Soekris "dac1541": DAC/Amp - Stream of Consciousness Impressions

/me dumb. I meant for the firmware update. I am using the 1541 for several months now I have fixed my reply above.

 

I don't use Apple products, but the principle is the same as on a PC, get the same cable and setup the serial connection, you might need to google a little how MACs do that, but as iOS is based on Unix there probably is a serial comm program....

Other people here might know MACs and can help you....

 

@soekris just wondering but how is the performance of the dac in coping with different ambient temperatures, like does it degrade in higher temperatures or lose stability, a bit worried now that my apartment heats up in the summer without AC installed to around 30c+ in the day.

 

Well, maybe I have the wrong module? I have a CP2102 chip based serial interface. I configure the serial comm program (iTerm2) following the parameters described in randytsuch's tutorial.
When I connect the cables to J8 and then power the DAC, I open iTerm2 and I get a blank screen. It does scroll a few lines down, but there is no text, no interaction possibility.

 

You're reversing the TX and RX lines, right?

 

I just ordered the FTDI USB dongle you recommend on the firmware update instructions, thank you for the information and instructions. I also did a bit of research on what Mac software I would need. I've not tested this since I don't have the FTDI dongle yet, but it appears that since 10.9, OS X includes an FTDI driver, which the command-line command "screen" can use to talk with the serial device. I'll try this out when I get the dongle and report back here for other Mac users.

Update: Did a bit more research, I don't see any way to use the *nix "screen" command to download a file to the device using the XMODEM protocol. However, there's a very well reviewed Mac app called Serial that can do that. It costs $29.99, though.

 

Yep, I did. But it still did not work. I do not know what the problem was, but after I downloaded the demo of Serial (by Decisive Tactics, Inc., available on the Mac App Store) everything worked without a hitch and could easily update the firmware to 1.20. There is a clear improvement in the realism of the piano and guitar in the first Groove Note sampler, first track, by the way.

With coolTerm I could interact with the terminal and enter uManager, but coolTerm does not seem to support the XMODEM file transfer protocol, so I could not download the FW to the DAC.

 

Yup, this was ONE of my problems. However Serial worked IMMEDIATELY, so I can recommend it. Also, there is a demo that one can use for 7 days for free.

 

Is it me or the sound is more roomy as in larger scene on all three dimensions, with more precise timing and thus truer transients with the new filters? I use orange now.

 

Is there a discount now?

 

You could be a hero, click that link and let us know if the offer is still on 2 months later.

 

Hmmm...I ordered a 1321 from soren thru email and it arrived today at that price. Worth a try

 

If you install the 'lrzsz' package you can download to device from screen terminal. Best way to do it is have "Brew" installed on your Mac. it lets you install all kinds of packages from command line, i.e. apt-get

Once you install LRZSZ, you should be able to download to device via command: 'exec !! lsz -X yourbinary.bin'

https://brew.sh

 

We can continue the SBAF special pricing on the soekris advanced R-2R DACs, although pricing need to be adjusted up a little in EUR, but as the exchange rates have changed some we can keep the pricing in USD....

dac1321: EUR 469, USD 555 - including free shipping.
dac1421: EUR 761, USD 900 - including free shipping.
dac1541: EUR 1120, USD 1325 - including free shipping.

Interested ? Send an email to [email protected] for how to order.

Pricing can be adjusted if exchange rates changes. There might be a shipping surcharge for destinations other than EU and US. We might end the special offer at any time.

 

Got stuck trying to get 'screen' to talk to the DAC, it was probably a trivial config issue (that program has an insane number of options), caved in, got 'Serial,' update went through easily. Need more time to process what I hear. A brief audition of one of my evaluation tracks ("The Sea and Sinbad's Ship" from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade" in the SACD remaster of the Reiner/CSO "Living Presence" recording) with the orange filter suggests a bit more edge, more liveliness than the previous almost too polished rendering.

 

I’m getting my cable in a week or so and will try to write up how to do it in Screen once I get back from vacation, but I’m sure Serial is way easier.

I’ve used screen to work on networking gear so not sure what the idiosyncrasies are with the Soekris.

 

Looks like I bought my 1321 one week too early, or else I would have sprung for the 1421

 

Do not worry. Sometimes I think myself I must've been the only one to buy a 1541 at full price, but its sound is so good it's a bargain anyway. Enjoy your 1321 I am sure it is superb!

 

I spent a chunk of my evening studying screen's options, figuring out which /dev was the FTDI dongle, trying things out, did not get it to work. I'm sure I could have figured it out with a bit more time, but I was tired from a very busy day at work and 20 bucks seemed a small price to pay to get back to musical relaxation (I know I could have got the free trial version, but I like to compensate small software developers for their good work; "Serial" is very well done.) Also, I didn't want to mess too much with the DAC's serial port, in case I would accidentally brick it.

 

https://goo.gl/Qc35Sj
USB to TTL (PL2303TA support Windows10)

https://goo.gl/zzkF98
Using Terminal Application (Tera Term)

http://www.soekris.dk/update_dac1xxx.html

0.Open Tera Term

1.Configure the serial communication parameters
[setup] -> [serial port] (change baud rate to 115200)

2.Type "+++", connect with 1541
3.Type "?", return a list of available commands
4.Type "download",
and then click [file] -> [Transfer] -> [Xmodem] -> [Send]
select the file (1541_full_120.skr)(click 1K option on the dialog)
5.Type "update"