[BigTony]

That would be nice .. i have a bunch of HDCD rips on my server; but i'm never sure if i'm playing that version or the regular cd!

 

[regal]

From Pin 27 on the PMD100 solder a 30 guage wire, then in series a 600 ohm resistor then your Blue LED, then the cathode of the LED is wired to any ground point. Beezar.com sells some nice LED Bezels to hold the LED.

To find Pin 27 the half circle cut out is the top. Starting at top left is pin 1 counterclockwise, so its the second pin down on the top right of the chip.

 

[shadowlord]

sounds easy, i will try it. Thank you !

 

[regal]

If you google search "PMD 100 datsheet" you can get a picture that shows where #27 is, will make it a little easier.

Also forgot to mention. Check pin 27 as its plugged in for continuity to ground. If it is connected to ground you will just have to "lift" it by bending the pin 90 degrees. It won't hurt it and can be put back if you change your mind.

 

[regal]

I'm surprised this DAC isn't more popular, after a couple months I decided to compare it to my DAC19Mk3, wow the 3SE is a big improvement. It was really rough at first but after burn in it has a magical midrange and much better bass than the 19mk3.

 

[haloxt]

Do you get the feeling that the dac 3SE is too colored at times or conveys musical emotion less honestly than dac19mk3? I had to get the dac19mk3 because I liked all the connectivity, but I have often regretted not getting dac 3SE because I love good midrange.

 

[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you get the feeling that the dac 3SE is too colored at times or conveys musical emotion less honestly than dac19mk3? I had to get the dac19mk3 because I liked all the connectivity, but I have often regretted not getting dac 3SE because I love good midrange.

No it actually seems more accurate than the 19, guitar notes are all there wheras with the 19 it seems to miss some of the freq response or have less authority. The 19 is still a fine DAC mind you, particularly female close mic'ed singing the 3SE really stands out as being super realistic.

 

[Currawong]

A funny story I feel like telling...funny for me anyway. I was testing the DAC19MKIII belonging to a Japanese Head-fier (it wasn't working properly with his computer) -- I hadn't been listening to my rig for some hours and just hooked it up to the Phoenix and plugged in my HD-800s as normal. I was enjoying listening with it instead of the Ref 1 and thought I should switch over to the Ref 1 to hear what the difference was, and when I did..Jebus! Well, ok, not him, but you get the point...I think a lot of it had to do with the PMD100 vs DSP and SE vs balanced. It was like going from a cramped studio to a concert hall.

What would be interesting though is, a DIR9001 vs DSP shootout, as sticking that in the Fun made a big difference to the sound quality, so I can't help wondering how it compares to the 1704 and DSP respectively.

 

[sk3383]

When I saw that Kingwa was running out of PMD100's I thought I owed it to myself to atleast try it before it went extinct.

I custom ordered a DAC-3SE with 8 pieces of PCM1704UK, really excited to compare this against my DAC-19DSP.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Wait how'd you get it with 8 of the pcm1704uk? It only uses 4..

 

[haloxt]

Interesting, why 8 chips? Will it be balanced too?

 

[sk3383]

Nope not balanced.

By looking at the pictures I saw that the circuit board was designed to accept up to 8x1704UK. I asked Kingwa if it was possible to get 8 pieces and if it would bring any SQ. He said the 8x1704UK in a non balanced design would not bring about subtantial SQ but it would be noticeable. He felt that it was not worth the price to upgrade to 8x1704UK but said he would do it if I insisted....and I did....

 

[SoupRKnowva]

That's really cool, I wonder if since he did that if he could make me one that was neutral flavors instead of musical flavors..

 

[sk3383]

I doubt it. If you look closely at his current DAC lineup the DAC-3SE & DAC-3DV are the only circuit boards that appear to be designed to accept additional PCM1704UK chips.

 

[regal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I doubt it. If you look closely at his current DAC lineup the DAC-3SE & DAC-3DV are the only circuit boards that appear to be designed to accept additional PCM1704UK chips.

What makes it "musical" instead of neutral is the analog stage, not the additional PCM1704 chips. The 3SE has a diamond buffer analog stage with a different filter than the DAC19 and its BPM117 current domain filter. I don't think it would be possible to retofit this analog stage to the 3SE, you can however change the the 3SE's filter caps to make it more neutral.