# Best DIY Dac (Late 2015 edition)



## JoshMo

Hey - I am interested in building the best quality DAC possible (or a couple of them for comparison) but when I search for DIY DAC info I mostly get posts from 2012 or earlier, so I thought I would try and get a newer list together as a resource for anyone looking to do similar.
  
 I have the PupDAC and while it was a fun build, I am not sure if it sounds much better than DAC's that cost around $250. Also seems to be lots of portable DAC's out there for quick builds.
  
 So what the next step up? I've looked at the Buffalo DAC and am quite interested. AMB's gamma 2 has great reviews for a portable, and I am really looking forward to the larger gamma3 coming out shortly(fingers crossed).
  
 What else does everyone have experience with?


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## MLGrado

Hmmm... you know what I am up to?  As suggested to me by Thorsten Loesch.  Building a DSD only 'DAC'.  DSD should be and is extremely simple to decode. All you need is a single bitswitch, a simple RC filter, and an output stage.  
  
 The bitswitch is taken care of in the i2S DSD output of say an Amanero USB interface.  Simply send the i2s voltage signal into an RC filter to shape the signal, stripping it of the ultrasonic noise.  Send that to an output stage/transformer.  
  
 Voila.  A true, pure DSD dac solution.  
  
 I am researching this, trying to figure out what kind of voltage levels we are talking about with the I2S output, planning for the RC filter, and looking for possible tube based output stages.  
  
  
 This would TRULY be a native DSD dac.  No digital FIR filters, including those realized in the analog domain, that render a multi-bit signal, ala Signalyst, Burr-Brown.  DEFINITELY not like an ESS solution, which digitally filters into very high sample rate PCM internally for DSP operations.  
  
 Heck, even Lampizator uses a 'digital' 'solid-state' filter, as he calls it, that is like the Signalyst and Burr-Brown solutions.  
  
 The only other possible contenders are those DACs that use a switched capacitor system.  I am not sure exactly how they work, but they may indeed quality as true native DSD, in the same sense as the DAC I am planning to build.


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## NiHaoMike

Here's a design my best friend and I did very recently:
 https://github.com/NiHaoMike/OpenDAC-HD
 The DAC chip supports DSD but I didn't have the time to implement it. Maybe someone here can add support.


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## JoshMo

Thanks for the recommendations guys. DSD support isn't a huge concern of mine due to my music library largely being flac.
  
@NiHaoMike how do you like the TI DAC chip?


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## NiHaoMike

The PCM1792A is one of the best DACs available. It will work without sending I2C commands, which is helpful for debugging. In that case, it will just operate with default parameters (which is fine for most applications) and a fixed gain. The internal gain control is very helpful in eliminating the need for an external PGA.


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## amb

FYI. The γ3 DAC will be released within one month. I am working on the official website (currently just a placeholder with a bullet list of features), and production boards are being manufactured.

See the following post for some photos of my build:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/85561/post-pics-of-your-builds/9720#post_12010244


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## JoshMo

Fantastic news and problem solved. I will continue to refresh the site daily. 
  
 Great looking cases for the gamma and the power supply. Are you going to be selling the cases as well?


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## amb

The cases are off-the-shelf Par-Metal 20-series in 12x12x2" size. I specified no front or rear panels, but with two front panel mounting frames per case. Then I had Front Panel Express machine me the panels. I will provide the .fpd files at the γ3 website, should you wish to use the same cases.


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## JoshMo

Thank you very much for sharing all of this information. Again, really looking forward to this.


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## jcx

SACD "direct DSD" requires >5th order analog filters, originally speced @ 100 kHz the noise shaped rising high frequencies provoked some audiophile amps into self destruction so Sony moved it down to 50 kHz as the current official DSD reconstruction filter corner frequency
  
 jus say'n...


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## RubenV

I've heard a lot of positive noise about the DDDAC 1794, which you can DIY. Link: http://www.dddac.com/sales_1794.html


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## NiHaoMike

The PCM1794A is the same as the PCM1792A without the I2C control interface. Since they're basically the same price and the PCM1792A is able to operate without I2C commands, is there any good reason to use the PCM1794A? A nice feature of the PCM1792A is the built in gain control so you don't need an external PGA.


