My DAC project. Pretty much complete. Working on an isolation/reclocking board for my USB to I2S module. This started as a single Twisted Pear Buffalo III build. This year I went dual mono. Dual mono is nothing new for DAC's/players. it allows for maximum dynamic range of the DAC chip and best stereo separation/details. I’ve had some nice CD/SACD players and DAC’s, including ones I modded. This is the closest to analog as I have ever got.
TP has optimized the ESS Sabre 9018 DAC chip with no less than four shunting regulators for the DAC board alone. They also open up all formats for input. DSD (SACD), SPDIF and I2S (CD). I2S is the serial communication found in stand alone CD players. Clock and data are separate in I2S where clock is embedded with data in SPDIF. All DAC chip settings including 32 bit volume control are available.
I added Arduino I2C control with LCD display and Apple remote control. Arduino is free license and a smart fellow started the code for the Buffalo DAC’s. I just needed to modify it with some help for my application. I have six inputs. USB to I2S, Denon 3910 I2S (CD) and DSD (SACD), three S/PDIF and one AES/EBU. A switch on back of the Denon determines what format is sent to the DAC input.
It is an Italian chassis (HiFi 2000 Pesante) with their modushop front panel machining and anodize after machine. They offered the best cooling (drilled base, fully vented cover) and anodize after machine. Machining included recess for LCD screen, hole for rotary encoder and lettering. I did the paint fill on the front panel.
I used shunting power supplies for the DAC boards and discrete balanced output board. One bipolar PS for the left channel and one for the right/single ended out section.
Currently I play flac from a big hard drive through a Squeezebox Touch. The Touch connects to the DAC via coax out SPDIF. I snagged I2S and DSD off the board from a Denon 3910 between the transport and DAC chip. This outputs ot my DAC so I can play hard media. Some DAC chips share I2S and DSD circuits which minimizes wiring. DSD is clock, R and L channel.
DSD (SACD) swapped R and L channels so I had to add a digital switch to reverse the DSD channels before output. A mechanical switch determines CD or SACD output.
I snagged I2S off my Touch board to output to my DAC. I2S is only meant for short in chassis runs. A LVDS (Low-voltage differential signaling) transmitter and receiver in DAC allow for up to 100 feet with no SQ penalty. I use a LVDS transmitter in my Denon to export I2S and DSD. It preserves the clock, where a long wire run could add lots of jitter.
More pics at my photobucket site.
http://s417.photobucket.com/user/scompracer/library/Buffalo%20III%20Dual%20Mono%20Build#/user/scompracer/library/Buffalo%20III%20Dual%20Mono%20Build?sort=6&page=1&_suid=136798554681206564200393599087