Plans for 2021
Hi Pedja,possible to share with us your plans for 2021? Especially on the DIY front? Any plans to launch new R2R Dacs or Network Streamers that is within the reach of us mortals ?
Thanks
Hello Arasu,
I will first have to release the projects I started quite some time ago, and at this very moment there are three – two DACs (Asta and another S model), and one amplifier (Model A successor) – just about to be launched. And the fourth project (another stereo amplifier) is also maturing on its way. With such work underway, you will understand my current priorities and concerns.
But I do hope that one USB DAC DIY project can be released during 2021.
And then it will be the time to open the custom R2R DAC topic. It would be best if I’d be able to offer such a solution available to the other interested parties, including the DIY scene, but there is a lot to be done to make that possible.
I have no plans for network streamers at this time though.
Regards
Glad to know you have at least DIY project planed. Is the planed USB dac project based around the old chipset or the current AKM or ESS Chipset? You mentioned  in one of my queries for a USB card, that you might consider it for next year , I hope this is still in the pipeline.:-)
Yes, I have that in mind too. I am still receiving more requests for such a USB stage, and people say that there are no really good products of this kind on the market. Also, if you look at the AYA 4 board, you may notice that the left third of it may work as a "USB card", so releasing it as a separate product might not be that lot of work.
I have no plans for ESS DIY, and no plans with AKM at all. So it will be either TDA1541A or some else ladder ("R2R") DAC. It is surely fancy to offer discrete DAC, but for now I am not sure if a feasible and affordable DIY version is possible.
But let’s see what the time will actually bring to the table, and I will come with a proposal, to check the interest at the given moment.
Hello Pedja,
Count me in if you launch a new diy project with the TDA1541A. Demands are still there on some sites and we often talk yet on the AYA to testimony about its good sound! Always with the 2014 board I always had regrets not to Jump the train of the Aya 4 and its embeded USB to simultaneous mode.
There is also a hype about the AD1862 DAC as there is a big genuine stock enough at Rochester and I know some of us had thoughts about such a good chip and your good regs as now the TDA1541A good sources of the late South Asia models are dry ! Although there is still a large camp of TDA1541A everywhere around the world 🙂 a diy project like this with sota clock effort on the Lrck could be fun... just guessing !
All the best for 2021... I realise how the time run fast till 2014 🙂
It is interesting information and idea about AD1862. However, going with AD1862 would practically mean designing a new DAC. The USB stage output protocol would be easy to adapt for it though.
So let's keep this idea for now on the table, and we'll see later this year, possibly some time by June, if there will be more interest in it.
Well, maybe too expensive project for the DIY community because sourcing at Rochester is expensive while you still can source old TDA1541 old cheap CD players. Anyway, one of the best R2R dac and I dropped the idea because of the discrete R2R difficulty and cost for the DIY side of Audial. Joko Homo (RIP Patrick D.) legacy edition as the chip was his most loved one ? Seems the ground layout is much more simplier to route than the TDA 1541 and needs "only" a good 5 V & 12V. But as I said there are good diy spirit designs that have been launched already and also one could also comes from an italian diy member who is continuing the digital clock near the career philosophy of Joko alive.
So a diy AYA sumer project is surely going to be more logical and universal for our living rooms to sing 🙂 and an excellent news for us diyers. Anyway, I surrender as sings Sylvian and will jump in the train whatever the project (by the way I longtime believed AYA DS edition was a Citroen car brand or a Delta Sigma pun and I was glad it was about the singer in the billet I read bellow in the blog 🙂
Yes, AD1862 was Pat's preferred D/A chip. Or a sort of that. If my memory serves me well, he considered TDA1541A good but not reliable, and he was not sure if PCM1704 really did not involve some kind of processing.
So, the time has come, and here is the poll.