MDAC First Listen (part 00110011)

[Mark Dirac]

Could anyone perhaps suggest why my two PCs do not offer any 16bit options in my Windows 10's "Speakers Properties" control panel? Only 24bit options appear (for "Audiolab M-DAC").

Tidal is insisting that I set W10 to 16bit if I am to use Tidal's WASAPI. (Which I cannot, and so it refuses.)

 

[BigDog]

I guess it's safe to say that John would never ship the Detox with a SMPS.

9V 500mA

Start reading here: http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?p=2815068#post2815068

Great! Thanks.

Jan didden's silent switcher could be a solution for the detox. Very good multi output reg.

Interesting option but 9V is not one of the selectable outputs and I am not prepared to modify the circuitry.

Since JohnW will most likely supply an appropriate PS, I will rely on his best knowing the demands. Complicating factor is that I am 120V mains supply.

 

[JohnW]

More money was spent on vinyl than downloaded albums last week, for the first time.
Vinyl sales made the record industry £2.4m, while downloads took in £2.1m, the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38221420

What goes around, comes around (Pun intend)

 

[JohnW]

Remember some discussion early on but please remind me what provisions are being made for a power supply for the DETOX?

IF a SMPS is being provided, would a LRPS enhance the performance?
Why or why not?

What are the Voltage and Amperage requirements?

Thanks.

Due to some stupid European Energy law - Linear PSU's are now considered "Evil"

I have sourced a low loss Linear PSU that can be used with the Detox - its idling looses are less then 0.5W with no load.

Cost is about 20% greater then standard linear supply...

 

[JohnW]

Could anyone perhaps suggest why my two PCs do not offer any 16bit options in my Windows 10's "Speakers Properties" control panel? Only 24bit options appear (for "Audiolab M-DAC").

Tidal is insisting that I set W10 to 16bit if I am to use Tidal's WASAPI. (Which I cannot, and so it refuses.)

No idea, but if you use the 24Bit option, 16Bit source material should still be replayed in native 16Bits.

 

[Julf]

More money was spent on vinyl than downloaded albums last week, for the first time.

I guess the factor that vinyl is much more expensive per unit than downloads contributes to those numbers.

 

[JohnW]

Hi John,

Is it planned to connect the RPi CM to MDAC2/FDAC via I2S or USB or both ?.

Both options will be supported - this allows maxim flexibility. as we are having to go thought the effort of adding a second XMOS for USB to I2S conversion I dont really see the advantage of the direct I2S especially if its limited to 192KHz or maybe 384KHz. The MDAC2 will support 768KHz / DSD512 which is possible over USB2 (not sure if this is the case with the RPi).

If you do not plan to use I2S for the RPI do you plan to bring out the I2S / I2C interfaces on the daughter board header - so that it may be possible to use them later on without having to re-work any of the MDAC2 main PCB (to keep the door open to RPI alternatives in the future) ?.

The C3 will be mounted on a daughter PCB which then connects to the MDAC2 Mainboard - the best chance of CM3 upgrade in the future is if RPi introduced say a CM4 compute module pin compatible with the CM3 as they have done with the CM1.

By "USB to XMOS solution" do you mean an external USB connection (from say PC or MAC etc.) or is this a dedicated "internal" RPI-DAC USB connection (and if so will there still be an external XMOS USB connector for PC/MAC etc.. via DETOX) ?.

This is a Second independent USB2.0 channel otherwise if we shared a single USB channel and switched between internal RPi (SOC) or external USB host we would need to keep enumerating as we switched inputs - and thats a complete pain!

If the RPI is connected via USB to the DAC what will be the difference in SQ compared to connecting the DAC via an external USB to a PC/MAC via the DETOX ?.

Yes and no - the Detox does bring an improvement to the external USB device and while we will have a "baby" Detox on the SOC USB channel its not the full implementation of the external Detox - also I don't like the idea of the SOC radiating inside the MDAC2...

The SOC can be completely powered down - the trouble with the RPi is that I cannot Sync the SOC master clock to the MDAC2's internal clock - the optimised H3 board would have been much better from an RF perspective

 

[jadidih101]

More money was spent on vinyl than downloaded albums last week, for the first time.
Vinyl sales made the record industry £2.4m, while downloads took in £2.1m, the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38221420

From the same article:

"But 48% of those surveyed said they did not play the vinyl they bought - while 7% did not even own a turntable."

What a waste. If these people pushed the industry to produce better quality digital format we would be better off. IMHO.

 

[JohnW]

Jan didden's silent switcher could be a solution for the detox. Very good multi output reg.

JD's "solution" does not resolve the primary noise problem with SMPS's which is there heavy Earth Leakage currents caused by the "Y-Capacitor" between the Primary and Secondary sided of the supply. Ist this Earth leakage current that is heard as nasty "RF'y" Hum in the audio system.

This capacitors function is to localise the internal RF generated by the SMPS.

