Midiman Super Dac

I know a few of you have tried this great little piece of kit, we had it at a bake a few months ago, where it didn't disgrace it's self at all in more esteamed company

http://www.digitalvillage.co.uk/dv/aproduct.asp?id3=112

Now I know a lot of you would like a dac, but just can't stretch to it, how ever this is a bargin, and can deliver pretty good performance for the modest outlay
Only draw back it has, no single ended outputs (Rca's) just Jack sockets 8mm ???(so either use andapter or balanced, pro derived connections you see), although a full spread of input arrays is good toslink included.
Well I know how good these things can be, (have tinkered a few), so he's a small tip of how to get a good performance hike very cheapy and turn it into a more user friendly digital toy

OK, he's a pickky shoot of removal the jack sockets and replacing them with £2@shoot Gold plated phono's from maplins.

Here's the Board removed, easy operation, 4 countersunk 'X' head screws on the 'Over cover front plate'
Next 5 PCB/Regulator mounting screws, carefull with the corner ones,use a magnetic driver if possible, next the rear panel socket mounting hardware, the top screws on the 'XLR' sockets have nuts on them a small pair of piles if you don't have a 4mm spanner , carefully with drawing the board form the case, easy to knock components



Here you can see the guts removed and the RCA fitted (the holes are a bloody close size, a smidge big, so no drilling required.



After you have removed the board mounted Jack sockets, your going to need to solder some wire into the now exposed holes on the board, the 'earth' pin is the one nearest the edge of the board by the socket holes.



And after carefully soldering and reassembly, it should look like this, maybe 40-60 mins for those without soldering skills, less for you compatent lot, word of warning though waer a 'Static band' when touching any curcirty boards and chips, you can shagging just by touch


So there you are a completed usable superdac' how does it sound, well best ask Timpy when we compared back to back with the same cables and set against his dac 20
Next install ment, so component swops on the board and a upgraded psu all done on a budget. WM

 

WM, you couldn't skrink those pictures a bit could you. I can't actualy read al the text because it won't fit on my screen (and that's at 1280x1024 ).

 

Sorry Guys, have to be tomorrow Now, I need to install the software for that and I'm off home now WM

 

Interesting tone... I will have to give this a go if I get one of these (might be an interesting alternative to try this on the end of my SB live (I can hack an SPDIF off the board) rather than buying an EWX. Of course, I'll give it a go vs the '991s internal DAC. Looks like there's a few internal improvements that can be made too.... If I do it, I'll get better pics.

 

Thanks Tone - been thinking about one of those for my office setup using the PC to drive it. If I do, will definitely do that mod.

Michael.

PS: When you have the time get Isaac to show you how to take pictures in focus and without camera shake :duck:

 

Who knows, it may open your eyes to just how good computer based audio can be...

 

so to what level of CDp would this be a worthwhile upgrade?

 

That DAC has had some amazing write ups. Rene Van Es (http://aca.gr/pop_rene.htm) uses one in his very high-end system. This is what he says about it (on that page):

He also uses a Teac T1 transport and the Apogee Wyde-eye digital cable (as I do) so he knows a few things about giant slaying budget products

Michael.

 

Right you lot, seeing as I get 'regularly abused' over the amount $%£$£$£$ I spend this is a true Budget effort, I have in my possession, some goodies to do a half about PSU (will be building this afternoon (a maplins trip this morning I did wear a disguise though ) total cost for the Lot £24.89, I' will be using some of our wire to make the lead, but that's it's piccks (david bailey style to follow )

 

Tone,

Could you try and make your piccys a little smaller, some of us live in the backwoods and don't have ADSL, well not for another 2 - 3 weeks

 

Andy, will do if I can wrest the photo squeezing software of Mr speakers this afternoon ok

 

Outstanding post Tony. Have you considered approaching hifi-world mag with this? They would lap it up in the diy section.

cheers //craig

 

Thanks Craig , But I'm sure I'm not the only guy to have done this mate, I'm trying to do the whole lot including purchase for under £200, at the moment It's better than Timpy's Dac 20 (using the same wires all round), before I do the PSU, some cap changes planned, plus 4 regs to swop also, all in the relams of basic DIY skills, More later I'm drilling at the mo WM

 

So Tone - how much would a fully modded (and supplied) DAC cost to me then - if you got the DAC and the bits and added the labour costs?

Just curious, as this could seriously improve my Planet/JB940MD, and will be waaay cheaper than a new CDP (such as a Naim CD5i or Rega Jupiter)?

 

Dom, now there's a question mate, put a guy on a spot won't you I'll have to sit down and suss some thing out, when I've finshed on the final spec ok mate T.

 

Cue the Omiga Audio Superdac...

 

Well, I'm too skint for much right now, but was curious as this would be a pretty sorted way to improve my rig if under £300 all in he he he...

 

Isaac never had you for being cynical
No, this is a DIY exercise, Have now finshed the PSU & Cable, waiting for timpy to deload the photo's
I used all itmes from maplins, I choose a medium cheapy ABS box, with enough room for a few move items at a later date, £5, a 50VA twin 9V AC taps (one not used at at present). £13
An IEC socket £1.50, 2 <>2.5mm STd power plugs @ 50p each, a matching plastic socket 50p, A 20mm screw in panel fuse holder £1.50, a box of 10 matching 20mm fuses 1amp
Mounting hardware 1 bag of 6mm countersunk screws & nuts 99p
It even looks ok, works rather well too
spec's for the O.E. wall wart type thing 230V 50HZ 9V 1000ma 9VA, so the Transformer is well over spec'd but aint going to do any harm Looks like we're on coarse for the sub £200 target. WM

 

worthwhile addition to a jupiter2000?




god, will it ever stop

 

Might be intrested in this as a possible upgrade for my system! Was tempted by the tag dac 20 way back when the offer first started but the size of it put me off. From the look of it this thing could quite comfortably share the same shelf as my xcans/psu combo Its also been awhile since I've treated my self to anything audio wise so maybe its about time.

One question though, any idea if it WOULD improve the KI Sig cdp??