MDAC First Listen (part 00011111)

[JohnW]

Superstar! Get some kip

Just sent you an Email - hopefully it will arrive...

I piece of tests equipment arrived I ordered to help the development MDAC2 - so just had a quick play with it... yes I know I should be completing the PCB design, but for a few moments I was like a big kid... and I've still not been to sleep since yesterday!... damn PCB!!! but I'm now really close to issuing the PCB files

 

[Hayche]

As long as you don't listen at concert levels, I believe you will be very happy with the Croft - its in a totally different league to the Creek

I only listen at moderate to low levels. Unfortunately I need to wait for it to be hand built which could be a while as the cricket is on haha.
I can also swap the valve for lower gain which is a big plus using the mdac as a pre I believe.

 

[JohnW]

I only listen at moderate to low levels. Unfortunately I need to wait for it to be hand built which could be a while as the cricket is on haha.

Its nice to know that your unit is being "custom built" for you - non of this Made in China...

I can also swap the valve for lower gain which is a big plus using the MDAC as a pre I believe.

Always an advantage with Digital sources keenly waiting for your feedback on the amplifier once it arrives

 

[JohnW]

All you have to do is get the MDAC2 to introduce a bit of hiss, crackle, and rumble.

- Richard.

Well the ESS does have the left channel locking bug which is about the same!

 

[JohnW]

I have just received a beautiful black M-dac bought from ebay. I have to say that it is a very impressive product. I am amazed that such a well designed, finished and specified product can be sold for so little (new price not second hand). [edit: oh yes and it does sound lovely]

Thank you China has its advantages when it comes to cost!

I have a couple of newb questions:
-How do I find out which version of the firmware is on it?

Press the Knob during power-up

Am I right in thinking that someone compiled at one point a list of people's reported preferences for filters and firmware.

Optimal transient XD

can anyone point me out an explanation of what the various DPLL settings do (how they fit into the receiver/ASRC chain)

The DPLL settings are internal registers in the ESS DAC - basically for the best sound quality set to the lowest DPLL setting - for high jitter sources you might have to increase the DPLL BW (Note the DPLL BW only effects the SPDIF inputs).

 

[DANOFDANGER]

Adamdea on the mdac train, never would av guessed.

 

[JohnW]

I know. That's why I'm going for Level 2. DSP powa!

Regarding vinyl sounding better than digital, I must disagree. Vinyl does have an appeal more difficult to find on digital. That said, it also brings a lot of limitations that I was very glad to get rid of, when digital came up:
- Narrow dynamics and weak signal to noise ratio
- non linear frequency response
- bad quality pressings
- occasional high distortion from several sources: Dust, part of track, vibration, needle wear, etc.
- damaged vinyl
etc. etc.

Even if digital can't sound as lovely, I always find it a lot more closer to reality than vinyl.

Michael

Oh everyone "knows" the deficiency of turntable - and apart from surface noise in rare cases the "negatives" of vinyl have never bothered me - for its just sounds so Real and natural - then the sound stage!

After 3 years development, I'm keen to see how close the MDAC2 will come to a reference source

 

[JohnW]

I'm close to completing the current PCB design - hopefully by tomorrow Really excited to start building and testing the board - I'm very curious how it will perform (measure) - how close the computer simulations will be to the real world performance.

 

[fusion5]

Sounds great! Make sure you get a good rest afterwards!

 

[DANOFDANGER]

I'm close to completing the current PCB design - hopefully by tomorrow Really excited to start building and testing the board - I'm very curious how it will perform (measure) - how close the computer simulations will be to the real world performance.

Awesome, will be interesting.

You know what would be funny, if you had a live stream cam in your lab so we could all watch the development. I could only imagine the hilarity haha.

 

[JohnW]

Sounds great! Make sure you get a good rest afterwards!

Rest? - Oh no that would be too much of a luxury! I have a tube amp to test and modify and then 3 MDACs to upgrade then back to the PCB layout as there's still more I can do even before the results of the current prototype PCB - once I release this board its designing the ADC section next in a very confined area...

Also need to continue with the building the lab... well I've done it to myself

 

[busb]

John - my finances have recovered - can I still join this project please (PCB)?

 

[adamdea]

Adamdea on the mdac train, never would av guessed.

I know I know. But I have been won over by the idea of being able to apply DRC on the dac and having a built in ADC. The functionality of the Mdac is just amazing.

Plus.... I have a cunning plan.

Here it goes. Has anyone noticed that since the SBT's demise there is an increasing following wind behind using the Rasberry pi as a player and attaching via I2S a dac board. There are a number of solution including a wolfson board and somethign called the Pi-dac, and several others. Lots of people seem to be very keen including our dear Fox.

Now it ocurred to me that given that the software to run the p;layer already exists AND IS FREE (eg Picore player), the hardware is dirt cheap and all you need is an I2S connection, then why bother with a tiny dac board?

Now the M-Dac has the facility to send a clock out to slave a trasnport [remember- has this facility ever been used?]. I'm therefore assuming that an I2s connection is possible I'm guessing that it should be possible to arrange the proper connections to a raspberry pi, talk the guy making Picore player to input the right settings (it has special settings fro each I2s dac) and hey presto the M-Dac just became (for maybe £50) an ethernet dac which can then play from music anywhere on your network (OK with a server running LMS, but that can be any mac, pc, most Nas', or another raspberry pi. And LMS 7.9 will even do DSD I understand. And I'm not even sure you need to use LMS as a server as I'm sure there are other pi player software devices out there.

