DAC's

[Bonsa1]

Morning guy's,

I have been looking at DIY DAC's there are heaps of schematics and quite a few kits on the web, I have been puzzled by the simplicity of some and the absolute complexity of others!
Have any of you attempted to build one? what problems have you encountered?

[SilentButDeadly]

Bonsa1.....the DAC is the simplest part of the thing........it's just one chip. The rest of it is the really important parts - about how it talks to your CD player, how it sends out the signal to your pre-amp and, above all, how good the power supply/ies are.

Kits that come with the really fragile parts (like the chips themselves) already loaded on the PCB are the best way forward...especially for the novice ..although a few do come with chip mounts which you solder on and then insert the chip.

I've heard good things about the DACs from Twisted Pear (in the US) which (likely many kits these days) are pretty much good to go as modules which you then mount in your own case with the connectors of your choice. DIYParadise (from Malaysia) also has a good following with the Monica DAC

I thought about building my own but elected to take a 2nd hand retail made in Oz DAC when it was offered - no question it was a pricey option - but the execution of it was as simple as. And the depth of improvement save me from buiying a new CD player.

Given the cost of the things the choice between buy and build is quite hard when you consider some of the ready to roll Chinese DACs like those from Coem Audio in QLD. And it might also be worth considering (especially if your CD player is run of the mill) something like the Burson Buffer from Burson Audiio in Victoria - it isn't a DAC but it has a reputation for making profound improvements to the signal quality when it sits between your CD player and pre-amp or amp.

[Bonsa1]

Thanks for the reply 'SilentButDeadly' I, probably like yourself, am an avid DIY'er and given the opportunity, loves to come up with something home brew.
I have already been down the Chinese import path, having a Musiland MD10 and a Kingrex from COEM Audio, but reading audio forums has sparked my interest in trying to build one for myself, possibly a Scott-Nixon kit or an Armonia (who also have a CD player kit based on a Philips CD-PRO 2 transport - nice)
I guess I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, I have projects in hand already, two speaker projects, one almost complete one just starting, Class A headphone amp to finish and new plinth for my old Systemdek turntable (CAD drawings only done) so the DAC might be a few months away from starting?

cheers.. Bonsa1