The DIYINHK USB to 12S card

[nige2000]

Thanks for the similar machine info...

Here is the QA660 i2S RJ45 pin-out info -
this is from a detail photo of just that part of the back panel

1-DATA 2-GND
3-LRCK 4-GND
5-BCK 6-GND
7-MCLK 8-GND

Left side is #1
Right side is #8

http://jimmyauw.com/2012/11/04/qls-qa-660/

[rickmcinnis]

The fellow who was selling a version of this on DIYAudio says he still has a few for sale.

Easy to power with a battery (5 volts).

I agree there is much too little of substance said about this. Not as anxious to jump in as I was.

Still think that I2S pci-e card could be interesting but then you have to either have the computer next to the DAC or use some kind of HDMI system like Dave Davenport offered at one one time. So the old thing of eliminating complication of one kind to accept new complications remains the biggest problem with life on earth.

[nige2000]

more far way away green fields

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Improved-FPGA-L ... Sw8cNUO9KX

[rickmcinnis]

Sure like the idea of not getting that box and another toroid.

Still think this thing is really tempting. Wish you felt the same.

[nige2000]

Sure like the idea of not getting that box and another toroid.

Still think this thing is really tempting. Wish you felt the same.

Well at least that last ones i2s is clocked st the right frequency families
There's much to learn about the design and much to mod
And in the end it may still sound worse
If I got one free I'd gladly try it however I've been disappointed with other i2s sources

[jrling]

The Soekris thread and this one both leave me thinking that Rick has a point. That's a first then!! [Only joking, Rick].
And of course jkeny's quip about 'Not starting here' is spot on.

Why on earth would one today start with a massively over complicated (in a bad way) consumer motherboard, an OS completely unsuitable for purist audio purposes, mangle the bits through numerous complex conversions on board, out through a problematic USB interface and eventually get it back to I2S for the poor old DAC to try and work out what is music and what is noise? Then to try and patch it up, replace the whole mobo PSU, start disassembling the DAC, introduce Band-Aid 'fixes' with their own PSU like Regen/Intona etc.etc. It takes several attempts of a Houston countdown checklist to boot all the boxes in the right order, with one slip potentially fatal. Then the WAF is completely blown.

No you wouldn't!

Enter Nigel's board - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Improved-FPGA-L ... Sw8cNUO9KX or Rick's - http://www.qlshifi.com/en/wzcapi/qa660.htm and they are purpose-built for audio. Firmware designed to do one thing and do it well. No extraneous stuff on board. Designed from the ground up to try and reduce noise in PSU and elsewhere. Power it by one LiPo4 battery, or many more if that is your want. $279 all up for Nigel's board. They even sell a $50 attachable ESS9023 DAC board to connect to it. What's not to like?

Sure what I wouldn't like, being a software guy in the 'Den of the Soldering Iron Kings', is the firmware is fixed and immutable by whoever coded it for the FPGA. They probably could improve it, by a group of enthusiasts like us giving them feedback, but won't be interested.

Anyone got one and who can comment on the SQ?

Jonathan

[rickmcinnis]

What is interesting is they are the same things.

Nigel found the one without the box. He always beats me to everything.

The weak link is the SD card since they are of finite life. I am concerned about how the information is transferred to the card. Might not be a concern at all. The card writers look like children's toys.

Would make a great group project if a few of us were willing to take the chance. Nigel's involvement would be required since there is no one as intrepid and fearless. And he has no interest, and of course, his instincts are probably right.

I am losing faith in all of this complication with the PC. The novelty has worn off and it seems the closer we get the further away the goal seems to be. I do not think this device is the answer but the real question is could it be as good as what we are using now with much less clutter and complication?

I will deal with tweakiness when it brings something worthwhile but I do wonder if we have made messes of our listening rooms for no substantially good reason? I am always willing to compromise for better sound but I am starting to feel like Rocinante carrying a rider who is charmingly insane (the audio computer).

The big stumbling block is I have read nothing much about these devices other than that they exist. Other than the one comment in CA which was hearsay about a fellow from a DAC company that Srajan Ebaen got excited about for awhile, something like RESONESSENCE, who said the SPDIF from the box version was as good as any he had ever heard. That is not much to go on.

I think there would be plenty to do with this thing so our lives would not all of a sudden become awash in free time which is a frightening thought. At the cost of a memory/motherboard/CPU it is not that big of a deal. Yes, it is disposable, hoping something better will come behind it, so if it is "good" for a couple of years that could be satisfying.

But, it could be more audio froth that gets thrown away when one realizes it is a dead-end.

EDIT: Just looked again and see that the unit I originally mentioned is not the same as the one Nigel linked.

EDIT #2: Looking around I see that Mr. Kenney was investigating this years ago. The fact that they have been around for a good while and still they have not overtaken the digital world must mean something. Oh, well ...

[nige2000]

h[url]ttp://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzI4NzY0MjM2.html?qq-pf-to=pcqq.group[/url]
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzU4OTIwMDEy.html

sounds fantastic

ok enough jesting

if you find me a suitable board at under 60 bucks i'd give it a go
my fear is that it would take the likes of ians fifo i2s reclocker with dual clocks to get a decent sound of it
and thats a silk purse out of sows ear type device
and ive had better sound out of usb to i2s devices when used with a super overcomplicated fickle unWAF audio pc
and the goal for me really isnt second best or compromise

im interested a little but though not $300 intested

[jrling]

You will have to get out of bed a bit earlier to beat Nigel to anything (worthwhile)!

The concept of SD card players is far from new. There are a couple of others that I toyed with buying which are very well constructed and have a lot of buyers and audiophile following in this case -
SDTrans384 - http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/group-bu ... sport.html. In fact it looks remarkably similar in design to Nigel's find. Even with the LCD screen in the same location. But I do not think they have any manufacturer connection. BTW a nice LCD screen as the only monitor is yet another complication removed.
JPY49,800 with the Yen so deflated is only c. £250, which is stunning value for a quality product. Downside is that they are made in very low quantity and therefore long lead times.

EC Designs in Netherlands do a real hair-shirt Red Book only WAV SD card player (SD1), but it is very nicely made and well reviewed. Much more expensive though.

So SD card as the interface is well proven for audiophile use. They are dirt cheap too, so longevity isn't the issue. Aficionados claim the SD interface is superior for low noise and better than any other. Speed of cards has increased a lot too, but speed was never the issue. It is the inconvenience of having to copy files physically to the card. I don't mind but I am sure many do.

Nigel should have the component count down in no time!! And there are so many in the first place.The attached 9023 DAC was very neat; perhaps for a second listening place?

Jonathan

[rickmcinnis]

The Japanese device is currently available from stock.

I wrote him a note Thursday.

Cannot remember if there were details on the firmware.

Does seem there are quite a few folks saying the SD cards have advantages for our purposes.

With all of the in and out of the drives one wonders how rugged they are and if not particularly would it be easy to replace?