New DAC - JDS Labs ODAC

[dubiousmike]

Eric,

Does the Wall Wart come with it?  Could be an upgrade to build a better supply for it.

You will probably get me to buy this and play with it. 

There's an interesting thread on this topic over in the diy forum on changstar you might want to check out Grainger: http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,383.0.html

Fwiw - I'm quite impressed by the odac, which I'm currently using in my bedside setup.  A word of warning: the odac (or mine at least) is very susceptible to RFI/EMI, and requires a usb cable with a ferrite bead (jds ships it with one from monoprice).  I initially plugged it in with a more expensive cable I had lying around, and it sounded like absolute garbage.   I thought I had received a lemon but then tried the stock cable.  That did the trick.  Overall, an excellent option, imo, for those on a tight budget.  I'd rank it about on par with my lower end arcam cdp but not quite the equal of the keces 131 dac that I generally use with my crack/hd800 rig.

I also built an o2 just for the fun of it, and PB is correct that the negative feedback has a significant impact on the sound, notwithstanding the otherwise impressive measurements.  Having clipped a couple of resisters to reduce the gain to 1x (which helps to avoid the O2's known clipping issues), it is still a marked improvement on the output from my ipad4 (which already measures better than any other tablet out there).  That said, to my ears, the o2 doesn't even begin to approach the experience of listening to my crack. 

[John EH]

I was going to get an O2 and build the ODAC in but I opted to go the Crack route as well.   I tell you I'm big time impressed with the ODAC and concur with your statements on the ferrite cable.  I found a short 6" ferrite cable in my travels around Japan and installed that.  A regular USB cable indeed sounds like crap.

ODAC also sounds weird for a day or two or at least mine did.  I keep thinking I'm going to buy a proper high dollar designer DAC and I keep going to the store in Hiroshima to listen to them and none of them sound any better or different to me much than the Nuforce or ODAC.  Last time I went down to Hiro I slipped the ODAC in my pocket and slipped it in the circuit and the Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus does NOT sound better to my ears than that. 

I'm just sticking with what I've got.  I stream Pandora and MOG through a Raspberry Pi with inexpensive DAC's such as ODAC, UDAC2SE, and HiFiMeDIY Sabre USB DAC.  I'm totally content.  Only thing that could get me to change would be the Bottlehead DAC which I'll undoubtedly get when they make it available.

John

[Grainger49]

I just ordered the ODAC.  Wrong!  I ordered the DAC from Parts Express.  You guys should have been suspicious of me spending that cash for a toy.

Now I need to cobble together a power supply and order the power supply adapter to use it with.

I will start with this between my Proceed PCD (original) and my Foreplay.  Since my computer (desktop) is about 40 feet away, has nothing on it but MP3 files for background music on it, I won't be trying to use it.  Although, I do have one album of high res files I have never heard.  Hmmm. 

Edit: I have a 5V 1F caps I could add to the supply. 

[2wo]

I have an ODAC and been running it off USB power for now. I was thinking about making my own USB cable with separate runs for signal and outboard power.

Granger, what is the adapter that you mention...John

[Grainger49]

John,

The link is buried in previous posts and links:

http://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=5VUSB&eq=&Tp=

I hope this works.  It says you can "inject" a regulated 5V supply.  We will see.  I wonder if it messes with the USB power supply as one poster asks.  A couple of diodes can fix that.  Well, maybe just one?

[Chris]

Not sure if you Schitt owners have seen this Advert or not... but I thought it pretty hilarious... Wax, you will appreciate this also...

[4krow]

   grainger, given that a dac doesn't need huge amounts of power, what considerations would you have in building a power supply for it? Maybe better filtering, isolation?

[Grainger49]

I corrected my above post.  I didn't order the ODAC, but instead the one from Parts Express.  It has arrived.  I'm going to give it a try in place of my Ack! dAck! pretty soon.

[Paul Birkeland]

I really like that Schiit doesn't take themselves too seriously.

[Dr. Toobz]

Same here! It also doesn't hurt that they are a US company making good products in this country, like Bottlehead. Their Bifrost DAC with "Uber" upgrade board sounds amazing through my Stereomour, and is built like a tank. Same for the Asgard.

[earwaxxer]

Jason with Schiit is a good guy. I have exchanged some emails due to some issues. Not major, but with the amount of 'experimenting' that I do, my gear has to have some durability. I think I'll upgrade the Gungnir with the new USB card. I didnt buy it with USB because I knew it was not quite there at the time. Now it seems they have it figured out. Its only $150 and they will slap it in. Fix the other shit when they are at it.

As far as that $27 DAC from Parts Express. I got my second one the other day. I was able to do a good comparison between the Gungnir and that mini wonder at 24/192. I tell ya, if I had to, I would definitely be ok with listening to it until my Gungnir gets its makeover. Its not at all harsh. Just lacking a bit in 'drive'. So important quality of a high end DAC. Good power supply and good drive off the chips. That seems to be the newest trend. Multi DAC chips driving the output (ex. Metrum).

Here is the little Fiio if you missed it. Its a good way to get started to know what direction you want to go.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=230-120

[Grainger49]

Eric,

Did the Parts Express DAC need burn in?  I put it in the system and the mids and highs sounded good but the bass lost all definition.  It was boomy, fluffy, like a 70s speaker.

[earwaxxer]

Thats interesting Granger. I did notice a bit of "lean-ness" in the bass when I was running two Fiio's, one in the front end and one for the subwoofer. I can usually tell the bass difference between pieces of kit because I have to adjust the variable crossover a bit on the sub to get the two to blend right. I did not notice a flabbyness, although my maggies do not do much below 60hz, and my sub is crossed over pretty low, so there isnt much room for that boomy stuff to show its head.

As far as extention and all the Fiio it seems to be quite adequate in the subwoofer section which is where I'm using it. It goes low and is tight when given a good strong signal. It seems to also sound better at 24/192 upsampled data. That muddyness that you describe, I have found, is due more to non-upsampled redbook. IMO all that tightens up with a good 24/192 upsample algorithm (I use JRiver). Of course that means you need to use a PC, so then you need to get a USB/SPDIF converter. Thats a great way to go IMO.

As far a burn in. I think it did sound better with time although I didnt really pay attention to it. Since it stays on all the time, that shouldn't take too long.

[Grainger49]

Eric,

I just saw this. 

I have a leg up here (I think?).  I have to trim the sub woofer level, not crossover, for balance with the Orcas.  It needed trimming, lowering the volume and it still was 1970's fluffy (not a bad thing back then!).  I am crossing over higher than you, about 120 Hz.

Well, you know, different strokes... and we all have different systems, listening habits and  ears/brains.

I just fed it from my Proceed PCD, ca. 1990.  I don't have a higher resolution source.  Maybe that would have made some difference?  I can't get upsampled digital data out of my SACD, it upsamples. 

Maybe it is the nature of my sub versus yours? 

[4krow]

Grainger,

    Speaking of 70's sound, I still remember listening to 'Fly like an Eagle' on whatever HK had to offer back then. Hadn't so much treble before that time that didn't suck. Something was still off, and it might have been the solid state sound that I didn't like, dunno. It is interesting how things change, especially what I listen to now compared to 30 years ago. BTW, still listening to the new SACD of Dire Straits from fleabay. Maybe THAT, too has changed from one recording to another. We sometimes get used to a certain sound.