[Heruka]

No, not this one. ATLANTIS it's name. It has variable amounts of voltage (3; 4,5; 6; 7,5; 9; 12) @ 800 mA.

 

[Heruka]

I just got it yesterday. It's in black box, the PCB is white. The one with AMS1117 3.3V and 15-18V on input. So far I am using standard PSU (12V @ 1000 mA) with red LED on top of it. The PSU is getting quite warm and the little black metal plate inside is quite hot. But I guess this will do no harm to this little beast...?
 
I am waiting for other psu to arrive, and I will find out how is this dac acting. 
 
Regards.

 

[vinyl dragon]

We have the same version, did you get the one with the Elna Silmic II output caps?
 
I tried aluminium Ram cooler heatsinks directly on each of the 1543 chips (instead of the plate) but wasn't happy in the fact they seemed to be even hotter then the plate, in the end I put the plate back and stuck the ram coolers to the top surface to increase the mass & conduction area (also used a heat transfer pad so the LM317 regulator next to the chips was cooled by the plate/sink assembly, it gets HOT but there's no room for a sink of it's own.
 
I then drilled 24 X 5mm holes in the case above the sinks (plays hell with the screen printing but I figure when needs must
 
When you put the case top on now the ram cooler fins are in contact with it so the whole case acts as a sink and just gets slightly warmish and together with the cooling holes nowhere gets alarmingly hot.
 
I'm still using the switchmode supply, I've got all the bits to knock together a good 10V linear one, but just haven't got around to it yet, that's the next thing on the 'to do' list..
 
Cheers
Graham

 

[Heruka]

Yeah, elna. 
 
But I am wondering why it is getting so hot? Because it just have to be that way or maybe those parts are some fake chinese crap?Is those elements not being damaged by this temperature? 
 
I am still waiting for different psu; maybe smaller amount of voltage will decrease temperature.
 
Thanks for reply Graham.
 
And by the way, I choose this seller (quite cheap I guess): 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200718582070?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

[vinyl dragon]

I got mine from a UK seller (helps being in the UK they offer it with several alternative output cap options (Elna, Nichicon, Philips, there may be others)
 
It seems though that every NOS DAC has a lot of heat to deal with it just goes with the territory it seems, though I'd say it was aggravated by the very small case and lack of airflow/ventilation & there's no room for decent sized heat sinks.
 
But on the other hand this is a dead cheap DAC by anyone's standards and WAY outperforms it's asking price, come to that outperforms many at many times it's price (I know this for a fact having heard it wipe the floor with two 'giants')  so I'm not complaining! Having to do a bit of work myself seems a very small price to pay.
 
I am assured though that knocking down the supply voltage though cools things off somewhat and a linear supply reaps even more dividends in terms of sound quality.. I'll post as soon as I know, hope you'll do the same
 
All the best
Graham

 

[Heruka]

Quote:

I tried aluminium Ram cooler heatsinks directly on each of the 1543 chips (instead of the plate) but wasn't happy in the fact they seemed to be even hotter then the plate, in the end I put the plate back and stuck the ram coolers to the top surface to increase the mass & conduction area (also used a heat transfer pad so the LM317 regulator next to the chips was cooled by the plate/sink assembly, it gets HOT but there's no room for a sink of it's own.
 
I then drilled 24 X 5mm holes in the case above the sinks (plays hell with the screen printing but I figure when needs must
 
When you put the case top on now the ram cooler fins are in contact with it so the whole case acts as a sink and just gets slightly warmish and together with the cooling holes nowhere gets alarmingly hot.

 
and how did You put this cooler with those chips together? with some glue?
 
max ambient temperature of 1543 chips is about 85 degrees C and of LM317 is 125 I guess, so maybe it isn't so bad...I am still waiting for the PSU...I have some bad luck, 'cause I bought it from kinda strange seller... :/

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

 
Quote:

 
and how did You put this cooler with those chips together? with some glue?
 
max ambient temperature of 1543 chips is about 85 degrees C and of LM317 is 125 I guess, so maybe it isn't so bad...I am still waiting for the PSU...I have some bad luck, 'cause I bought it from kinda strange seller... :/

 
usually with RAM heatsinks, somebody will use something like ((Arctic Silver)brand) Non-Conductive Silver Thermal Epoxy. You glue the ram heatsinks right onto the chips.

 

[vinyl dragon]

 
Quote:

 
 
usually with RAM heatsinks, somebody will use something like ((Arctic Silver)brand) Non-Conductive Silver Thermal Epoxy. You glue the ram heatsinks right onto the chips.

 
 


Rather simpler then that, they came with a self adhesive thermally conductive 'tape' on the back, just peel & stick
 
The Dacs & regulator were probably fine, but I just don't like SS components getting hot and keeping them cool has got to be better for them or at least extend their lives.
 
Now, even with the standard 12V switchmode supply it gets nothing more then marginally warmish, with no hotspots at all. Just makes me more comfortable

 

[AnAnalogSpirit]

LOL how could I up and forget about regular thermal tape? OMG. Thanks for pointing that out. May be safer to just use thermal tape than epoxy some heatsinks permanently to your DAC chips...

 

[wushuliu]

Hm. You guys really need to give that French TDA1543 dac I referred to earlier a try. Roughly same price, performs better and is so compact and simple you couldn't mod it if you wanted to. Just search ebay for tda1543. Shows the difference it makes when someone knows what they're doing.

 

[Heruka]

 
Quote:

It can accept any signal to the limits of the DIR9001 input receiver.  That is 24 bit 96 khz.  The 24 bit will be remapped to 16 bit internally, the 96khz signal remains intact I believe.  Therefore highest real resolution is 16/96.  I am not too sure but I believe this is correct.

 
wouldn't be that true if there was only one tda chip?
 
if there are 4 tda chips and if input is 24/96 signal, aren't those 24 bits divided somehow between them?I don't know if equally, that is 6 bits for each, but maybe one gets 16 bits and second 8 and other nothing. in this way input=output. as about the frequencies, in tda datasheet is written 192 khz; and single chip up to 16 bits.
 
so, otherwise, what for there would be 4 tda chips?
 

 

[Heruka]

 
Quote:

Rather simpler then that, they came with a self adhesive thermally conductive 'tape' on the back, just peel & stick  
The Dacs & regulator were probably fine, but I just don't like SS components getting hot and keeping them cool has got to be better for them or at least extend their lives.
 
Now, even with the standard 12V switchmode supply it gets nothing more then marginally warmish, with no hotspots at all. Just makes me more comfortable

 
oh, I see...I was asking, 'cause I got some old aluminum coins, and I thought maybe to glue them to those hot elements. so, would it be ok to just glue them with some "super glue"?
 
what is SS components?
 
thanks.

 

[Heruka]

my mod's:
 

 

[vinyl dragon]

How is that working out? I'm not sure I'd put those MKT caps on top of the 'sinks' surely that would insulate them again? Love the Vishay 'Cap' feet though Whats the sound quality like?

 

[Heruka]

 
Quote:

How is that working out? I'm not sure I'd put those MKT caps on top of the 'sinks' surely that would insulate them again? Love the Vishay 'Cap' feet though Whats the sound quality like?

it works fine. I did it familiar to this post: 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/512389/mini-dac-tda1543-x-4-nos/225#post_7312137
 
but with no PIO's but MKP instead. the quality is better; i guess also the lows are deeper.