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## RubenV

nihaomike said:


> The PCM1794A is the same as the PCM1792A without the I2C control interface. Since they're basically the same price and the PCM1792A is able to operate without I2C commands, is there any good reason to use the PCM1794A? A nice feature of the PCM1792A is the built in gain control so you don't need an external PGA.


 
 Have you clicked the link? The DDDAC is stackable. Some people use like 4 or 8 decks.


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## NiHaoMike

I don't see why multiple PCM1792As cannot be used in parallel. The I2C addressing has provision for up to 4 units, but by adding an external multiplexer, that can be extended with no theoretical limit.


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## Punch Leez

amb said:


> The cases are off-the-shelf Par-Metal 20-series in 12x12x2" size. I specified no front or rear panels, but with two front panel mounting frames per case. Then I had Front Panel Express machine me the panels. I will provide the .fpd files at the γ3 website, should you wish to use the same cases.


 
  
 I like the γ3 very much because of it's galvanic isolation! But I will more happy if everything is packed in one smaller PCB.


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## Sam Lord

The Signalist DSC-1 has outstanding measured performance:
 http://www.signalyst.com/hardware.html
  
 It's DSD-only on input, so use with HQPlayer for Both PCM and DSD.
  
 Discussion:
  
 http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/254935-signalyst-dsc1.html
  
 http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/direct-stream-digital-only-using-dsc-1-2-or-3-a-24310/
  
 Also there is the ESS Sabre 9018 Eval board, great for tweaking.


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## amb

Just FYI, the full γ3 website is now up, along with its companion module, the γ24 DAC core. They are both released and available as of yesterday.


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## Punch Leez

amb said:


> Just FYI, the full γ3 website is now up, along with its companion module, the γ24 DAC core. They are both released and available as of yesterday.


 
 Any measurements teaser?


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## amb

punch leez said:


> Any measurements teaser?



Go to the γ3 website and look in the Specifications section.


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## Punch Leez

Really amazing, the results are too impressive.... I know this is kinda something like a money no object device, but is there any chance for you to swap with a normal decent clock from the Crystek and run the jitter test again?
  
 I am always thinking that the PLL inside a decent DAC is really good enough, an extra higher performance clock wont benefit that much in a modern DAC. It may only useful for the old DAC with poor PLL integrated. I am just guessing....


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## amb

The impressive performance is not due to one thing alone. Every little bit helps. In the γ3 no corners were cut. The whole really is the sum of its parts... plus a lot of care in its implementation.


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## Fingerling

I was interested by this one http://www.raspyfi.com/building-my-reference-dac/ but no tutorial


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## tomb

fingerling said:


> I was interested by this one http://www.raspyfi.com/building-my-reference-dac/ but no tutorial


 
 1. No power supply is included .  V+ and Gnd on the end with the single green terminal block is where you must attach some sort of power supply.
  
 2. You must purchase and attach a complete USB module (the multi-pin connector in the middle of the PCB).  The specs of 24-bit/192kHz mean nothing unless you build/purchase an entire USB module that can supply that.
  
 3. It uses rudimentary Wima coupling capacitors on the output.  It does this because it specifies that it has an offset of up to 4 mV.  There is no other output, beyond the DAC chip output, except  for these capacitors.  Beside the fact that output coupling capacitors don't sound as good as a DAC without them, it's even possible that some amps could fry the DAC chip with this type of circuit.
  
 4. The DAC specs list an "ultra-low noise regulator circuit," but list the specs for the regulator itself, not the measurements of the entire DAC.  Besides, there is only one regulator on the PCB.  This is an absolute minimum requirement because the DAC chip most likely uses 3.3V, while the power supply is spec'd at anything from 6 to 20VDC.  There is no regulation on the analog output (where the red Wima capacitors are).  That is the analog side of the circuit and has the most effect on sound quality, beyond the basic operation of the DAC chip.


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## Fingerling

Thanks for the explanations. So this is not a good build.


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