Yea, it's a high-bandwidth chip, the main reason it's so picky. But I think it can run decently on 18-20v, check the spec sheet it should be writen there. Otherwise I had OPA2132, AD825 and one of those jellybean chips, the 2132 sounded great at 16-18v, but the LM is just stellar when the layout...

It runs at a higher voltage and is picky about the circuit: you can't dump it in a cheap Cmoy and hope it sound well. It does seems to have a bit more gain, but that may be a side effect of the 30v I'm dumping in it.

If you can build a circuit able to support it, the LM6172 is one of the best I ever heard. But then, for a portable amp, it's going to eat trough batteries like an Head-Fier goes through headphone.

I highly doubt as the A900x are 1cm larger than the DT770. maybe if you are careful when stretching they will fit, albeit badly. Still, could be worth a try in the name of science .

That is strictly the bare minimum of a Cmoy, give this a try, it should be quite better : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Under-25-00-DIY-RA1-JRC4556-Cmoy-Hi-Fi-Headphone-amplifier-KIT-Guaranteed-/190830940574?pt=AU_Electronics_Audio_Amplifiers&hash=item2c6e69119e   The Opamp is mounted in a...

I'd advise you to stay away from the AD825/827 unless you know for sure they are genuine. It's been 5 I buy from ebay and all of them were fake. Also, which Cmoy do you have?  

I finally sent an message to hifispot, the seller of the coax/usb dac, asking if he had a model with an S/PDIF input and today one popped up, same board but different plug. I'll give some feedback once it's up and running.   Thanks to everyone for the help!

Quote: It's more fun to make it, and I'm planning on keeping the dac/amp for a long time, those Superlux won't last forever .

I just stumbled on this one:   http://www.ebay.ca/itm/DAC-AD1955-WM8805-Coaxial-Optical-DIY-KIT-/140735106219?pt=US_Amplifier_Parts_Components&hash=item20c4774cab   It needs an USB addon card, but at least it has an optical input so it is useable with my PC, would it be a good choice too?

Well, now that nearly everything was sorted out, just now I notice that the USB input is gimped (16bit,48K). Is it going to make a huge difference, as coaxial output on computers are rare and I won't be able to use it?

Thanks for the reply. I'm a bit confused about the transformer, is it only for the DAC or can I use it on both? The amp list dual AC12-15V for input voltage, does that mean that it need 2 15V channels? The transformer list 9V*2 and 15V*2.   Also, I can't find if the coaxial connection is...

I'm currently planning on getting my Xonar DS out of my PC and building myself a DAC and an AMP. Since I'm switching to a SFF build this summer I need to ditch it. Now, I have been looking at the GrubDac and a tube CMoy combo, but I have no idea how to part my budget and what to build.   I...

Anyone else has the HD572? I just modded a pair and DEAR GOD, my 668b got nothing on these. And that's for 35$ once the mod is done and I'm sure they can be even better, I just have no idea what to do next.

DACs are purely made for audio: no fancy surround effects, Dolby Headphones, EAX of stuff like that. They also usually are external (not a card that you plug inside the computer, most are USB).    Soundcards are somewhat gimped DACs with cheaper materials but more software(aka EAX,ALchemy...

Quote: As of the buzz, Front panel connectors are usually really cheap, you can sometime solve it by finding the "sweet spot" by turning the plug slowly in the jack. I have absolutely no idea why, but it worked for a while. The other option, wich is the best, is to get an extension cable...