[PatOMalley]

Dannie01,
I get it. 200+ burnin for the BGs.
I notice big changes within the first 50 hours then just groove on it thereafter.
There is a little "in out" if you know what I mean so I set the headphone amp for output and will get another 24 hours by the time I get home today.
I am not turning the DAC off ever.
There are a few DACs on ebay I will fetch as replacements in case I do burn out the current ones. Luckily I have the slots which makes replacing damaged DAC easy.

 

[Audict123]

Hello Pale Rider and apologies to all others as indeed we shouldn't hijack the thread. If you want an affordable balanced DAC, have a look at the Xindak DAC5. I've had it for about a year and recently modded it with Audio GD discrete opamps. It was very good, now I think it is fabulous. The balanced output has no capacitors and with the discrete opamps in, it has no opamp ics either. It's incredibly fluid sounding. I have a Valab Dac coming in any day soon and it will be very interesting how they compare using headphones. It will never be a straight comparison though, because I use the Xindak in a fully balanced system. The normal cinch output of the Xindak is not as good. It has one more opamp sections after the DAC and does use output caps. The second opamp is now also from Audio Gd but the original, mediocre Elna MKS output caps are still in there.
Arie.

 

[tubes]

Pat, how's it sounding now with a few hours on the caps?

Phill

 

[sum1]

Seems like the new 2009 version is up.
I think the decoupling capacitor is different and the layout has changed. seems like the dac chip is on the underside now and uses the chassi as the heatsink to make it cooler

 

[mattcalf]

I would love to know how this DAC stacks up to the Moodlab or the gamma1 from AMB.

I searched but I can't find any impressions.

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[MikeW]

the 2009 version looks alot different then the old version, completely new layout, and it looks like alot different caps. also notice how close the dac's and audio circuits are to the rca input jacks, much closer, reduces signal path.

 

[rbej]

Valab 2009 is TeraDak 2.1??

 

[Historicus]

Yes, look to the new Valab DAC article 270331563053on ebay.

 

[crumplertm]

Anyone know what chip is the valab dac using for its usb converter? I read some where that it is a c-media chip. Any comfirmation?

 

[PatOMalley]

the reason I chose the VALAB over the moon dac is that the moon dac did the same thing per heatsink. I like the heatsink on the valab rather than using the chassis. Looks like he couples the dac/pcb pretty securely but I am planning to put some damping material on the inner bottom chassis and you can't do that with the 2009.

Why is the board branded Teradac? I would wait until an 'original' VALAB dac shows up. I think Kevin is just trying to satisfy demand and using an OEM.

Those output caps look like Tantalums.

In most cases the MON and VALAB dac are replicas. I just don't like the loss of the heatsink.

Phill,
A friend describes the difference between Tantalum vs Blackgate as tinkly vs oomph. The Tantalums after burn in do a HiFi show whereas the BGs have bass bass bass. They also have a tour de force of timbre and palpable presence. The reason I looked into NOS DACs was that a friend told me they got as close to vinyl as you could with air and presence. The Blackgates help that illusion along. "Highly recommended" as they say.

The implementation of the Transformer is not too tuff.

1. Drill a hole in the top chassis
2. remove the output hookup wires to output RCAs
3. twist wires and secure with tie wrap
4. solder the transformers primary to PCB and secondary to RCAs.
5. mount the transformer to top of chassis with 3M two sided foam tape.
6. secure the wire to top inside of the chassis
7. screw chassis plates together
8. don't look back.

 

[tubes]

Pat, I've been thinking about the transformers and how to install them and still look decent. I don't know if the enclosure for the Valab is a standard box that can be purchased but my idea would be to install the transformers in an identical box, secure the two boxes side by side with a couple of screws then make a nice new black acrylic face plate that would be big enough to make it look like one box from the front, just an idea. I'd love to try the BG's but if the transformers are superior that would be the way to go the first time and get it over with. Have you heard any feedback on the improvements made by transformer coupling?

Phill

 

[PatOMalley]

Hey Phill,
The best feedback regarding the caps and transformers has been from Kevin. He said you will get an improvement on changing out the caps but the best improvement will come with the transformers.

There is also a review noted earlier in the thread about the Ah DAC, I think, and the improvement an output transformer made. The AH Dac is close enough in implementation to the VALAB to expect the same results.

You are right about going straight to the transformer but it may take me a little while to budgeting the transformers and the BGs were less money, etc etc.

Using an enclosure of some sort would make it prettier but I kind of like the outboard nature of the Cinemags. That's what I did for my SUT. Put the cans topside. Looks sporty.

Trying that with the output transformers on the VALAB would give it an open hotrod kind of gestalt.

You could mount a closed enclosure topside as well ....

 

[tubes]

Pat, how big are the transformers? I have the cinemags for MC step up and they fit nicely into a small enclosure, if the same could be done for the output transformers it could easily be piggy backed on top of the valab case or they could be naked giving it a different look.

A question, if the primaries are soldered to the board where the caps were, and the secondaries are soldered to the RCA's, would that be a problem beacause of the 47k resistors located between the where the caps are now and the outputs?

 

[PatOMalley]

Phill,

Here is the pdf for the CMPB-2H transformer from Cinemag: http://cinemag.biz/output/CMOB-2.pdf
The trannies are 32mm wide. They will easily fit two on top. Three if you want to couple the input. If you put the hole in the chassis between them you keep all connections together for neat wire management. You should not get hum unless you are dangerously close to another power transformer.

If so you can try different enclosure. I like the idea of leaving them open but you have a small enough footprint to fit an enclosure easily.

 

[krisno]

PatOMalley

I see you have a tubeamp there. How do you think that NOS dac mates up with tubes? Is it the match in heaven or makes it a too laidback combination??

K