Thinking of making DAC

[stokessd]

I've been making my own DAC's since the mid 90's.  For the last decade or so, I've been feeding my various audio systems with an Airport Express from iTunes.  I use TOSLink on my DACs.  A few years ago, I made a semi-modern DAC to replace my tube based DAC from the turn of the century (I've been wanting to say that for a while now).  Here's my latest DAC:

http://getinthewoodchipper.com/?p=302

It uses a CD8416 decoder chip to get from TOSLink or SPDIF to I2S.  I then have an Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter (CS8421) to deal with jitter issues.  Finally I'm using a CS4398 DAC chip which feed a pair of nickel core Lundahl LL1690 output transformers which act as the output stage.  IT's a very good sounding and music DAC.  

I'm planning on refining it to allow a rPi to be plugged in and powered to it as a daughter card.  Any interest in this project. 


Sheldon

PS  Also First Post!!!!

[Tim Curtis]

Hi Sheldon,

Really nice project. What interface, I2S or USB, are you planning to use between Pi and your DAC?

-Tim

[energyi]

Interested. Been looking for a SPDIF input solution, ideally a RCA jack that utilizes a Rpi. Lots of SPDIF output available.  Of course it would have to be Moode compatible.

[stokessd]

Hi Sheldon,

Really nice project. What interface, I2S or USB, are you planning to use between Pi and your DAC?

-Tim

Thanks for the kind words.  I was planning to use I2S,  The dAC would still have TOSLink and coax in, and one of the inputs would be from the rPi header pins via I2S.  

Sheldon

[yannig]

I've been making my own DAC's since the mid 90's.  For the last decade or so, I've been feeding my various audio systems with an Airport Express from iTunes.  I use TOSLink on my DACs.  A few years ago, I made a semi-modern DAC to replace my tube based DAC from the turn of the century (I've been wanting to say that for a while now).  Here's my latest DAC:

http://getinthewoodchipper.com/?p=302

It uses a CD8416 decoder chip to get from TOSLink or SPDIF to I2S.  I then have an Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter (CS8421) to deal with jitter issues.  Finally I'm using a CS4398 DAC chip which feed a pair of nickel core Lundahl LL1690 output transformers which act as the output stage.  IT's a very good sounding and music DAC.  

I'm planning on refining it to allow a rPi to be plugged in and powered to it as a daughter card.  Any interest in this project. 


Sheldon

PS  Also First Post!!!!

PS  Also First Post!!!!
Very nice project !

Just a little question : does the CS8421 respect the lossless principle ?

And a CS4398 (or another good Dac) "HAT" dac with output transformers is a nice idea.
Perhaps too a discrete R2R HAT dac.
I'm in !

yannick

PS : I do not like so much Sabre chips, try them versus AK4497, huge difference. Even a AK4399 is much better than "big" chips from Sabre.