Big DAC

My requirements for a DAC would be very simple indeed - something to sit between my aged but dearly loved early 90's cd player and amp that would make it sound even better. It could look as ugly as a toad, in fact you could house it in a crisp packet and I wouldn't care, it would be priced to reflect the quality of whatever goes inside so that's your call really. How about a DIY high quality DAC kit Graham, is that even possible, something like the Genera phono amp but more digitally?

jrhughes wrote: The DM has a couple of extra features which are by no means essential, but I'd welcome your views on them, Graham. One is the filter: there are three to choose from but I use only Linear and Minimum. The effect is very subtle, but I do find I often prefer one over the other, depending on the source. Having said that, if the filter was stuck at only one of these, I would not mind. The second is Phase: this I do not fiddle with as I can't tell any difference either way. There is one more thing: up sampling. The DM does this but since I can't switch it in/out I can't tell what kind of effect it's having. Would the Big DAC do this?

I've tried all the filter possibilities with the WM8741 (the chip to be "seen with") and only one ticks the box. All the others sound rough to me and the "panel" here. But I'm sure some will want to fiddle with buttons or switches so do I put them in? I'd prefer not to.

Phase means inverting or non-inverting and if anybody can tell the musical difference then they're God himself! The only other difference is a thing called noise gain which most designers don't understand (and here I mean electronic designers and not those who pose as designers).

Everyone loves up-sampling! They love to have up-sampled versions of their 44.1s so they can play them back bit-perfect....

Over-sampling and up-sampling mean the same thing, except when it's done at the output of a DAC it's done for a real purpose - to shift the sampling frequency up to allow for a more gentle analogue filter, thereby providing an output without giant phase shifts.

If a switch is needed to tell the difference between over-sampling and non-over-sampling or the differences between different over-sampling rates, then each one should be via an analogue output filter designed for each over-sampling rate or it makes a complete mockery of comparisons.

That last bit adds considerably to cost because you'd need a 6U tall 19" racking case to house it all (there may be a slight exaggeration to that last comment)

But good points though - keep 'em coming.

Graham

Everyman and his dog are making DACs with sampling rates stretching ever upwards, various filter options, up, down and maybe sideways sampling , multiple inputs, headphone amp, analogue as well as digital switching, etc, etc

Graham Slee wrote:   I've tried all the filter possibilities with the WM8741 (the chip to be "seen with") and only one ticks the box. All the others sound rough to me and the "panel" here. But I'm sure some will want to fiddle with buttons or switches so do I put them in? I'd prefer not to.