[el_matt0]

hey guys im planning to throw together a soha and alien dac in the same enclosure for my brother as an XMAS present. this way he should be able to simply just plug USB into it and get a quality sounding headphone out!

i plan to house the trafo in a wallwart so as to leave ample space for the alien board in the same enclosure as the SOHA. ive managed to find a few basic alien dac build threads etc, it seems like a fairly straightforward build. however, couple questions. the alien dac should be amply powered just by the USB right? im just building both from glassjaraudio kits, and it was just the basic level 1 soha kit that i grabbed. is this just a simple matter of populating both boards and connecting em up, or are there any special considerations i will need to take for going about this plan of having them both cased together? also, im SURE theres a SOHA build/construction thread or website out there somewhere but i, as usual, am terrible with the search feature and just cannot seem to find it! links

? is my plan so far "suitable", or are there any modifications to it that you guys might suggest? this is his first "intro" to hifi audio stuff, so im not looking to build a crazily expensive amp, but if there are any reasonably priced upgrades for a soha u think i should consider, please shout! thanks as always everyone

 

[J.D.N]

Did you tell jeff you were only going to power the DAC from USB? I think there is a slight change in parts, when i ordered mine i said it was just going to be USB powered and i think something changed, can't quite remember though.

As for a SOHA build page:
Viola!

mb3k.com the place to be

 

[Basil101]

Nice project idea, be sure to post some pics.
The IC's used will vary with the power supply you use (IC3 for USB/IC4 for virtual ground amp) as do C32, R31 and R32.
Details here You may also want do jumper out CL and CR see the assembly guide for details.

 

[el_matt0]

yep im pretty sure i mentioned to jeff that the alien will be USB powered, so assuming that hes got the right parts in there for that, its just a simple fill-up-the-board, connect it up, and pray?

 

[MASantos]

I would add a pair of RCA inputs with a DPDT switch to switch between the ALien and the RCA's. This will add about 10$ to your order( using a nice toggle switch) and will give your brother the option to use another source in the future.

Mount the switch in the back of the enclosure with small wire lenghts!

Then you can build him a DIY cd player!!

 

[el_matt0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MASantos /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would add a pair of RCA inputs with a DPDT switch to switch between the ALien and the RCA's. This will add about 10$ to your order( using a nice toggle switch) and will give your brother the option to use another source in the future. Mount the switch in the back of the enclosure with small wire lenghts! Then you can build him a DIY cd player!!

good tip, i will definitely do that, shouldnt be hard to do at all either.so DPDT is what i want for this application? im always terrible with the switch lingo, but i assume double pull double throw is for exactly this?

 

[el_matt0]

ive read alot of posts recently about adding on buffer boards etc to the SOHA. does this DRASTICALLY improve the sound quality? ive heard it takes the soha basically from an entry level amp up to being comparable with amps such as the MHMAX etc. ive seen the name JISBOS buffers come up being used on SOHAs recently, but honestly i know 0 about this. is it something i should look into....can anyone point me in the right direction? or for a basic amp should i just stick with the stock SOHA build?

 

[ferds]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el_matt0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ive read alot of posts recently about adding on buffer boards etc to the SOHA. does this DRASTICALLY improve the sound quality? ive heard it takes the soha basically from an entry level amp up to being comparable with amps such as the MHMAX etc. ive seen the name JISBOS buffers come up being used on SOHAs recently, but honestly i know 0 about this. is it something i should look into....can anyone point me in the right direction? or for a basic amp should i just stick with the stock SOHA build?

Check here: HeadWize: DIY Workshop > discrete buffer: jisbos (air wired)

You can order the JISBOS Boards in amb shop..

 

[el_matt0]

ok so if my understanding is correct these are basically buffers for the output stage? so its going to improve the overall SQ? id need 2 JISBOS boards?? is it one per channel? is this something you guys would suggest pursuing...how much is a SOHA + JISBOS going to trounce a SOHA alone?

 

[ferds]

one JISBOS board per channel.. so you need 2pcs per soha.. Jeff Rossel is offering parts kit for jisbos.. i think $25 for parts for 2boards. I think adding jisbos boards will be worthwhile doing..

 

[ferds]

HeadWize: Marketplace > JISBOS parts kits for 2 boards

 

[el_matt0]

yea i agree, i had NO idea jeff offers them, damn had i only known like 2 days ago i wouldve just ordered it all together! he really needs to update the glassjaraudio site to show ALLLLL of what he really offers!

cuz right now im pretty sure it only shows about like 15% of his total kit offerings haha. seems like it should be fairly striaghtforward to include these then? its just a matter of populating up those 2 boards and basically adding em between the output jack and the outputs of the soha? what exactly does "air-wiring" imply? im sure ive done it before because based on pics of JISBOS + soha it doesnt look like anything special? if adding the JISBOS, do any modifications need to be made to the BOM for the SOHA itself?

 

[el_matt0]

in addition to my previous question regarding what exactly "air-wiring" is. I was told that if adding 2 JISBOS buffers to my planned SOHA + Alien DAC build, i should consider upping the voltage regulators. seeing that i dont yet have the parts or boards im not 100% on what that exactly implies. which parts would i want to swap out from the stock build, and what would i want to "upgrade" to?

 

[ferds]

you need to upgrade the regulators from To92 to TO220 types.

Looking in your previous builds in your sig, i think putting up an Alien + SOHA + Jisbos is a piece of cake to you..

BTW my jisbos boards arrived this morning..

 

[el_matt0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferds /img/forum/go_quote.gif you need to upgrade the regulators from To92 to TO220 types. Looking in your previous builds in your sig, i think putting up an Alien + SOHA + Jisbos is a piece of cake to you.. BTW my jisbos boards arrived this morning..

well thanks for the compliment/motivation! ill probably need it seeing that im planning to get it all put together in like 3 days (including casework) so its ready for my brothers BDAY on the 22nd! gah! im still a bit lost by the terminology "air-wiring". i mean, arent we simply just using hookup wire to connect the terminal blocks of the jisbos to the output of the SOHA? and likewise with the alien dac to the SOHA's inputs? or is that exactly just what air-wiring implies (in which case its not a term ive heard applied before!).