Any new NOS-DAC experience/ideas?

Well I'm about to order a new Derek Shek instead of a Monica 2(more than $100 less and it would appear pretty similar) for my squeezebox.

Thought I would check to see if anyone has anything new to add before taking the plunge

 

Crickey, where can you get a Shek for $25 since the Monica2 is $125? http://www.diyparadise.com/dackit/1545bdackit.html

 

Sorry, I'm talking about a prebuilt, plug-n-play unit.

 

... I've ordered a new version Shek NOS DAC , should be arriving next week, i'll post my listening impressions here if you like ...

 

A good regulated psu will improve it's performance....!

 

My Monica2 arrived yesterday Went for the SMPS Yeo offers as well...... turned out to be 2 round pin wallwart design... had it apart, looks quite straight forward to mount the internals in the extruded aluminium box I picked up along with a selection of panel sockets from Maplin.
Then I'll use a IEC 3 pin socket, then I can try out mains leads, I have Russ A Yello spare.
Should have it working over the weekend.

 

Personally I'd go for the Monica 2, better DAC chip...

 

look to use a 50 - 100 va torroidal transformer, you could try puting caps across the ac input a' la 4.7uf polystyrenes or the more usual x and y rated caps. A simple twisted dc power cable and a good fitting plug. You could look to building your own rectifing stage too.

With the Nos and others the benifits are in finesse and delicacy rather than slam crash and bang.

 

Well my Monica 2 is up and running, has about 30 hours on the clock now, for the money sounds great, currently using and comparing against my Karik II CDP.
I've built the SMPS that Yeo supplies into the same box for neatness, removed it from it's wall-wart housing. Allows the use of proper mains lead. I'm using RA Yello.




How long do they take to fully run in ?
Any recommended mod's to get more out of it

 

Regulated linear (non-SMPS) power supply seems a popular and apparently very beneficial mod

 

Why? Says who?

Not the designer who has tried battery, simple regulated, fully regulated and SMPS, and prefers SMPS. Not the reviewer on TNT who again prefers SMPS.

 

I built a linear regulated PSU for my NOS DAC using LC Audio's regulator board and a 50VA toroidal.

Can't say I noticed a huge difference, if any over the original wall wart. I hated the wall wart though because I had to use it with an adapter as it had a US style plug.

Michael.

 

Just a couple of things you may like to try .....

Damp the crystal with bitumen sheet or similar

Tighten up the twists on the cat5[?] they look a little loose IMO and or replace with better conductors.

The resistors on the output side of the dac look like stock metal film ....try cmf or rc55 for the sig to ground.

I'd also experiment with film caps rather than black gates[if thats what they are ] a stack of wima film caps to make up 10uf will sound better and give a more open feel. I've done this on the Nos to good effect.

I personally would have kept the psu else where ...but

hope it sounds as good as it looks !

 

Yep CAT5 all I had small enough to get onto the board, do want to try something "better"
Did think about putting the SMPS in a separate box. But needed to remove it from the wall-wart as it came with euro round pins, and was a pain !! Does make a handy setup though.
It does have a couple of Black Gate caps.... in time will look at different components.......More open would be good.

At present it's performance is around the level of the Karik, smoother top end, but little less grip and drive. The NOS sits on the dynamics a bit.....

 

if you want some short silver off cuts pm me for the sig out and dig in