[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?

 

[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.  

 

[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.

 

[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?

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[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?

 

[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.

 

[JoshMo]

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

 

[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...

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[RubenV]

  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.

 

[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.

 

[Punch Leez]

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.