advertisement


The John Westlake/Lakewest MDAC/FDAC, VFET and Detox

JarekD said:
The commercial projects were jobs which had nothing to do with your investment money or know-how developed for FDAC/MDAC2, as far as I know.
They were off the shelf chips and jobs mostly I was wokring on, while John was concentrating on FDAC/MDAC and VFETS.
Click to expand...

This information, I'm taking as fact since it comes from Jarek. So for the record, I'd like to apologise to John Westlake for insinuating and accusing him of using ideas and resources from this project to deliver commercial products for other companies.

I made those accusations with no direct evidence so now with Jarek's testimony I stand corrected and wish to withdraw my comments and accusations in this thread and unreservedly apologise to John.
 
nostromo said:
This information, I'm taking as fact since it comes from Jarek. So for the record, I'd like to apologise to John Westlake for insinuating and accusing him of using ideas and resources from this project to deliver commercial products for other companies.

I made those accusations with no direct evidence so now with Jarek's testimony I stand corrected and wish to withdraw my comments and accusations in this thread and unreservedly apologise to John.
Click to expand...

Thats great and everything...

But from the Horses mouth...

JW on the Project RS Dac...

"Yes its Jareks and my design - the original basis of the design is our FDAC / MDAC2 XMOS "software" development board.

Its a good little DAC, Dual ESS9038Q2M, Multi regulated PSU, Polypropylene capacitors and precision MELF resistors etc... but you have to consider its small size and theres only so much that can be squeezed into such as design and yet still keeping it simple for production in Europe.

You want a small no nonsense DAC for your Office / Bedroom etc its perfect.

Supports MQA and is Roon certified...

The DAC really appreciates a good clean PSU - and works very well with the Detox.

Its also works well with DSD :) DSD performance has been much improved with the new Hyperstream II DAC's from ESS - I'm glad that we are able to use the latest Hyperstream II devices in MDAC2 / FDAC."
 
What’s the saying?
“Hoisted with his own petard”
The gift that keeps on giving. Except we’ve paid quite a bit for this gift. Or should that be grift?
 
Last edited:
sam_cat said:
Wait, what... Is he talking about the detox that was never finished or shipped?

Have I somehow ended up in a parrallel universe!
Click to expand...

He must mean the "Detox" in the Stack link II or the Project Stream Box which appeared a year later? Or maybe it's a different "Detox" completely unrelated to the commercial products?

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mdac-first-listen-part-00111010.217561/page-40

JW...

Nice review (in French) of the streamer but its translated quite well by Google Chromes' translator:-

https://www.qobuz.com/FR-fr/info/Hi-Fi/Bancs-d-essai/Pro-Ject-Stream-Box-S2-Ultra181420

Bare in mind that its based on the foundations of the MDAC2 streamer hardware / software solution.

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mdac-first-listen-part-00111010.217561/page-39#post-3540310
 
Space is the Place said:
Thats great and everything...

But from the Horses mouth...

JW on the Project RS Dac...

"Yes its Jareks and my design - the original basis of the design is our FDAC / MDAC2 XMOS "software" development board.

Its a good little DAC, Dual ESS9038Q2M, Multi regulated PSU, Polypropylene capacitors and precision MELF resistors etc... but you have to consider its small size and theres only so much that can be squeezed into such as design and yet still keeping it simple for production in Europe.

You want a small no nonsense DAC for your Office / Bedroom etc its perfect.

Supports MQA and is Roon certified...

The DAC really appreciates a good clean PSU - and works very well with the Detox.

Its also works well with DSD :) DSD performance has been much improved with the new Hyperstream II DAC's from ESS - I'm glad that we are able to use the latest Hyperstream II devices in MDAC2 / FDAC."
Click to expand...
Good point....well made.

I guess, I need now to take what Jarek has said upthread with a large pinch of salt. I find it difficult to believe Jarek was not following what John was saying publicly on PFM, where the ideas he was working on were born and continually discussed... his friend that does follow PFM surely would have informed him.
 
Space is the Place said:
He must mean the "Detox" in the Stack link II or the Project Stream Box which appeared a year later? Or maybe it's a different "Detox" completely unrelated to the commercial products?

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mdac-first-listen-part-00111010.217561/page-40

JW...

Nice review (in French) of the streamer but its translated quite well by Google Chromes' translator:-

https://www.qobuz.com/FR-fr/info/Hi-Fi/Bancs-d-essai/Pro-Ject-Stream-Box-S2-Ultra181420

Bare in mind that its based on the foundations of the MDAC2 streamer hardware / software solution.

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/mdac-first-listen-part-00111010.217561/page-39#post-3540310
Click to expand...

It seems to me that every part of this project, the streamer, the detox, the DAC and even a better PSU board have all been designed, built and delivered...... Just not to any of us!
 
Thank you Jam jar for finding the original post.

I thought it was important to state what had been written previously, i've never thought JW or Jarek were out to deceive anyone, ever.

In the history of his posts JW has proved time and time again that he was enthusiastic and incredibly helpful to many people that own and used his designs and IMO was honest discussing the way the development of the MDAC2 board helped in shaping the design of the Project Dac, i don't see anything wrong in that... as long as the those that helped fund the MDAC 2 and especially the VFET development funders get some return.

