DAC Advice

[Name]

That sounds like a plan John. Any suggestions on type or brand?

[bumpy]

Perhaps you do.
Do you have SW1X cornflakes for breakfast? You seem to have everything else from them.

As Oscar Wilde once said "I'm a man of simple tastes. I'm always satisfied with the best."

[jandl100]

Thanks for your input everyone. Does anyone have any experience of Young Dacs?

Any thoughts?

Young DACs get a somewhat mixed reception here.
Some folks love them. Others, like me, find them quite uninspiring and ordinary.

[Bigman80]

Young DACs get a somewhat mixed reception here.
Some folks love them. Others, like me, find them quite uninspiring and ordinary.

I had a M2TECH Young DAC and thought it was very good. Treble was a bit lively but it's lack of compatibility with Windows 10 made it redundant here.

Other than that, for £350 it was a really good DAC.

[JohnG]

I am moving along methodically building a digital system, and starting to attempt to become fluent in the options/methods available.
This is a field that can eat funds just trying to build a quality user interface, with no guarantee of SQ.
There are lots of good guidelines being expressed in recent threads.
The improvement of a power supply, is usually seen as a basic method to upgrade many devices.
A linear power supply for a digital source, is a proven device that will improve a performance, to what extent I can't say. I am not aware of anybody discarding a upgraded power supply due to not improving a device, especially a linear type.
I have recently been in communication with two separate individuals, both working on improving two different devices through concentrating on the design of the power supply. The designs are now functioning devices, and the reports on the overall improvement on the performance are very positive.
Think of having a off board linear power supply like a accessory that once bought, it can be matched with different devices, even a Laptop will benefit from it, if using it as a source to listen you tube or other performances on the HiFi.
As for models to select, There is a vast market, from LDA to Chinese Manufactured.
I'm sure after some further investigations a model can be found at a price that is worth a trial.

[Haselsh1]

I changed over from a Caiman to an M-DAC and I am now happy with the sounds it has to offer. I have had the M-DAC for around two years and see no reason to change it. I use it with a Cambridge CXC transport.

[Light Dependant Resistor]

I am moving along methodically building a digital system, and starting to attempt to become fluent in the options/methods available.
This is a field that can eat funds just trying to build a quality user interface, with no guarantee of SQ.
There are lots of good guidelines being expressed in recent threads.
The improvement of a power supply, is usually seen as a basic method to upgrade many devices.
A linear power supply for a digital source, is a proven device that will improve a performance, to what extent I can't say. I am not aware of anybody discarding a upgraded power supply due to not improving a device, especially a linear type.
I have recently been in communication with two separate individuals, both working on improving two different devices through concentrating on the design of the power supply. The designs are now functioning devices, and the reports on the overall improvement on the performance are very positive.
Think of having a off board linear power supply like a accessory that once bought, it can be matched with different devices, even a Laptop will benefit from it, if using it as a source to listen you tube or other performances on the HiFi.
As for models to select, There is a vast market, from LDA to Chinese Manufactured.
I'm sure after some further investigations a model can be found at a price that is worth a trial.

There is a lot more certainty with saying one supply is better than another, when you have the devices schematic in front of you. A great resource for this is hiFi engine https://www.hifiengine.com/
Most power supplies resort to fixed voltage regulators typically the 78xx or 79xx , these are horrible for audio , but fine for washing machines. Why are they horrible in audio circuits is because of internal resistance
between output and ground. So study schematics first to give yourself understanding of the choices made by manufacturers. i would recommend study into mosfets and fets , noting the three ways these can be connected
namely common drain, common source, and common gate.

[StanleyB]

Most power supplies resort to fixed voltage regulators typically the 78xx or 79xx , these are horrible for audio , but fine for washing machines. Why are they horrible in audio circuits is because of internal resistance
between output and ground.

That's a very good point, which is why I don't use them in my DACs. I did use one in my headphone amp, but ended up removing it all together because of the noise from it.

[JohnG]

Below is a link to a build, I am considering to have built.
This could be a good time to receive a few comments on the circuitry.

https://www.element14.com/community/...-supply-module

[Light Dependant Resistor]

In the comments section , mention is made of the LT4320. These are available in a DIP8 package, and from my experience of
building at least 7 of them, they are excellent. https://www.analog.com/media/en/tech...ets/4320fb.pdf

Instead of diodes be it schottky types or others, n channel mosfets are used for switching. The advantage being a gate terminal
designating when the device turns on, as well as generally superior characteristics of mosfets to diodes.

As for the rest of the schematic, package regulator ic;s ( noting not 78xx and 79xx ) are just OK, when they contain a needed
characteristic, for instance the Ref 02 http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ref02.pdf, Pin 3 has some extremely good features.
Generally you want instead to design around discrete devices, with mosfets being at the top of the list, and make note of
common gate connection, and capacitance multiplication. The advantage with common gate is high bandwidth.

Think of current regulation rather than voltage regulation, and achieving voltage stability from the load - not just shunting voltage
and current for its own sake... or because you can.