NOS DACs

Discussion in 'Digital: DACs, USB converters, decrapifiers' started by brencho, Jan 6, 2016.

  1. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    If you have a good source, I say try to find a DAC 2 unit without the reclocker. I can't speak on if or how the DAC 3 differs in terms of sound, but the reclocker could in theory make things sound worse if your source is inherently better than the reclocker. Just a guess. I say go for whatever is cheapest. Maybe even a bare board with your own PSU or batteries and case.

    The 1543 was and still is a cheap, budget DAC chip for a reason. I think it occupied the budget and more portable sphere in its day, whereas the TDA1541/A, which is on a whole different planet in terms of performance in comparison, occupied high end devices. The 1543 is probably good for somewhere around 12-14 bits of accuracy, and none of the specs on paper are all that great, like THD (BTW, the first gen Metrum DACs weren't using much better chips than the 1543). However, it is still a classic, multibit chip, and it is sort of like a small glimpse into the sort of old school Philips multibit DAC sound.

    I really like my SPS DAC2 as a cheap, backup, non-oversampling DAC. It's pretty no-frills all around and gets the job done when I need a DAC solution for short on the go bursts or random stuff in the house where I can't or won't use my other DACs. There's something unique to the Philips 1541 and 1543 sound that I enjoy, and it better helped me identify my tastes and align them with others. Sure, the Modi Multibit is overall a much better DAC, if you enjoy the Schiit house sound and want oversampling (most folks). For those curious about the Philips sound and/or non-oversampling, the SPS stuff will give you a glimpse. Not a full taste of what a really good NOS DAC sounds like, but just enough to wet your tongue and see if maybe there's something there for you. Really, I'd only recommend it to a niche group of people or the very curious.
     
  2. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    EDIT - Turns out this is a 256x oversampling DAC. Nothing to see here!

    Just because I don't already have enough DACs lying around (!!), I'm picking up this Micromega T-DAC for cheap. AES in, balanced out are nice. Not much online about them though, I'll get in touch with Micromega and see if they can shed any further light.

    27954310456_c2bcf26b8b_k.jpg 27954310196_4914e50758_k.jpg


    I shall report back once it's up and running :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 22, 2017
  3. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    Someone on headfi tried finding more info 12 years ago and also contacted MicroMega, don't think they succeeded. Even the manual links are dead.
     
  4. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    Yeah that one came up on my google search. Sounds like they sent him some stuff but he couldn't work out the translation from French. As a Brit who voted to stay in Europe, I reckon I can have a crack at the translation :)
     
  5. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    There's a fella on the artofsound forum who sold his Theta DACs and kept one of these as he preferred it. A massive dose of YMMV, but interesting nevertheless.
     
  6. Valolilol

    Valolilol Acquaintance

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    If you need any help for french's translation, just ask me or guys in the "Europe" sub thread in here. Just a PM and I'll do the job.
     
  7. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    Nice one, cheers!
     
  8. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    Note that NOS in this case is not new old stock, or referencing any old or vintage DACs. All about non-oversampling designs. (Is this a NOS design?)
     
  9. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    hehe yep I'm aware of what kind of NOS we're talking about here :) I've been told it's a NOS dac, but honestly there's bugger all info out there about it. I've asked Micromega if they can shed any light.
     
  10. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    OK, no problem. :) If it is NOS, I'd be curious what chip they used.
     
  11. pedalhead

    pedalhead Friend

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    Yes I'm really keen to find out what chip they're using too. The present owner is going to give me some further info later today.
     
  12. powermatic

    powermatic Friend

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    Another possibility for someone wanting to try a 1543 NOS DAC for not much money is a TeraDak Chameleon, boasting 16 (8 per channel) stacked 1543 chips, a separate LPS, and front panel LEDs that, like the sun, may cause actual retina damage if looked at directly. I picked one up recently for 160.00 like new, and it even had the original shipping box. I may do a reverse unpacking ("packing") video when it's time to sell. It's predecessor was called 'Valab', it only had 8 1543 chips and an internal PS, but I assume it could be purchased for even less. There was a long mod thread on these at HeadFi a few years ago (Jupiter caps in a $400.00 DAC anyone?) and here's a review:

    http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/teradak/chameleon.html
     
  13. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I think the 16 chip unit uses an upsampler by default, which would more or less make it non-oversampling. I think it can be removed or disabled, though.
     
  14. Grahad2

    Grahad2 Red eyes from too much anime

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    Based off extensive google-fu, it's a sigma delta converter, which another dutch forum also pointed at the same chip (Yamaha input receiver and the SAA7321GP D/A). It's a bitstream DAC, and cannot be 'NOS' in the sense of the word.
     
  15. ak2angel

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    According to a russian site , the Micromega TDAC uses a Philips SAA7321GP bitstream DAC and a Crystal CS8412-CP as input receiver. Not sure if that related to anything "NOS" tho.
     
  16. pedalhead

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    Good find. Seems that chip was also used in the Meridian 203, and it's actually a 256x oversampling chip, not NOS. I've told the seller, but will take it off his hands anyway as it's cheap enough to turn around without a loss if it's nothing special. Apologies @Hands for polluting the purity of the NOS dac thread with this despicable display of oversampling :eek:.
     
  17. Hands

    Hands Overzealous Auto Flusher - Measurbator

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    I suppose I will let you live.
     
  18. MikeW

    MikeW Shitbag

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    I dug my chamelon out of the closet, been there for a few years, im comparing it to the Built in dac of Jotunheim now. They definitely sound different. The multibit nos chameleon, is 3D and holographic, like tubes.
     
  19. powermatic

    powermatic Friend

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    Have you done any mods to the Chameleon-cap replacement specifically?
     
  20. MikeW

    MikeW Shitbag

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    yeah, it's modded to hell. I bought this thing a few years ago, when they were FOTM at headfi, I barely knew how to solder good. I really don't feel like people should be replacing so much without proper measurement tools etc. But I already did it...

    I havent heard it in years, and never though such a good amplifier, Im actually quite enjoying it at the moment.

    I did many of Bill Allen's mods, Yellow wire power supply mod, to get 2 AMPS to the dac, replaced all the coupling caps on the dac chips, and of course the output caps (Dynacap E) probably other things as well

    http://imgur.com/a/OZjZt
    [​IMG]
     

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