ELE DAC Thread

[fabripav]

  can the volume be be controlled using the volume keys on my computer keyboard?

It can for me
 
 
I got the d02 in the post today. It works pretty great with headphones (Superlux HD669, not sure about impedance but it should be fairly low, around 50 Ω if I'm not mistaken) and hooked up to speakers through a Marantz amp.
 
I have a question: since I use WASAPI with my music player (MusicBee), everything else (windows sounds and videos in Chrome) play through the laptop speakers. Is there a way to force Chrome to use WASAPI?

 

[adisib]

  It can for me
 
 
I got the d02 in the post today. It works pretty great with headphones (Superlux HD669, not sure about impedance but it should be fairly low, around 50 Ω if I'm not mistaken) and hooked up to speakers through a Marantz amp.
 
I have a question: since I use WASAPI with my music player (MusicBee), everything else (windows sounds and videos in Chrome) play through the laptop speakers. Is there a way to force Chrome to use WASAPI?

 
There is no reason to have chrome use WASAPI, because then your music player and everything else will have no sound, and you don't need the tiny improvement of sound quality for chrome. If you want to have sound for both your music player and Chrome, don't use WASAPI, since the audio improvement is not that big anyway.

 

[MikoLayer]

Sorry for necroposting, but I figured this would be a good place to ask: does anyone know what output impedance the D01 has? I need to know this to calculate the value of volume pot to insert between the DAC and car's power amp. Thanks!

 

[phillipwareham]

EDIT: Ignore this, I saw somewhere else that the DAC needs to be self-powered.  I guess I should ask on a forum about MIUI instead of here, anyway. Thanks.
 
Searched and couldn't find the answer to this, but has anyone used the ELE EL-D01 with an android 4.1 device? I have the DAC on the way and also have a little OTG adaptor so it would be nice if it did. My phone is a Xiaomi 2s running their MIUI version of Android 4.1 that doesn't support use of USB drives through the OTG adaptor, so I'm asking this with a bit of pessimism.

 

[MikoLayer]

  EDIT: Ignore this, I saw somewhere else that the DAC needs to be self-powered.  I guess I should ask on a forum about MIUI instead of here, anyway. Thanks.
 
Searched and couldn't find the answer to this, but has anyone used the ELE EL-D01 with an android 4.1 device? I have the DAC on the way and also have a little OTG adaptor so it would be nice if it did. My phone is a Xiaomi 2s running their MIUI version of Android 4.1 that doesn't support use of USB drives through the OTG adaptor, so I'm asking this with a bit of pessimism.

For what it's worth, I am using one on my 2012 Nexus 7 on Timur's rom (CM10.1 USB rom based). Works like a charm, no drama with detection or playback at all.
 

 These are just some of the supported USB DAC's: CM106-F, FiiO E07 + E10 + E17, Hifimediy Sabre, VIA USB Audio Dongle, Behringer UFO202 + UCA202 + UCA222, Syba SD-CM-UAUD, Miditech Audioface2 (PCM 2902), FujitsuSiemens PortReplicator (CM 108), Aune T1 (TE7022), Turtle Beach Micro II, BERESFORD Caiman, Teralink x2, Headroom Total Bithead, Fostex PC-100USB.
Basically all standard USB audio devices should work.
Problems have been reported only with TAS1020B based DAC's.

 

[Sparker5311]

I just received one of these in the mail today (D02). I haven't had time to do much of any real testing or experimentation yet but I've noticed the same problem others have mentioned where the volume is very loud. Basically it seems like I only have 3 volume options: mute, quite loud and way too loud (plus several morel steps of "way too loud" going up).

Does anyone have any fixes for this? Maybe a physical modification to the DAC or a setting change somewhere within the PC? I'd like to have some reasonable adjustments available for volume.

 

[funkoid]

Buy the unamped version, only use headphones that need a high amount of juice, or set the PC volume to 1% then use the volume buttons on the dac to control the volume.

