[Marzie]

I'm not sure how recently this came out (EDIT: I see this item was add November 22,) as a search turned up nothing, and there are some very recent threads discussing the monica 2, but according to DIY paradise, the only way to get a PCB for a monica 3 was to have purchased a monica 2 in the past. Anyone who meets this qualification feel like asking how much for one? I am curious to say the least.

Anyone purchased a PCB or the $375 prebuilt model? Or even heard one?

 

[PhaedrusX]

I don't have the Monica 3 but I do have a Monica USB, and visit DIYParadise on occasion. With the price hikes on his products, I'm going to guess it's going to cost you in the ball park of $200 or more for the module, if you can even pry one off of him.

I really don't know what Yeo is trying to accomplish, but dislike the direction he is going in. Kits and modules are no longer being offered? What?

Paranoia has gripped him, he is not allowing any discussion of his design or parts on his forum, only fully cased plug n play versions are being offered at increased prices, and he now seems to treat questions from loyal customers as underhanded attempts to steal his design.

It looks like he's moving away from DIY and preparing to go into full manufacturer mode, which is a shame imo.

 

[Pars]

I'm sure he loves this thread...

 

[JadeEast]

Yeo brought it up himself.

Welcome to the DIYers Forum - "what's wrong with monica?" discussion on diyhifi

 

[Pars]

Didn't include any meat in his response however. Yes, it was probably an outdated schematic. While you note in your post That forum seems to have a strange culture going on as far as the attitude of the contributers, many of the contributors have extensive digital design experience and knowledge, so I personally wouldn't dismiss their comments quite so easily. It isn't a forum for fanboys however. If you like the Monica, trust your ears and enjoy it.

 

[Marzie]

To answer my own question: I got a response from another head-fier through PM that a completed module will cost $200.

In response to other comments: That doesn't sound very promising. I was looking for a semi-DIY DAC; haven't done much SMC soldering, and I'm hesitant to start. To take the thread in another direction, I would love something that I could put in a Hammond enclosure to sit on my desk and match my PIMETA and hopefully sound good too! And if that isn't too much to ask, something that doesn't kill my wallet. I have optical and coax outputs on the motherboard for my pc, and obviously USB. I would like a USB dac, but then I read posts that say USB has too much noise. Well, I would build an optical or coax dac, but with the digital outputs being on my motherboard, there is noise there also. So does this mean a new dedicated soundcard with digital outputs to a coax/optical dac?

Anyway, at first I was considering an alien DAC, but I have a feeling that I would not be satisfied with that for long. Do you like your monica USB? I think this meets most of my requirements, and be quite a few steps above the alien DAC.

 

[Pars]

How about the Opus DAC? Huge thread

 

[MisterX]

Quote:

I think this meets most of my requirements, and be quite a few steps above the alien DAC.

I don't think it is very many steps over the Alien DAC.
But I don't think the Alien DAC comes anywhere close to the level people around here would like to make you think it does either so......

 

[PhaedrusX]

Sorry, I can't comment on the Monica USB yet. I just recently got all the parts in, and work has kept me from tackling the project. That, and I'm having a hard time finding a nice, small hard wood box for the enclosure.

And just so you know, many of the criticisms of the Monica on that thread are quite dated and some improvements have been made with an incorporated SS I/V gain stage, and direct USB to EIAJ conversion.

I would take a look at the F/S forum. There is a Monica USB there in a Hammond case that was built by MisterX, and the asking price is probably lower than what it would cost you to order in all the parts and build it yourself.

However, if you want to go another way, I would take Par's suggestion and look at the Opus. It really does look very interesting, though if you start stacking modules the cost is going to start piling up.

 

[Marzie]

That's ok, when you do get it cased... you know where to post the pics

I was checking out the Opus. You are right about the modules starting to add up, though. It might be worth it to DIY a full featured DAC which may last me longer in... er the long run.