Beresford Bushmaster DAC

[Søren]

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced Toslink cable to use?

I don`t know if you consider this reasonably priced, but they are very good http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html

[StanleyB]

I'm trying to buy one of these but the website doesn't work?

Anyone help, are these for sale or has something happened?

As mentioned by me a couple of weeks ago, the owner of the workshop that makes the enclosure for the Bushmaster passed away on the 2nd of May. This has had a knock on effect for all his customers waiting for their standing orders. A new guy is taking over the business, but he will take some time to get up to speed and clear the backlog.
I am using the time to make some layout changes and reduce the depth of the case. I have no idea as yet if this will have an impact on the sound, but if it does I hope it is a positive one. I'll have the new blank PCB maybe next week. I can then populate the PCB with components and try it out to see if it sounds the same, worse, or better. If it is the same or better I'll go with the reduced case depth when it is my turn for the case production.
I'll probably have to call it the MK2 version so that there is no confusion with the two types of boards and cases.
As for the date when I next have stock: I would think that July is a reasonable bet. But I should know by the week after next if the amended PCB size sounds better, worse or the same as the existing PCB.

My apologies to everyone who is looking forward to try out the Bushmaster. If you are prepared to hang on till production is up and running again and you are an AoS member I am prepared to offer a "waiting time discount" to those who wish to be placed on the waiting list. PM me your email address if you want to be on the list. No direct emails please! Only PMs will be accepted as a valid form of evidence of AoS membership.

[MartinT]

That's a very generous offer, Stan. Thank you on behalf of the AoS membership and I hope you get your production back up to speed soon.

[twotone]

As mentioned by me a couple of weeks ago, the owner of the workshop that makes the enclosure for the Bushmaster passed away on the 2nd of May. This has had a knock on effect for all his customers waiting for their standing orders. A new guy is taking over the business, but he will take some time to get up to speed and clear the backlog.
I am using the time to make some layout changes and reduce the depth of the case. I have no idea as yet if this will have an impact on the sound, but if it does I hope it is a positive one. I'll have the new blank PCB maybe next week. I can then populate the PCB with components and try it out to see if it sounds the same, worse, or better. If it is the same or better I'll go with the reduced case depth when it is my turn for the case production.
I'll probably have to call it the MK2 version so that there is no confusion with the two types of boards and cases.
As for the date when I next have stock: I would think that July is a reasonable bet. But I should know by the week after next if the amended PCB size sounds better, worse or the same as the existing PCB.

My apologies to everyone who is looking forward to try out the Bushmaster. If you are prepared to hang on till production is up and running again and you are an AoS member I am prepared to offer a "waiting time discount" to those who wish to be placed on the waiting list. PM me your email address if you want to be on the list. No direct emails please! Only PMs will be accepted as a valid form of evidence of AoS membership.

Thanks for the up-date Stan and sorry for the difficulties you are currently experiencing.

Condolences to the family.

PM sent.

[CSM]

Hi there everyone.

Can't wait to get my hand on one of these dacs. I had a good conversation last week with stan and thereafter asked for one of these dacs to be made for me. I thought I might as well join the forums, especially as I've read this thread nearly in it's entirety - captivating stuff!

I also want to express my sympathy for the family/friends of the workshop owner and understand how this would affect the manufacture of these dacs.

[StanleyB]

96Khz is already past the upper rated bandwidth limit of the vast majority of Toslink cables at 12.3MHz. At 192KHz you are double that, refraction and internal reflections will limit the distance and quality of the signal at such speeds and given the use of slow rise time diodes with Toslink I'd be surprised that 192Khz is genuinely achievable, certainly not without severe signal degradation. Also the Tx and Rx modules need to be rated for this speed, many struggle to get to 6Mhz although the better Toshiba Rx and Tx modules are rated to 15Mhz....still some way off 25Mhz.

I have been trying some next generation fibre optic communication spec TOSLINK sockets in the BM MK2 that are officially approved for use at up to 25MHz. The cost is several times the price I am paying for the sockets that I have been using, but the sonic results so far are well worth the additional cost. They are a lot more analogue sounding than the current sockets in a straight forward side by side test of the two types of sockets fitted to the same test platform. The only major consideration was that these TOSLINK sockets needed their own dedicated low noise power supply feed in order to achieve the 25MHz performance.

[MartinT]

Sounds promising, Stan. Since the Sky HD boxes have optical only output, I am very interested in anything that improves the already stonkingly good SQ. Even for low bandwidths, those improved sockets (with a decent cable) should square up the waveform and help to reduce jitter.

[StanleyB]

A pity I don't yet have an enclosure to fit the BM2 in. Otherwise I could have loaned you the alpha PCB to try out for yourself and carry out some very interesting tests.

[MartinT]

As and when, Stan. There is only one you, unfortunately

[NRG]

I have been trying some next generation fibre optic communication spec TOSLINK sockets in the BM MK2 that are officially approved for use at up to 25MHz. The cost is several times the price I am paying for the sockets that I have been using, but the sonic results so far are well worth the additional cost. They are a lot more analogue sounding than the current sockets in a straight forward side by side test of the two types of sockets fitted to the same test platform. The only major consideration was that these TOSLINK sockets needed their own dedicated low noise power supply feed in order to achieve the 25MHz performance.

Interesting Stan. Are they from Toshiba? What about the cable itself?