Updated:
14-Dez-04
Welcome to the DDDAC Column!
#10
Long time no see
.....
2004, what happened?
DDDAC1543
Auridux
Gydinel
(STILL :-) In the pipeline
2004, what happened?
I admit, 2004
was not directly the year with the regular updates I promised my self to
do. Not fair to the regular visitor, but time was somewhat constraint this
year. Never the less, my Site is visited very frequently and for that
loyalty I need to thank the readers, that even when updates are not
showing up, there still seems to be enough to read and check back for :-) Just
for statistics... In 2004, so far, I had like 700.000 Page hits and 85.000
visitors. 35 GByte was transferred .... For this it is I spend time creating
this Site and looking at the reactions I get almost daily per email, I for sure
will continue..... And I hope your patience will be rewarded, when I find time
so now and than to update the Site :-)
DDDAC1543
If I need to
give a "reward of the year" to my self for the project, which was most
popular, it is by large the small, very good sounding DAC with the 8 TDA1543
chips and reclocking.... The DDDAC1543... Many readers actually built this
version and I have received many positive reactions. Most of them with the
same kind of message: Very good, much better than a standard (even expensive) CD
player, better than most commercial or oversampling DAC's and only very
occasional, beaten by another DIY concept, based on the TDA1541 or PCM63P. But
it always ends with statements like: "BUT,
the other DAC is more then 10-fold in price and complexity" Which makes it
the absolute winner in price / performance and a project which can be completed
by inexperienced beginners....
Auridux
This is a kind of in between project, trying to create an alternative
way of listening to music to my audio equipment. An electrostatic Headphone from
Stax, driven by a directly coupled Tube amplifier. No Transformer, no capacitors.
It was not intended as over the top high end design, but the audible quality is
astonishing.... Specially the fact that the whole audio range
from deepest bass till finest high is coming to you as really one homogeneous
sound is an experience you will not make with
normal loudspeakers.... This project is not so easy to built may be, but for
those who dare and have some experience, this good be an interesting next
project !
Gydinel
Talking about
loudspeakers..... I have been working in the back ground at the Gydinel Filters
and did some interesting discoveries. First of
all, that the Mundorf Silver Oil Capacitors are
extremely good, a class better than the also excellent
sounding Auricaps. So good, I bought a whole bag of 470nF and 100nF to slowly
start replacing the couple capacitors in my amplifiers...
Another experiment was done with a Digital Filter from Behringer, the DCX2496.
This piece of equipment allows you to drive every speaker unit individually and
set by the PC the filter characteristics, like
filter type (Bessel, Butherworth etc) slope (6dB-48dB) and much more. I will
update the Site later at the Gydinel pages when I (finally)
have made the modifications in real life on the Gydinels which came out with the
simulations. As a big jump forward, we found out by listening only, that 12dB Bessel
filters were optimum for focus, stereo imaging and neutrality.... Which I found
refreshing, after all those years I hung a bit on the "religion" that
only 6dB could be good...... May be later you read about this :-)
I actually did a report in a Dutch forum, so if you can read Dutch, you could peek ahead :-) The actual report of the listening session is on page 4
(STILL :-) In the pipeline....
What a luxury problems I have !! Still a lot of projects in the fridge or are
"half way" from its final stage.....
Just peek in my design kitchen to keep your appetite in visiting my Site......
Happy Listening and Building !!!!
Doede Douma
IMPORTANT: The information provided on this page is intended as guide for DIY activities and therefore free to copy and or publish. If any one wishes to use any of the information from my WEB site, please make sure to refer and footnote to my URL Link as source! Doede Douma