SBAF DAC Talk II

Climber · Nov 2, 2023

Pharmaboy said: ↑

Big news for moi on the DAC front. Have a used Metrum Onyx inbound. I have 2 different systems in the same room, will try it in both systems.

I've had exclusively NOS DACs for past 3-4 years, and Metrum (at least, the new Metrum models) have been on my radar for some time. So I'm looking forward to this...
Click to expand...

Ah, I was eyeing that one on USAM! Congrats and a sincere thank you from my wallet for sparing it some pain.

I'll second what @rlow said. I had an Amethyst for a while and that USB input, yeesh ...

Scott Kramer · Mar 31, 2024

ref: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/sbaf-dac-talk-ii.6964/page-57#post-388244
ref: https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/sbaf-dac-talk-ii.6964/page-59#post-406452

Steps to Adcom GDA-600 24bit 96khz =>

I socketed the digital receiver (CS8412: max 16bit/48khz) and filter (DF1700: max 16bit/48khz) => still working with OG chips, ie undamaged.

Upgraded the receiver to CS8414: max 24/96 => still working as before at 16/44 16/48.

Verified now gets digital signal lock at 24/88.2 and 24/96 => so I'll go ahead and order the $90 DF1704 filter chip (max 24/96) =>

Silence at those higher rates until I swap in the new filter, thinking of this one:

DF1704 => https://www.ebay.com/itm/373417724233

Edit: Ordered… might be an i2s in to play with. (Thinking upsampled 352/384 direct)

Empyah · Apr 3, 2024

aljordan said: ↑

Hi Taguro,

Unfortunately I've never heard the Holo May, so I can't say how the Audial S5 may differ. I've been listening to the S5 via speakers, so if you are listening mainly to headphones, let me know and I'll take some time to listen via my headphone rig. Most of the gear in my system I've built myself (other peoples designs), so listing the other components probably won't be meaningful.

In addition to the S5, I've owned a few other filterless NOS DACs over the years - Wavelength Cosecant, MHDT Havana, and a DIY AudioSector DAC. Up until this point, the AudioSector has been my favorite NOS DAC. The other filtterless NOS DACs I've had sound very good on certain types of music, but tended to roll off the frequency extremes, and sound closed in and jumbled up when music became complex. I don't get the sense that the S5 is rolling off anything at the frequency extremes, and it unravels complex music extremely well. It has the really good dynamic shadings of a filterless NOS DAC, but sounds more extended in frequency than those other's that I've had in my system.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I own the Yggdrasil. I have the A1, A2 and LIM boards. Of the three, my preferences point definitively to the LIM boards. I am only mentioning this so others who have heard both sets of boards will know where my preferences are; compared to the A2 boards I find the the LIM more coherent through the frequency range, and I find the treble in particular more natural and less fatiguing. So even though the LIM sounds a little less exciting than the A2, I find it more listenable long term. Those who prefer the A2 over the Less is More boards may also prefer the A2 to the S5.

The S5 output is 0.7 dB louder than the LIM, and my preamp volume steps are 0.5 dB so I can't exactly match volume, but the following traits were consistent whether each DAC was a little softer or louder than the other.

The S5 is extremely close in tonal balance to the Yggdrasil LIM. On good recordings, compared to the LIM, the S5 sounded a little more revealing of small dynamic changes, a hair more three dimensional in width and depth, and a little less congested when music becomes complex. This last aspect is somewhat surprising to me, because I expected the Yggdrasil to do better in this regarding. I also expected the Yggdrasil to feel like it digs deeper into the bass, but I think the S5 has the edge here. Both DACs are very similar sounding, but the S5 sounds a little bit more resolved which leads to a very slightly richer sound with better spatial cues. Small dynamic shades come through a little better on the S5.

The two DACs are close enough in sound that I have to be pretty relaxed and my room has to be very quiet for the differences to be apparent, but I do think music sounds a bit more beautiful, or sweeter, via the S5, and a teensy bit more exciting. If I didn't have them right next to each other to compare, I probably wouldn't be able to note the differences between them, and I generally think the Yggdrasil LIM sounds quite a bit different than most of the other DACs I've purchased over the years (and never got around to selling).

So, If you've ever had the chance to compare the Yggdrasil LIM and the Yggdrasil A2, and you like the A2 better, then I wouldn't recommend the S5. In fact, if you own the Yggdrasil A2, and you haven't heard the LIM boards, it would be a lot less expensive to buy the boards if you don't mind taking the DAC apart to do the swap. I do think the S5 sounds a little better than the Yggdrasil LIM, and even more so than the Yggdrasil A2 (my preferences only), but the LIM sounds very good, and I don't think the S5 sounds better to the point that it justifies the cost of an entirely new DAC over the LIM. That said, I am still happy that I purchased it, and if I were to sell one of them it would be the Yggdrasil. At this point I will probably swap the A2 boards back into the Yggdrasil, because it doesn't make sense to have two DACs that sound so similar.

I hope this makes some sense to you and helps a bit.
Click to expand...

How would you compare the S5's resolution to the A2?

Scott Kramer · Apr 5, 2024

PCM63 R2R Adcom GDA-600 24/96 Side Quest #1

MCLK

Since the master clock can now max at 22/24MHz (double at 256fs 88.2/96Khz) => two old TTL 74xx logic OR gates and D flip-flop latches are too slow... was suspecting those 70's logic chips might be maxed out and flat-lining.

Hope I don't have to change the logic... new filter chip has pads to set left-justified / standard / i2s to match the original, so at least there are options.

Couple bucks from Digikey.

New fast 74xx logic installed:

Orig:

Result: producing a signal now, instead of flat-line... but janky

Poked around with a second 220pf capacitor, adding in parallel (double 440pf) to try for an effect on the signal...

..this forced it to be clean, but always 11/12 MHz (never 22/24)

Bingo: adding in series (halved 110pf) produced a perfect (22/24MHz) just like an XO crystal =>

Janky/Perfect freq. wise, overshoot at the test point, not as bad at the filter pin. => stock was like this also.
https://x.com/scottkramer/status/1776308130210562518

Think it has a running shot to work, don't even have the DF1704 filter chip yet!

Still works perfectly as stock with these new chips and changed capacitor value.

Thanks! Appreciate thoughts, critiques and anything that could help it work or improve.

Electronics 101 is fun

haywood · Apr 5, 2024

@Scott Kramer

Congrats, that’s some dedication to old iron. Let us know how it sounds with the new filter.

Scott Kramer · Apr 15, 2024

Can you believe It works?! Refinishing the room, so a bit temporary, untreated and sounds like ass. Fantastic on HD650's

The 220pf => 110pf capacitor was required for the logic gate flip-flops, tried it back stock and static at 88.2+.

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