Ha die Gerard,
I can't be sure who is more glad, you or me.
I just looked it up, and our first talks about a DAC were from September 2007. This was after a year of me typing, reasoning, "designing" already, and as we know 14 months later (November 2008) my first trial was there - based on some of the principles I wanted. It was already better than I ever heard on most aspects, but it was too noise and did not meet *all* I wanted. From there I could strip things off, replace things, had new DAC boards designed, and I guess one year ago I was as far as "this is it" with my own (of utmost importance) filtering, but still not the 24/384 I was hunting for. That came a little later, and in parallel I at last found some good means for a decent level of output without degrading sound. I guess I started to buy parts last May, and while all the parts were coming in I kept on trying things with a volume control. Even 3 weeks back (
) I built another gain stage, and while it measured the best of all before attempts the sound became dead of it again. So, that failed.
It is true. All those steps -reported in that larger topic- are now behind us. There will be nothing new to read, as there will be nothing to write about with great enthusiasm. It's done. It works.
Now, for us here, it has become real stuff, with real responsibilities. Still, reading your story touches deeply. So yes, a first contact about this DAC, a very first payment with "urgency transfer" just for fun to *be* the first, and the very first to collect;
Until the very last moment (you in the car) I thought to make a photo of the first hand-over, but I thought it would be a stupid thing. I wish I had ...
I must also add that while you have been waiting and waiting, you also were the only one afraid of "how will it turn out in my listening room ?". My speakers are not yours, and how much will they contribute to the sound, that maybe never coming from your speakers. Worse it got in Amersfoort a few weeks back at that audio club, which certainly did not proove that the DAC could behave on a more normal type of speaker. Of course I had my explanations, but still. And so I imagined your day coming closer, and the closer it got, the more nervous you became. I had the confidence allright, but with audio nothing is sure. And so again, who is more glad now ?
Technically it should be me. I mean, we have more DACs to come for others and a first failure would be a kind of disaster. A disaster not so much for the time and money spent, but for the sheer stupidity I had been working on a DAC that only would perform under "my" conditions. Not that I for even one bit explicitly worked on any kind of "matching", but still my speakers are not the most common, including what has been done to them (XOvers) which isn't even done at Bert's place where they come from. But since I only applied my theories of what should be best and developed the DAC without any kind of matching at all, it *should* be right everywhere. But still, one never knows ...
How surprised I was to perceive from you that "woofer under control thing" !
It is nothing I ever advertised, but in the end it is completely logic if I only take into account the experience from last week - the playing with the sound card alone. I described that as "woolly", distorting and in the end all I recognized from way back, never realizing how "bad" it all became, because I just never went back. So of course "woolly" is just that bass not being under control, and
actually I already knew it, if I only think about that rediculous large space in Amersfoort where the speakers coincidentally also were open baffles, and not much wrong with the bass as such if it were about filling that room. Actually competely crazy because if there's one thing an open baffle can't do, is fill a large room. Large room ? man, this was close to a covered football stadium. And so, honestly, now we understand how this could happen, and possibly it is a unique thing. I really don't know as I have no real experience with open baffles. But you can bet Bert and I will work this out to some raving combination (we didn't meet since Amersfoort).
Technically, this will be caused by less distortion (hehe), but for two reasons I think;
One is the inherent low harmonic distortion (THD) which -and I can't say it enough- is infinitely better than from OS DACs (and may I refer to it again : the sound card measured nearly as good, *but* is OS).
The other will be the extreme low jitter, which excels in the low frequencies (this is the Phase Noise figure of better than 115dBc/Hz at 50Hz), with the addition that this is the oscillator's figure, *but* if all is right, nothing adds through the further chain, because there is no further chain.
Also to keep in mind : the sound card's poor sonic performence "makes use" of the exact same oscillators, although here is a small additional chain that can worsten jitter, but not to the effect as I perceived it myself. That's just the OS thing ... (and the inability to measure it correctly).
Well, before I am creating my own story here (I guess I just did
) I want to say that we hope to be as enthusiast in the future, and that each DAC delivery just *will* have some specialty going along with it. This counts for the current group of buyers, and I'm sure it will be for the next the same. Without that it's a dead thing, while it is intended to be a "co-work" and sharing of a beautiful hobby, which this in the end all is.
Gerard, I loved reading your story, and I can only hope some music was playing during your two hours of typing. It is really really appreciated, and I know how hard it is. Next time just type somewhat faster, and don't be bothered about people may not understand. I'm sure at least I will.
For now I will say that your DAC has not been burned in at all, and when things improve - and how, I hope you will let it know; It is just good to know for others what to expect.
Yesterday, when Leo came to collect his baby we briefly listened to a DAC which was on for 14 hours or so, and while he asked "how can this improve ?" and, "what will happen ?", I really couldn't answer other than "it sounds somewhat strange, but I could like it forever". So, actually I don't know because I never started off with an "all fresh" DAC.Happy days and happy times !
Peter
