I am curious about the sound quality from the board. Could you please answer a couple questions?

Which connection are you using (optical or coax)?

What type of component with D/A are you connecting to?

Is the sound quality noticably better with the digital connection?

Which ground did you use? The digital ground at the I2S pads or the case ground from one of the screws?

Stu

I can't really say, but probably somewhere between $400-600. I'm not sure how practical that figure is, but I will try. I forgot to mention that it will also feature dual DACs, top-of-the-line opamps, and precision voltage regulators.

Stu

I'm not sure you really want me to anwer your questions, but I will anyway

Which connection are you using (optical or coax)?
I use the coax.

What type of component with D/A are you connecting to?
I connect to a studio ADDA converter.

Is the sound quality noticably better with the digital connection?
In my case yes, but I don't think it's night and day for the average person that's content to listen to music over $200 minisystem. It really depends on the equipment you connect it to. I'm sure there are DACs out there that sound WORSE than the hardware in the Empeg. Connecting to such equipment would only worsen the sound. Also, the better the DAC, the more you will notice any compression artifacts.

Stu

If you are building this as a car audio DAC, then it should have four outputs (front left, front right, rear left, rear right) and a sub output. I think Doug would have some input here as to what features would be desirable in a high end car audio DAC. I would suspect multiple digital inputs, say, from a CD player for competition use. Perhaps a "tape monitor" style looped digital-in-out-in that allows for third party EQ's, DSPs, and so on.

Calvin

I am hooking it up optically to my JVC 500 watt reciever and listening to it in standard stereo mode (just the two front speakers). It sounds a HELL OF A LOT BETTER than it did with the RCA jacks (no more 60 cycle humm). I can't really compare to how it sounds in my truck because its an entirely different sound system. I also tried out the coax output and it sounds the same to me as the optical, both are excellent. I don't have a way to check the third connector it has.

I hooked the brown wire to the board screw like it said in the manual. I also think I hooked it up to the "wrong +5V jumper" I hooked it up to the red jumper instead of the blue jumper in the rear because I went by the picture....

It seems to work fine though...

This made me think of a question. With your upcoming Sub-out board, That is an analog signal correct? Or will we be able to run it through the digital output as well? If that makes any sense.....

The sub out board is just a very small digital to analog converter. So yes it outputs in analog only. The current digital output cards can buffer the sub signal in I2S digital format already. If you wanted a digital sub as well as full-range digital out, then just buy two boards with a special adapter cable we could make up for you. The first would be have to have I2S capability, and the second would not, but would have to be external and attached to the back of the Empeg or possibly through spare docking connectors.

Stu

In reply to:

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If you are building this as a car audio DAC, then it should have four outputs (front left, front right, rear left, rear right) and a sub output. I think Doug would have some input here as to what features would be desirable in a high end car audio DAC. I would suspect multiple digital inputs, say, from a CD player for competition use. Perhaps a "tape monitor" style looped digital-in-out-in that allows for third party EQ's, DSPs, and so on.

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After looking into this a little more, it seems that it may be more expensive than I thought. For quantities of 1500, the distributors of the upsampler chip are marking it up 60% over the manufacturer's suggested retail price (in 100 unit quantities).

Regarding the outputs, I don't think this converter should have all those outputs or a sub out which would require a crossover. Front and rear outputs are duplicates anyway. It is best to let this device focus on one thing rather than trying to make it do everything. It would be better to let crossover function be handled by an external device, which many people already have anyway. As for the digital tape monitor; that sounds doable and like a good idea.

Stu

Good as the anaolgue outputs may be, I'm sure that going digital will make a siginificant improvement. Couple of questions (sorry if these were asked before, I did try to read through the entire thread...)

Am I right in assuming that equaliser output is available through S/PDIF (as it's in digital domain?). If so, that would be really cool!

Although acadamic, just curious: When going to next track, does the S/PDIF signal contain track markers?

More important, when in-between tracks or just in stop mode, does digital signal remain present, as my D/A can produce some clicks and pops when locking on or off from a signal?

Thanks,

Cas.

In reply to:

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Good as the anaolgue outputs may be, I'm sure that going digital will make a siginificant improvement. Couple of questions (sorry if these were asked before, I did try to read through the entire thread...)

Am I right in assuming that equaliser output is available through S/PDIF (as it's in digital domain?). If so, that would be really cool!

Although acadamic, just curious: When going to next track, does the S/PDIF signal contain track markers?

More important, when in-between tracks or just in stop mode, does digital signal remain present, as my D/A can produce some clicks and pops when locking on or off from a signal?

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Yes, the equalizer functions the same through the digital out as it does through the analog.

There is no next track signal present, unfortunately. As far as I know, it is not available from the Empeg hardware, and so is not passed through the board.

As long as the player is powered up, the board outputs a valid S/PDIF signal.

Stu

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but just a quick question for maczrool. would it be possible to create or even adapt a digital output board for a tivo. the answer may be as easy as no, but i had to ask

It may be possible, depending on how integrated the Tivo's DAC is to the rest of the circuitry. If it has a separate DAC chip from its decoding chips, etc., then it probably is possible. Depending on the format going to the DAC, it may even work with the stock boards. We did however try to use the boards with a Rio Receiver and never were able to get it to work right. We never were able to get to the bottom as to why they didn't work properly in that application.

Stu