Taking orders :)

[schumany]

Oh Doc, the excitement this DAC has caused among your brood.  I know it'll be a giant killer.

[John Swenson]

I forget if this was asked, and a search didn't come up with anything, but will the BH DAC require any drivers for USB? Or just native UAC2 support?

It is native UAC2, so no drivers for OSX or most linux, but does require a driver for Windows.

John S.

[physicsmajor]

It is native UAC2, so no drivers for OSX or most linux, but does require a driver for Windows.

John S.

Superior operating systems don't need drivers for such things

[denti alligator]

I ask because I'd like to know if it would work with this

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Id

which runs Linux.

[STURMJ]

I just set up a Intel NUC, there was a touchscreen on sale and it looked like it would do what I have dreamed my digital player would do.  The Id linked, looks like its a NUC dn2820 which is pretty bare bones (which is fine if your just using it as a server, mine is d54250,which costs a lot more but will handle the GUI better). I am planning to use JRiver's GUI on the touchscreen. So far I'm impressed (still using the trial version of JRiver) soon I will move it to the main system, with a Ethernet connection to my router-nas (it is in the same area). Then I can also use a android device to control it from the couch.  But the GUI is COOL on the touchscreen.  I tested it today, NUC (wasapi USB)- V-link 192- PS audio DLIII- BeePre- Crack- HD600, sounded great!  (I need the v-link because the USB on the DLII is old, IE. not class2, it converts it to S/pdif which the DLII uses fine).  Now all I need is BH DAC!

[John Swenson]

I ask because I'd like to know if it would work with this

http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Id

which runs Linux.

It should work fine with that.

John S.

[cyba]

With a clapper circuit installed, you would now be able to have Foreplay, Sex and The Clap.......... obvious name for the dac......

Actually, not so 'bad'. Sex and the clap is one thing - let me tell you, when I was 22..no, I won't go there - but I'm thinking also of 'clap' as in 'applause', 'excellent', 'superior' - 'crackerjack' (which links, obviously, with guess what?) Anyway, Bottlehead Clap, I'm a certain buyer. When's it due. Or have I missed that post?

[Grainger49]

I'd prefer Applause.

[denti alligator]

It's been a while since the possible Kickstarter was announced. Will it still be happening?

[Doc B.]

We have been slowed down in the process of building one more prototype to evaluate the ease of the build. The board is so expensive that we want to make sure a person with slim experience can put the kit together without inadvertently damaging it.

[denti alligator]

I hadn't thought of that, but I guess that does pose a problem. If the risk is high enough what are the alternative options? Having buyers agree to pay for replacement of this part if such damage were to be their fault? Pre-testing the board somehow to assume that any non-working ones would have been damaged in buyer's attempted assembly? Doing the assembly of that part in-house, with the result being a price bump and longer shipping wait time?

Any of these would be acceptable to me.

[Doc B.]

We are considering all of these alternatives and should have a resolution in the relatively near future.

[Hank Murrow]

I would want PB to build mine into one of Clark's bases anyway, so I am probably in. Can't wait to see signs of the DAC waking up! Today's messages are sweet to hear.

Cheers, Hank

[mcandmar]

Would it be prudent to install the PCB into its metal casing as not everybody will be familiar with how to handle sensitive electronics or general ESD precautions.

[Doc B.]

It's not the details of how the board is protected in handling or what to tell the builder to do that is the issue. Everyone makes mistakes, it is an essential part of the learning process and we are pretty good at pointing out the potential problem areas in a build to keep those mistakes from being too costly. The big issue with this product is how loud someone would scream when they find out they wiped out a circuit board worth several hundred dollars by failing to follow instructions.

Tube stuff is incredibly forgiving, as we all see reading this forum. Surface mounted processors do not suffer fools lightly. If we can put the DAC out in finished form for a price close to the estimated kit price I think we may do that. Of course that would mean that any warranty would be void if opened up and fooled with. There's nothing inside to mod anyway, it's pretty much 90% prebuilt and mostly rather microscopic surface mount stuff.

At this point I'm feeling it may be best to spend our tech support efforts helping people to understand how to hook a DAC to a computer and get the best sound rather than saying "You did what? You're gonna need to replace the motherboard."