 

[P701]

Funny how the DAC specs are exaggerated on ebay descriptions.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELE-EL-D02-PCM2704-USB-DAC-TDA1308-Headphone-amplifier-Volume-Control-black-/190898613272?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transmitters&hash=item2c7271ac18
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELE-EL-D01-MINI-HIFI-USB-DAC-SOUND-Audio-CARD-PCM2704-BOARD-ELNA-Capacitor-bla-/290908894610?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43bb857592
Dynamic range: 100dB
Noise signal ratio: 105db
THD + N: 0.002%

While the PCM2704-chip that it uses can not even perfom that good.
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/pcm2704.pdf
Dynamic Range: 98 dB
SNR = 98 dB
THD+N: 0.025% (load 32Ω)

Plus, the components that will cause some noise/distortion, the final values would be even worse than that.
What I am wondering also is that, doesnt most modern integrated soudncards already perfom better than this? Ofcourse, if there is some noticeable background noise that you can hear, then this USB Dac might be fine for these kind of situations.

 

[CoiL]

Specs to specs but I personally find this cheap DAC noticeably better in SQ than many laptop and PC integrated soundcards I`ve tried, even with stock capacitors.

 

[Sparker5311]

I've gotten in a few hours of listening on this little guy (the D02) using the same headphones I've used for the last couple years and there is definitely an improvement over the on-board headphone jack coming from my PC.  I was listening to an album I've heard maybe a hundred times before (Give Up by The Postal Service) and actually had to look around the room behind me a few times to see what was going on because there were so many little sounds that I'd never been able to hear before.  Overall sound quality might not be top notch but I am for sure getting a bit of extra detail from tracks I'm very familiar with.
 
I am having problems getting it to work with the Spotify desktop program in Windows however.  I've been using it with Fidelify but I don't like the interface nearly as much as the normal Spotify offering.  I do have the Equalify add-in running in Spotify which I've found online to be the answer for other people getting a USB DAC to work, but when I manually select my DAC from the settings in Equalify I get an error saying that the sound card is malfunctioning and it will not play.  Has anyone else run into problems like this?

 

[CoiL]

Today installed correct value ELNA SilmicII`s (previous were leftovers and wrong value) and Panasonic FR capacitors.  
 


 
Highly recommended upgrade! This little thingy sounds so much better now compared to stock capacitors.
 
I made second one also but instead FR I also used SilmicII`s. This one has more depth, distance and more air but sound somewhat too laid-back/distant maybe.
By initial impressions I`m thinking 1st setup would probably fit better for majority. For me second one might become better since I`m large-airy-soundstage junkie.
I need to burn-in both setups and compare them properly. Will keep You updated.  
 
Now I will certainly make a nice wooden enclosure for it ;P

 

[Sparker5311]

Just in case it helps anyone else in the future I figured out my Spotify issue.  When I was using Fidelify, I would change the settings to WASAPI, but if you do that then switch back to normal Spotify the DAC keeps the WASIPI setting and it won't work at all.  I fixed this by uninstalling and re-installing the DAC in Windows device manager. Working well with the regular Spotify client now.
 
CoiL- Are the capacitors you're using available from somewhere I'd find locally in the US like a Radio Shack or do you order them online somewhere?  It looks like a pretty easy project and since the whole device it so cheap, the cost of complete failure wouldn't be too bad.

 

[CoiL]

I ordered SilmicII`s from legit internet seller but they seem to be almost out of stock atm. But Mouser should offer them: http://www2.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Elna/RFS-50V101MI55/?qs=%2fha2pyFadugJRZOb6WtDyvynHYyuOUJBY9XP9CAuCeI%3d
Panasonic FR series should be easily available almost everywhere. 

 

[Aviv]

Sorry if it's stupid question, but how do you connect it to the PC if there is no cable coming with it?

 

[funkoid]

Just a USB lead, A to B, mainly used for printers.