Audial announces new device

AYA II

Audial announces AYA II D/A converter release, with regular sales start scheduled for 15th December. Promotional offer will have been valid by this date (scroll down to read more on this, please).

By this DAC Audial addresses requests for lower priced DAC, comprising major technical features and sonic properties of its most advanced predecessor, The Model. Audial is very proud on performance of this "small" DAC. This means that despite of its relatively low price, it is not exaggerated to say that the AYA II is still able to compete the bests, regardless of the budget.

 

The AYA II supports S/PDIF and USB interface and uses TDA1541A converter chip with no oversampling, but similarities with The Model don't stop here - the AYA II employs the same advanced architecture of multiple galvanically isolated supplies with serious filtering and regulation, differentially transformer coupled S/PDIF line, direct USB to I2S conversion, zero feedback analog stage circuitry, high quality parts and ultimate layout design, to name a few.

There are however also some differences, required for some cost savings, and three of them are the major ones. The first, the AYA II doesn't comprise isolating mains transformer with balanced output. (Yet you have to realize that The Model is probably the only device on the current market which does.) The second, instead of discrete transistors, the I/V stage of AYA II uses integrated circuits. Still, it is very unique open loop transimpedance stage releazed by the use of Texas Instruments new OPA861, and the same circuit is also used as an open loop output buffer. It is important to stress this: despite of major use of integrated circuits, the output stage of AYA II operates with zero feedback; it is not the opamp output stage. And the third, instead by transformers, the output of AYA II is capacitively coupled.

The chassis is also less expensive though it is still pretty rigid anodized aluminum. As for the passive parts, there are some differences as well, and these were partially caused by definitive cease of production of Black Gate capacitors, and in the AYA II these are swapped for polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and Rubycon's best ZA series.

Start of the sales is scheduled for the 15 December. Prepayments are possible and promotional price of 650 EUR plus shipping is valid before this date. Regular price of AYA II will be 730 EUR.

Payments by major credit and debit cards, or by classic wire transfer to our bank account.

www.audialonline.com/ayaII/
 

AYA II DIY

As suggested by its name, the AYA II converter has its roots also in several TDA1541A DIY DAC projects published on Pedja Rogic's DIY site between 2003 and 2006 and which were occasionally available as limited runs of PCBs. With the AYA II this story is moving within Audial and AYA II will be available in the form of partial kits.

Such kits give possibility to build the AYA II without headache because of hard to find parts, as it was occasionally the case before. Other than the TDA1541(A) itself, all the parts which are not included in these half kits should be relatively easily available. Standard half kit (AYA II Kit 1) will include the following items:

 • Double sided printed circuit board with solder mask and silk screen;

 • All the SMD ICs (CS8414, PCM2706, 74VHC32, low jitter oscillator and four pieces of OPA861) pre mounted;

 • Custom wound toroidal transformer comprising seven required secondary windings, internal electrostatic screen, and outer electromagnetic shield.

Additionally, the boards can comprise PPS SMD capacitors (16 pieces), S/PDIF transformer and two switching relays and kits with such a board will be hereafter referred to as AYA II Kit 2.

The kit adjusted for the DAC only with S/PDIF input will be also offered, and PCB of this one will include CS8414, four OPA861, PPS SMD caps and S/PDIF transformer, but won't include PCM2706, 74VHC32, oscillator and relays (AYA II S/PDIF Kit).

The kit adjusted for the DAC only with USB input will include PCM2706, 74VHC32, oscillator, four OPA861 and PPS SMD caps but won't include CS8414, S/PDIF transformer and relays (AYA II USB Kit).

Also, upon request, unpopulated boards can be purchased as well.

The half kits also normally include complete project documentation, and for now this documentation won't be publicly available. Audial site will comprise only general info on this DIY project.

The prices are 160 EUR for the Kit 1, 210 EUR for the Kit 2, and 170 EUR for either S/PDIF or USB Kit, shipping not included. No promotional price for the kits, sorry, but the first orders will be also dispatched first.

www.audialonline.com/ayaII/diy.php
 

AYA II Blog

The new blog area of Audial site has been set.
http://www.audialonline.com/blog/?cat=4
 

If you are receiving newsletters from Audial in the plain text format or for any other reason you can't see embedded pictures, to see this Newsletter in the full html format, please visit
http://www.audialonline.com/newsletters/03/

Audial d.o.o.
Velizara Stankovica 1
11000 Belgrade, Serbia
www.audialonline.com