[sajunky]

I think it's the design and build/material of the chassis that is at fault because when the top is off, i hear only the very slight humming expected from any transformer, so this is how I will use it going forward. Buying from lesser known Chinese brands is crapshoot I'd say, but I accept that as a risk for playing the Aliexpress Chifi game. I've had a few other Aliexpress-bought products that are more seriously faulty than this. In such cases they would ask me to return them but the reality is that shipping costs are almost as much as the products, so once you buy something that's pretty much the final sale

Check your mains. DC current can cause transformer buzzing.

 

[magicscreen]

Check your mains. DC current can cause transformer buzzing.

Yeah. My expensive Marantz integrated amplifier's transformer humming as crazy. I should build a DC blocker.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Today is a big day! My PCM1794 based DAC arrived at my doorstep today. I have been using it for roughly half an hour and I already like it. This device sounds so musical right out of the box.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

I found my favorite of all R2R DACs so far:

US $84.05 50%OFF | TZT L1852DAC Audio DAC Hifi USB DAC Audiophile Decoder 24Bit 192K AD1852 Chip With Silver or Black Front Panel
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mshjhz8

It is an AD1852-based DAC, which I believe is a hybrid delta sigma/multibit (from what I can tell).

It also has a single opamp socket - into which I put a Muses 1 opamp.

Rich harmonics, layered midrange, and fantastic separation and soundstaging.

Amazing performance for about $85 plus $55 for the Muses.

This fine piece of electronics just arrived in these cold weather at my place.

Unfortunately the USB input on this device did not work on my PC. I used the SPDIF output of my mainboard to drive this DAC. I let it run for half an hour and it worked as intended. The sound was really good. Then I decided to take the one Burson V5i-D opamp I have collecting dust and chipped it right into my AD1852 DAC. It sounded...more balanced and the soundstage became deeper. I just noticed while listening to a few YouTube videos that the sound quality keeps on getting better. The DAC surprisingly remains perfectly cool at room temperature.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Does anyone keep their DACs running all the time? I am trying this with my AD1852 dac too see if the sound changes.

 

[TheRealDz]

Does anyone keep their DACs running all the time? I am trying this with my AD1852 dac too see if the sound changes.

I generally keep my DACs running all the time - including my AD1852.

 

[ExTubeGamer]

My new hifi AC cable arrived today. This cable made the AD1852 sound slighty better. Quite nice how even power cables can improve the sound.

 

[]eep]

Does anyone keep their DACs running all the time? I am trying this with my AD1852 dac too see if the sound changes.

Depends on the dac. I always turn the tda1543 DAC's off to prevent aging as they sound best with close to Vmax. This also means it runs rather warm and anything that runs warm ages faster (simple chemistry, processes run faster^² with temperature). Tubed DAC's same thing. Most modern DAC's run quite cool. Dac chips usually don't have cooling sinks. But if it has a screen I would turn it off.

When you leave it on temperature stabilizes and it will sound better. Turning on an off creates tension due to expansion and shrinking and this can fatigue solder joints on the circuit board. This isn't likely to happen with a DAC but I once repaired an amp by simply resoldering the transistors.

I leave my Denafrips on all the time.

 

[579369]

I bought this DAC randomly one day... I bought it based off of one review. I don't know anything about the technology inside it. But I do know, it's worth buying... it sounds even better than my Hidisz S9 Pro. But I think I despise dongles now. Even my Tempotec Sonata HD Pro sounds better than the S9. But I could be wrong.

DLHiFi Mini TDA1305DAC Decoder Computer Laptop USB Decode Audio Card Mobile OTG PCM2706 HiFi DAC Type-C Input Dual AUX Output

 

[]eep]

The link doesn't work. It takes me to the main page. But I think you mean this one: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/28-...lassic-philips-tda1305-multi-bit-chip.970129/

This should do fine. It's a bit simple but it gives you old-fashioned multibit, ladder dac flavour. The usb input chip (2706) is limited and the output caps are electrolitic (due to space restraint). I think you're limited to 48kHz and the signal is a bit veiled. But no overexcited artificiality. Not bad for around $30

 

[Elegiac]

Rather expensive, but: https://www.gieseler.com.au/product-page/kompaktii

 

[ExTubeGamer]

Rather expensive, but: https://www.gieseler.com.au/product-page/kompaktii

Why not buy a DAC board from AliExpress and pay someone to modify it? That might be cheaper.

 

[povidlo]

EF499 with supposed tda Phillips chip arrived! Nos/os modes available.

 

[]eep]

Rather expensive, but: https://www.gieseler.com.au/product-page/kompaktii

I assumed Gieseler was Austrian. Not Australian . Prices are are in Australian $ I hope. And 'shipping to Australia only' seems to limit the market just a mite... He can't mass-produce anyways.

The TDA1541 are famous, but it doesn't seem to be the coveted 'crown' version.

It's a very nice local produced niche product. A bit nostalgic. But it's up against stiff competition these days. Especially for that price. 10 years ago it would be a winner, when there were no discrete R2R DAC's.

 

[Elegiac]

I assumed Gieseler was Austrian. Not Australian . Prices are are in Australian $ I hope. And 'shipping to Australia only' seems to limit the market just a mite... He can't mass-produce anyways.

The TDA1541 are famous, but it doesn't seem to be the coveted 'crown' version.

It's a very nice local produced niche product. A bit nostalgic. But it's up against stiff competition these days. Especially for that price. 10 years ago it would be a winner, when there were no discrete R2R DAC's.

I live in OZ so I considered it, but 2 grand is steep for what it is. I'd be paying for the exoticism of the chip.
Performance? Price to performance? Who knows? I'm not game enough to find out.