Again like many on here i've written off the development money as i can afford to, the sticking point is those that are in for thousands, the VFET investors, i can't reconcile that, even though i'm fortunately not one of them.

Fred S and Tr33 thanks for keeping hope alive! :)
 
JohnW - Via Facebook said:
Sorry I've been away from FB etc for the past 2 weeks while I've been working on the MCU software for the clock block. Working on the software was not something I looked forward to, as not having any clue to how to achieve the task I was not sure how long it would take - but its something that needed to be done and could not be held of for any longer to progress the clock section. I've just managed to implement the main task just this weekend (after 2 weeks+ of non stop coding).
The MDAC2 main oscillators are tuned to there highest “Q” operating point (lowest Phase noise) by MCU intervention, the MCU “profiles” the oscillators across operating temperature and as they age - this is a complex hardware / software task - I'm proud of the end performance - but havent made my life easy.
Earlier Clock designs used reference VCTCXOs' by NDK, but these where manufactured by AKM and are no longer available since the factory fire – with no suitable (affordable) alternative available under the current semiconductor crisis...
So for the entry level clock units I have to do things differently, and rather then using an “adjustable” reference oscillator whose frequency offset error is trimmed to “zero”, instead have the MCU measure the frequency offset of a fixed TCXO and compensate for the error in software – configuring the systems PLL's dividers accordingly. This MCU is also tasked with keeping the Main audio oscillators at there “PEAK” performance = highest Q operating point. To achieve this the MCU monitors operating temperature and various circuit nodes. The optimal operating points are profiled in memory as the unit warms up / ages achieving what I can pretty much guarantee is the highest clock performance of any audio DAC on the market - and pretty sure it will not be better by any other third party... nobody's crazy enough to go though what I have been working on... the advanced clock variant has circuits working at near 6GHz...
I mention many times that the clock block is about 60% to 70% of the DAC design – and is common to both MDAC2 / FDAC so I'm keen to have it completed ASAP.
In answer to your question, I was so bogged down with the software that I left arranging my meeting with the crystal vendor too late in the week and unbeknown to me there was a national bank holiday here in Czech Rep and the company took a mid week “Bridge”... Since I've now “broken the back” of the software task I was buried in, I will try and arrange a meeting this week as I want to get back to completing the Clock PCB and need to confirm the Crystal package I'm currently using are a good choice.
The AKM factory fire has really hit the design hard (and MANY in the audio industry) – with the AK4137 being the heart of the design listened too at the start of the year – then the NDK oscillators (fabbed at AKM) and also Panasonic Hall effect sensors used on the front panel PCB... combined with the semiconductor crises its making life hell...
To insulate from the crisis as much as I can, I've had to purchase IC's that I plan to use, otherwise they are out of stock for +52 weeks or more... I can only afford to buy the parts that are REALLY critical – due to funding limitations... for example I have stock of enough FPGA's to build the first 50 units – after the first 50, delivery will depend on when the FPGA's are available... I have purchased ALL the required DAC array IC's as there are no substitutes for these parts.
I'm also having real issues with customs here in Czech, with some delivery's being held up for over 4weeks now... I'm waiting upon a couple of Evaluation boards for “replacement” clock IC's.. I'm guessing that since customs now have to clear ALL packages even those under US$20 they are TOTALLY overwhelmed... (rules changed here mid year) – can not image how they manage to process all the “under US$20” packages from China...
I'll make a focused effort to visit the Crystal vendor this week – I need to extract myself from the software... its not a trip I look forward to as its in a part of Czech I don't know and a ~500km round trip...
I just want to stress that while I'm working on the software / FPGA firmware I'm pretty much “offline”... so please bare with me as I focus on completing the Clock Software / clock block PCB...
Im still targeting the Clock section cpmplete over Christams... whci shoudl allow me to realese a few beta test units to selected development sponsers...
Click to expand...
 
The update was nice to have, seems John's been working extremely hard on the clock section which should be done over Xmas. I wish he had addressed the call for a final date, suggested as 1st March. Maybe he's not reading FB either and is so engrossed in his work that he's oblivious to what we want out here in the real world.
 
nostromo said:
Maybe he's not reading FB either and is so engrossed in his work that he's oblivious to what we want out here in the real world.
Click to expand...

Yeah, right.

I have a bridge for sale if you really believe that.

I’m sorry, but anyone with money in should be consulting, if not retaining, a lawyer.
 
Bob Edwards said:
Yeah, right.

I have a bridge for sale if you really believe that.

I’m sorry, but anyone with money in should be consulting, if not retaining, a lawyer.
Click to expand...
Which will cost considerably more than what I have “invested” in the MDAC2. I’ve chatted to a solicitor. He laughed! (He is my brother!)
 
Spike said:
Which will cost considerably more than what I have “invested” in the MDAC2. I’ve chatted to a solicitor. He laughed! (He is my brother!)
Click to expand...
I'm fortunate in that my solicitor is also a long standing customer. Over the years I've consulted him several times regarding litigation. His reply is always the same:
"Go away, lick your wounds, dont make the same mistake again and don't be so eager to throw good money after bad"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top