JohnW
pfm member
Johan,
Sorry for the delay in replying, as always I'm burred in projects - I just replied to your Email.
MDAC First Listen (part 00111000)
- Thread starter PhilCTTE
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Johan,
Sorry for the delay in replying, as always I'm burred in projects - I just replied to your Email.
JohnW
pfm member
Martin,
Good to hear from you again after all this time
MDAC2 has rear panel 4W headphone XLR, MDAC2 can offer most of your "wish list"
but sadly not in a "neat" single box internal solution...With streamer option can replay files directly from USB Flash drive or external SSD drive
External USB CD Drive can be added for CD reply (then copy onto Flash drive / SSD / NAS drive).
With the updated front panel - we think it looks pretty, but you will just have to hide the external drives
JohnW
pfm member
I had an MDAC recently with say 20 caps popped and it still "worked"... Yep, we need the MDAC2 PCB's ASAP!
Rjpcardoso
pfm Member
Hi JohnW,
Just to confirm, the fdac is still planned for the "near" future right?
I'm in for the vfets and the matching fdac and as I'm not in a rush i would skip the mdac2 as firstly I don't have an mdac and secondly I am not in a rush and want the very best matching with the vfets..
Please confirm this is still the case please.
Thank you,
Ricardo
Just to confirm, the fdac is still planned for the "near" future right?
I'm in for the vfets and the matching fdac and as I'm not in a rush i would skip the mdac2 as firstly I don't have an mdac and secondly I am not in a rush and want the very best matching with the vfets..
Please confirm this is still the case please.
Thank you,
Ricardo
Martin,
Good to hear from you again after all this time
MDAC2 has rear panel 4W headphone XLR, MDAC2 can offer most of your "wish list"
With streamer option can replay files directly from USB Flash drive or external SSD drive
External USB CD Drive can be added for CD reply (then copy onto Flash drive / SSD / NAS drive).
With the updated front panel - we think it looks pretty, but you will just have to hide the external drives
JohnW
pfm member
Ricardo,
Yes FDAC is still planned for later next year - MDAC2 will sill develop even once its released with a higher audio performance DAC board (this can only "User" retrofitted to MDAC2's with the optional PMD200 HDCD filter).
This "technology" of this high performance DAC board option will morph into the FDAC proper - with a more advanced & polished design.
JohnW
pfm member
I was thinking off putting directly on the PCB, but maybe a small daughter board does make more sense.
PhilCTTE
Senior mumbler
John I'm in for a pair of VFET's and an FDAC and have been contemplating whether to go for the MDAC2 or just wait for the final FDAC much like Ricardoso.
I also put my name down for a Detox, but I am not sure whether I need this when the FDAC comes along. Is it still a valued add on for the MDAC2 ?.
At what point do I need to commit to a decision ?. As I have not paid for anything directly due to my previous funding amount up front.
I think Renata had put my name down for the Detox but not sure where my name is on any of the funding channels and to what I am commited to.
Many thanks ...
I also put my name down for a Detox, but I am not sure whether I need this when the FDAC comes along. Is it still a valued add on for the MDAC2 ?.
At what point do I need to commit to a decision ?. As I have not paid for anything directly due to my previous funding amount up front.
I think Renata had put my name down for the Detox but not sure where my name is on any of the funding channels and to what I am commited to.
Many thanks ...
JohnW
pfm member
Phil,
Your covered which ever route you decide upon - basically you will need to decide when we start to manufacture the PCB's.
timola
pfm Member
John, I did send you a PMD200 chip last year....I hope you still have it somewhere?
Also, I don't mind purchasing the MDAC2 while transferring its Development fee to the FDAC....what I mean is I don't mind paying the MDAC2 development fee along with its production costs....so that my FDAC place is secured by my initial L3/4 Dev fee.
Also, I don't mind purchasing the MDAC2 while transferring its Development fee to the FDAC....what I mean is I don't mind paying the MDAC2 development fee along with its production costs....so that my FDAC place is secured by my initial L3/4 Dev fee.
ti33er
pfm Member
Hi John
What is this PMD200 chip about, have some of us missed something along the way?
Thanks
What is this PMD200 chip about, have some of us missed something along the way?
Thanks
The PMD200 and PMD100 filter chips were designed by Pacific Microsonics for precise playback of HDCD content. From what I understand it switches filters on the fly as per the HDCD encoding process. Essentially, in order to get the best playback from HDCD encoded content, you need one of these!
ti33er
pfm Member
JohnW
pfm member
For the PMD200 I've agreed a bulk price from a vendor in China - but in light of there cost I'll arrange a few Pcs. first to insure they are genuine parts - we will then order the IC's for production.
I don't care about "decoded" HDCD playback - but rather IMO the HDCD filter is still today the best sounding digital filter IC I've heard - so its offered as an option on the MDAC2 (ESS version) and mandatory for the "Dacapo Anniversary" version – the Dacapo Anniversary option replaces the dual ESSPros with a discrete DAC design.
The ESS version measures better and supports PCM to 768KHz (verses 384KHz) and also volume control with DSD.
The "Dacapo Anniversary" MDAC2 DAC PCB builds upon the discrete DAC topology used in my first commercial DAC design (ignoring a handful of “Westlake Audio DAC’s” sold before I was approached by Pink Triangle) – it has certain limitations (such as “only” supporting PCM to 192KHz / 384KHz without level control, and no level control with DSD playback) and also measures worst (~110dB dynamic range / THD 0.001%), but I’ll leave it for the forum to listen and decide which sounds the best – based on listening tests without a moments hesitation Jarek and I choose the discrete DAC version over the ESS.
The MDAC2 internal DAC PCB is user interchangeable and is a "Daughter board" mounted above the MDAC2 mainboard.
Due to "end of life" VERY limited parts availability - the "Dacapo Anniversary" version will only be offered to PFM'ers sponsor units until part stocks is exhausted. I've have managed to secure parts from Canada of all places!! for about 400 units (shared between MDAC2 and FDAC) so we will be plenty fine for PFM units but at the end of the day its going to be an inherently limited "Special edition" option (just like the VFET amps).
JohnW
pfm member
iansr
pfm Member
John
Can I just confirm that you wrote what you intended; on the discrete version there will be NO volume control on either PCM or DSD?
I remember back in the days when you were posting on DIYA about the discrete DAC that you we're developing ( I can recall talk of 64 DACs per channnel) and I know you put an enormous amount of time and effort into it. I'm guessing this Anniversary board will be based on all the work you did back then?
JohnW
pfm member
Ian,
With the discrete DAC, the Digital Volume control will function with PCM sources upto 192KHz - but not with DSD as DSD is feed into the DAC array Native and "Pure".
iansr
pfm Member
Ok thanks for the clarification. Any loss of bits with the PCM volume control?
JohnW
pfm member
We need to listen to the digital volume control on the "Dacapo Anniversary" DAC board - for sure its really a specialised option and not for everyone.
Its designed for the very best sound quality over all other factors so has no SPDIF input and only supports USB and the streamer "inputs" (or a clock-locked SPDIF transport).
For CD playback either external USB CDRom drive connected to the streamer board or we can modify a CD transport to enable Clock-locking.
To fully answer your earlier post, I've learnt much since I worked on the aborted Dacapo2 project. Its now become apparent that the ESSPro dac's are the limiting factor on the MDAC2 design, hence the "Dacapo Anniversary" option to really show-off MDAC2 performance.
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