-03us-i2s-output-mod/) or simply modding an existing CD player. Thanks Leon, I'll look into that- I was actually considering a laptop more, as I can run it from the battery when I'm listening and not worry so much about the PSU issues I'm sure plague most PCs, but I'm not sure I'd be able to mod the sound card on a laptop...?
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A battery has it's own problems. For a notebook you could simply use an USB soundcard and tap into that.
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LeonvB wrote:A battery has it's own problems. For a notebook you could simply use an USB soundcard and tap into that. Would probably be a MacBook Pro or a Mac Mini? I do like the look of that mod, is there an external USB sound card which has been modded successfully? What cables would one use between Card and DAC for I2S? I'm not very familiar with that mode of transmission! Any good PSU mods for computers out there? Cheers.
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I would suggest re-reading the Teleporter chapter. No need to mod your PCs' PSU.
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LeonvB wrote:I would suggest re-reading the Teleporter chapter. No need to mod your PCs' PSU. OK I'll have a closer read. By the way- are there any measurements of the DACs in terms of Jitter, THD, etc, to compare to commercial DACs? How does this DAC attempt to handle jitter on the incoming signal? Is it asynchronous, or does it re-clock/ buffer, etc?
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Some measurements are in the guide. You really don't have to worry about commercial designs: you can simply build it to the level you desire.
The ES9018 uses a state machine to detect the incoming signals. As such it is asynchronous, re-clocking and buffering.
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LeonvB wrote:Some measurements are in the guide. You really don't have to worry about commercial designs: you can simply build it to the level you desire.
The ES9018 uses a state machine to detect the incoming signals. As such it is asynchronous, re-clocking and buffering. OK, cool. Thanks for your help, by the way, I appreciate it.
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