Updated: 25-Nov-01
There are so many DAC's in the world, why this specific DAC?

and why now the next one?

DAC's are not very big, aren't they?

History is repeating itself, wise men said......... well for the DDDAC this becomes true

The real fans of my site (are there any?) know why I originally started the DDDAC project: My LINN/Ortofon combination was so good, I did not enjoy anymore my CD music from the (standard) Marantz CD10. It is always good to some luxury problems, eh? So I designed and built the DDDAC 2000. Actually this DAC was so good, it could cope with the LINN combination and beat it some segments! So I played less vinyl. Oh oh oh, not good at all! So I designed and built the DD PRE 2001. Recently this no compromise PHONO-LINE stage saw the light and after final tweaking and solving some irritating HUMM problems, it is now playing the stars from heaven, so now I play less CD and.................................................................................. AHAAA ? You got the point? Great ! There is truly no other reason than this, to take the next challenge: building a DAC with a modular design, so I can built in ANY digital filter and DAC chip set I like quickly and without completely redoing the chassis. All selectable, through a bus structure from the front panel for A-B comparison or for selection of any Filter/DAC combination you think fits best to the music being played. I will start using latest technologies and latest design ideas, trying to beat the LINN again........ Read all about it at the other pages!

This is the original text when I introduced the project DDDAC2000. Still very valid!

Good question, not only because I asked this question myself beginning of this year. Lets get back a bit in this process, because that what it is... At that time I bought a (30 hours used and very cheap, lucky me...) Ortofon Jubilee cartridge. Together with the LINN 12P EKOS LINGO, this was an experience on it self. Huge stage, detail detail detail, solid base and verrrryyy dynamic! This was bad news for my CD player, every time I took a CD, I was missing the openness and the rich details from the Analog source. The CD1 from Marantz belongs certainly not to the category of cheap plastic players, actually the chassis and player mechanism is old fashioned solid! So I bought the service manual. Basic idea was to start tweaking and get a direct output straight from the DAC through a simple resistor as I/V converter (More in the technical backup on this extremely important essential issue !!!). What a disappointment! the technology used was not making things simple here. Downside was the simple internal power supply, the noise shaping filter and the switch capacitor DAC chip with symmetrical opamp output stage. This was not worth tweaking! BUT: the sound of the Marantz CD 10 is actually not bad at all, in fact it was beaten only after I installed this super analog source combination! Now I knew: It has to be a special external DAC, one with a DAC chip which is suited for resistor I/V conversion, so we would NOT need the sound killing OPAMPS. So I started drawing some ideas and I decided I needed a Tube driver stage, so I decided, that if I was building a case with a tube stage in it, this tube stage might as well be used to receive the phono amp output signal. So the DAC/Tube Line amp was born. Further more I wanted to start working with low jitter clocks (or clock re generation) and a-synchronous upsampling, as this will lead to better time relations within the signal, which leads to (my experience) more open and focussed sound stage! So if you now look at what I wanted: Latest digital receiver and filtering technology, with older fashioned DAC technology and dinosaur Tube technology, you will know, this is not for sale in the local audio shop round the corner and even on the WEB you will not find anything (at least I could not find it...) which combines the two technologies. Or it is too old or the new MASH converters are used. I knew this had to be the right way and I used the following half year to design design tweak tweak search parts etc etc etc and finally built the DDDAC 2000..........

You will have noticed, that I do not explain in detail why I choose this design philosophy, you are right, this is described at the other pages for those who want to deeper or do not believe me just like that (don't do that!!  read my arguments !!)

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