Suffolk Tony
Aim low, achieve your goals, avoid disappointment.
I occasionally use a USB to SPDIF convertor, based on a Luckit WAVE Async. XMOS board, powered by a Paul Hynes reg. This has been playing up a bit - my Chord DAC doesn't lock onto the signal very well for some reason. Lucian's been his ever-helpful self as usual, but we've reached a point where my abilities in the DIY direction have reached their limit & I was about to send it back to Lucian.
Idly looking through the DIY stuff on e-Bay (as you do), I came across THIS board, based on the CM6631A, rather than XMOS. Cheap enough, so I ordered it. Arrived in a week or so, and seems nicely made. I'm powering it for the time being with a spare Paul Hynes reg.
Anyway, I only really got this for something else to fiddle about with, but I'm pleasantly surprised with its sound quality. It has a rather "soft" sound, very smooth, but without dulling down. I imagine if you've got a rather harsh, digital (don't like using that term, but you know what I mean) sound from your DAC it'd make a good match. I'm now tempted to plonk it in my Buffalo dual-mono DAC in place of the WAVE board currently fitted & use its I2S output.
Idly looking through the DIY stuff on e-Bay (as you do), I came across THIS board, based on the CM6631A, rather than XMOS. Cheap enough, so I ordered it. Arrived in a week or so, and seems nicely made. I'm powering it for the time being with a spare Paul Hynes reg.
Anyway, I only really got this for something else to fiddle about with, but I'm pleasantly surprised with its sound quality. It has a rather "soft" sound, very smooth, but without dulling down. I imagine if you've got a rather harsh, digital (don't like using that term, but you know what I mean) sound from your DAC it'd make a good match. I'm now tempted to plonk it in my Buffalo dual-mono DAC in place of the WAVE board currently fitted & use its I2S output.