 

[JohnW]

From the same article:

"But 48% of those surveyed said they did not play the vinyl they bought - while 7% did not even own a turntable."

What a waste. If these people pushed the industry to produce better quality digital format we would be better off. IMHO.

DSD, DSD, DSD

Following my meeting with NativeDSD at the Munich show we have developed a small HQ DSD ADC / Recorder to facilitate recordings in Native DSD

In exchange I hope that Lakewest "customers" will have free/ discounted access to native DSD recordings

 

[stephengrenfell]

More money was spent on vinyl than downloaded albums last week, for the first time.
Vinyl sales made the record industry £2.4m, while downloads took in £2.1m, the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38221420

What goes around, comes around (Pun intend)

According to the BBC/ICM poll reffered to in the article. 25-34 year olds buy about a third of the vinyl sales, far more than us oldies.....

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36027867

 

[stephengrenfell]

Both options will be supported - this allows maxim flexibility. as we are having to go thought the effort of adding a second XMOS for USB to I2S conversion I dont really see the advantage of the direct I2S especially if its limited to 192KHz or maybe 384KHz. The MDAC2 will support 768KHz / DSD512 which is possible over USB2 (not sure if this is the case with the RPi).



The C3 will be mounted on a daughter PCB which then connects to the MDAC2 Mainboard - the best chance of CM3 upgrade in the future is if RPi introduced say a CM4 compute module pin compatible with the CM3 as they have done with the CM1.



This is a Second independent USB2.0 channel otherwise if we shared a single USB channel and switched between internal RPi (SOC) or external USB host we would need to keep enumerating as we switched inputs - and thats a complete pain!



Yes and no - the Detox does bring an improvement to the external USB device and while we will have a "baby" Detox on the SOC USB channel its not the full implementation of the external Detox - also I don't like the idea of the SOC radiating inside the MDAC2...

The SOC can be completely powered down - the trouble with the RPi is that I cannot Sync the SOC master clock to the MDAC2's internal clock - the optimised H3 board would have been much better from an RF perspective

OK. Thanks for the anwsers.

 

[BigDog]

Due to some stupid European Energy law - Linear PSU's are now considered "Evil"

I have sourced a low loss Linear PSU that can be used with the Detox - its idling looses are less then 0.5W with no load.

Cost is about 20% greater then standard linear supply...

Sounds good to me, John, even at 20% premium.

I assume it is compatible with 120V mains?

 

[JohnW]

I've only arranged UK & EU versions as we have so few US customers that I'll just purchase 110V versions via the internet...

 

[BigDog]

I've only arranged UK & EU versions as we have so few US customers that I'll just purchase 110V versions via the internet...

...or provide a link to the vendor(s) of what you deem an acceptable supply.

 

[Mark Dirac]

...or provide a link to the vendor(s) of what you deem an acceptable supply.

Thanks for suggesting that BigDog. If all the 120Vers offer to source their own (recommended) PSUs, then that will speed up delivery for everyone just a smidgen.

 

[jadidih101]

DSD, DSD, DSD

Following my meeting with NativeDSD at the Munich show we have developed a small HQ DSD ADC / Recorder to facilitate recordings in Native DSD

In exchange I hope that Lakewest "customers" will have free/ discounted access to native DSD recordings

That sounds great John. Looking forward to listening to them on my MDAC2. Hopefully I can pickup that up from you in the next Munich show? It's 162 days away so you have plenty of time:

http://www.highendsociety.de/index.php/en/high-end.html

Hope you can make it. I am buying the drinks if you have my MDAC2 otherwise you are buying. Deal?

 

[JohnW]

That sounds great John. Looking forward to listening to them on my MDAC2. Hopefully I can pickup that up from you in the next Munich show? It's 162 days away so you have plenty of time:

http://www.highendsociety.de/index.php/en/high-end.html

Hope you can make it. I am buying the drinks if you have my MDAC2 otherwise you are buying. Deal?

DEAL

 

[Mark Dirac]

Could anyone perhaps suggest why my two PCs do not offer any 16bit options in my Windows 10's "Speakers Properties" control panel? Only 24bit options appear (for "Audiolab M-DAC").

Tidal is insisting that I set W10 to 16bit if I am to use Tidal's WASAPI. (Which I cannot, and so it refuses.)

No idea, but if you use the 24Bit option, 16Bit source material should still be replayed in native 16Bits.

I guess there is nothing to pad out 16bits to 24bits if WASAPI circumnavigates the Windows mixer? And so that's why Tidal refuses to output 16 bits via WASAPI?

Does anyone else have difficulty setting Tidal to output to "Speakers (Audiolab M-DAC)" and then "Use Exclusive Mode"? (Which I believe is how to force WASAPI?)

 

[JohnW]

A few hours ago I finally have the Detox electronics costing (14 items missing), but I have idea of pricing for these.... With the UK pound plunging against the US$ I'm still trying to meet the GBP150 cost - we are close....