I think you just got the best streamer on the planet without having to be involved in the software side. and all you've done is use one digital input and output on your M-dac. Lakewest have left pretty much every other dac manufacturer in the dust because who else has a clock output?

John/ Dominic what do you think?

 

[adamdea]

Rest? - Oh no that would be too much of a luxury! I have a tube amp to test and modify and then 3 MDACs to upgrade then back to the PCB layout as there's still more I can do even before the results of the current prototype PCB - once I release this board its designing the ADC section next in a very confined area...

Also need to continue with the building the lab... well I've done it to myself

Sorry.

 

[JohnW]

John - my finances have recovered - can I still join this project please (PCB)?

Busb,

Glad to hear that things are now looking better

http://mdac2.lakewestaudio.com/

At the bottom of the above link is the Paypal button for the combined first two payments

The 3rd installement will be due any day now (over the weekend) once I issue the PCB - but for those who, have just joined and paid recently I'm happy to hold off the 3rd installement for a month or so to allow funds to recover

 

[JohnW]

I know I know. But I have been won over by the idea of being able to apply DRC on the dac and having a built in ADC. The functionality of the Mdac is just amazing.

Plus.... I have a cunning plan.

Here it goes. Has anyone noticed that since the SBT's demise there is an increasing following wind behind using the Rasberry pi as a player and attaching via I2S a dac board. There are a number of solution including a wolfson board and somethign called the Pi-dac, and several others. Lots of people seem to be very keen including our dear Fox.

Now it ocurred to me that given that the software to run the p;layer already exists AND IS FREE (eg Picore player), the hardware is dirt cheap and all you need is an I2S connection, then why bother with a tiny dac board?

Now the M-Dac has the facility to send a clock out to slave a trasnport [remember- has this facility ever been used?]. I'm therefore assuming that an I2s connection is possible I'm guessing that it should be possible to arrange the proper connections to a raspberry pi, talk the guy making Picore player to input the right settings (it has special settings fro each I2s dac) and hey presto the M-Dac just became (for maybe £50) an ethernet dac which can then play from music anywhere on your network (OK with a server running LMS, but that can be any mac, pc, most Nas', or another raspberry pi. And LMS 7.9 will even do DSD I understand. And I'm not even sure you need to use LMS as a server as I'm sure there are other pi player software devices out there.

I think you just got the best streamer on the planet without having to be involved in the software side. and all you've done is use one digital input and output on your M-dac. Lakewest have left pretty much every other dac manufacturer in the dust because who else has a clock output?

John/ Dominic what do you think?

What about using the Async USB connection with your SBT with the "triode" patch?

But no problem to clocklock the MDAC to any source - I know someone has a modified TEAC CD transport clock locked to the MDAC

 

[JohnW]

Sorry.

OH no nothing to be sorry about - I'm happy working under pressure, if I stop I get bored VERY quick I'm happiest when I'm pushing my limits

 

[JohnW]

Awesome, will be interesting.

You know what would be funny, if you had a live stream cam in your lab so we could all watch the development. I could only imagine the hilarity haha.

An idea maybe once the Labs built - then you can see me struggling while testing the MDAC2 boards when they are shipped

 

[desp_erado]

I know I know. But I have been won over by the idea of being able to apply DRC on the dac and having a built in ADC. The functionality of the Mdac is just amazing.

Plus.... I have a cunning plan.

Here it goes. Has anyone noticed that since the SBT's demise there is an increasing following wind behind using the Rasberry pi as a player and attaching via I2S a dac board. There are a number of solution including a wolfson board and somethign called the Pi-dac, and several others. Lots of people seem to be very keen including our dear Fox.

Now it ocurred to me that given that the software to run the p;layer already exists AND IS FREE (eg Picore player), the hardware is dirt cheap and all you need is an I2S connection, then why bother with a tiny dac board?

Now the M-Dac has the facility to send a clock out to slave a trasnport [remember- has this facility ever been used?]. I'm therefore assuming that an I2s connection is possible I'm guessing that it should be possible to arrange the proper connections to a raspberry pi, talk the guy making Picore player to input the right settings (it has special settings fro each I2s dac) and hey presto the M-Dac just became (for maybe £50) an ethernet dac which can then play from music anywhere on your network (OK with a server running LMS, but that can be any mac, pc, most Nas', or another raspberry pi. And LMS 7.9 will even do DSD I understand. And I'm not even sure you need to use LMS as a server as I'm sure there are other pi player software devices out there.

I think you just got the best streamer on the planet without having to be involved in the software side. and all you've done is use one digital input and output on your M-dac. Lakewest have left pretty much every other dac manufacturer in the dust because who else has a clock output?

John/ Dominic what do you think?

I think is a very good idea indeed and there could be a lot of mileage in it. I have three PIs now and experimented in some of the hi fi solutions, getting a good clock-locked interface with MDAC/2 would be amazing. But, isn't just ASYNC USB good enough? That's zero hardware development, we just need to get one of the PI hi fi distros working with the MDAC/2.

 

[busb]

Busb,

Glad to hear that things are now looking better

http://mdac2.lakewestaudio.com/

At the bottom of the above link is the Paypal button for the combined first two payments

The 3rd installement will be due any day now (over the weekend) once I issue the PCB - but for those who, have just joined and paid recently I'm happy to hold off the 3rd installement for a month or so to allow funds to recover

Fab! Really excited! Two initial payments on there way via PayPal & will gratefully accept your willingness to delay the next payment.
Cheers John.