Case and Power
My preferred PSU is a high-speed ultra low noise regulator based on a design by Walt Jung. Again, this is a partial DIY kit that is provided by Peranders Sjöström and known as the JSR-03 regulator. The JSR-03 is used as a pre-regulator, outputting around 9V to the I2S and WM8741 modules. Although a 12V relay is present on the Doede PCB to select from PCM2707 or TDA1543 output, I found a 9V input perfectly capable of making the relay switch. The USB to I2S DAC has an onboard 6V regulator circuit that requires around a 2V margin to regulate effectively, so I'm within its bounds.
 A Maplin KR56L Aluminum case provides ample room to house all the PCBs, with enough room left to add modules at a later date if required. |
To provide the raw or pre-regulated DC, I use either a 12V Wal-Wart PSU or an 1800mAh 12V Li-On battery pack. Total current draw of all combined parts is in the region of 500mA, so the battery pack allows for around three hours of listening before needing a recharge. An alternative would be to buy a high capacity sealed lead acid battery, though I decided against that mainly due to the additional shelf room it would require. I only use the battery packs for critical listening and component comparisons. For normal everyday use, the battery pack is simply removed and input switched over to the Wal-Wart PSU. Subjectively, I find the battery input to provide cleaner, tighter bass notes, more perceived air throughout the mid-band and high frequency range, and better stereo imaging. It's not a smack in the face difference compared to the Wal-Wart PSU, as pre-regulation by the JSR-03 offers superlative noise rejection throughout the audible frequency range. Still, the difference is enough for me to accept the hassle of changing out and charging batteries for that last ounce of playback clarity.
If you're not interested in going to the nth degree of audio resolution, the Wal-Wart solution is probably the best way to go. You'll also find some discrete regulator solutions offered in package deals with these DAC kits on the DDDAC and Twisted Pear pages. Either of these options should lead to a very satisfactory performance, although the Jung based regulators have superlative paper specifications.
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Clauzii - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
.. I can recommend a Terratec Phase 22. No computernoise whatsoever. Pure, clean sound. I don't have a surroundsetup, but movies through this card sound brilliant, with a lot of detail and no digital 'fnitter-fnatter'.Clauzii - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
Have to correct myself: With the card You can actually hear all the bad mixing of the movies themselves.daar - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
Honestly, for a tech review site, I'm very disappointed that you nixed any pro sound cards and went for the audiophile kool-aid. Proper regulation and filtering can deliver clean enough juice for the best audio applications and while the USB option is kind of interesting, it creates more clutter, is more expensive, and the supposed better quality can't even be objectively tested.There wasn't even an attempt to build a measurement procedure, and while some sustain the notion that audio is beyond measurement, since when does AT throw out standard science and efficient engineering in favor of pseudoscience?
RobinBee - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
"Proper regulation and filtering"Yes. A good motherboard does this. And: A hi-fi sound card such as ASUS Xonar D2 (PCI bus) delivers »clean juice«, very much better than Creative's x-fi. And: A good case makes a pc rather quiet.
RagingDragon - Saturday, December 6, 2008 - link
And a sufficiently powerful amp and/or headphones with good isolation make PC noise irrelevant.Servant of Shodan - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
Not meaning any disrespect to the author - it was a good article - but I've notice a lot of camera reviews recently, and now a review about audiophile stuff... and it just seems so out of place for a PC enthusiast site.There are hundreds of credible sites for both cameras and stereos/speakers/amps/etc.; and I feel that it sort of muddies the waters here to have these types of articles, when there are other excellent places where they fit in perfectly.
I come to Anandtech for computers. I think it should keep to that topic.
SpeedyVV - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
Holy cow, audiophiles i think are THX certifiable!!!Can you guys actually hear yourselves???
All joking aside, I love music, and sound, and guitar tube amps, a nice hi-fi.
But the stuff you guys talk about is way, WAY, beyond me ;-)
Boushh - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
DRC does realy work. Last year I exchanged my old SONY AV receiver for a new Denon AVR-3808 with Audyssey. With the SONY I was unable to get a good sound at my listning postion (specialy the rears never actually worked). And even though I had my reservations for things like Audyssey, I ran it on the Denon. And low and behold: Now I was in the middle of everything. I was realy amazed that taking some samples with a microphone could have such impressive results.The second thing: DAC's for computers. I recently saw that Cambridge Audio released a DAC for (among other things) computers (http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320&...">http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320&.... Maybe a good idea to compare that to the setup used in the article. It seems to me that instead of all those components it would (for the most of us) be alot easier if it was just in one box. But maybe that is just me :-)
Anyway, nice article. It shows that people who are intrested in audio and are willing to do something for it are always on a never ending road B-)
strikeback03 - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
... that this article shows that looks are not everything, as those drivers look like the cheap junk that comes in stock car systems.jabber - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
They probably are! Remember in the world of 'high-end hi-fi' you build a component out of $20 worth of bits, stick a bit of varnish sanded wood on it then add on the 2000% 'hi-fi mug tax'.Its one of the best businesses to be in if you are unprincipled and lazy.
Your customers are easy because they have invested so much money in their systems they are always open to fear and doubt about it. Easy prey!