Let's do bulk purchase. The price should go much lower

yeah right! how low would it get? RM400? HAHAHAHA

I saw a `data logging' DMM at JP yesterday, going for the handsome price of RM229. It includes an RS232 cable and software! I also checked out a Sanwa PC500....RM600 for the DMM, software plus USB cable add ~RM700 more. Fluke ah...shop people take one look at me and tell me I can't afford it.

Sanwa multimeter is certainly good enough for general purpose or for casual DIY..no need to waste money on Fluke which is sold at unrealistic prices in Malaysia. One of the reasons its selling well here because of US factories specifying own country brand test equipment...little or no compromise in that aspect.
My 1st Sanwa analog meter was puchased at RM45 during "our" time and that model is still current..now at somewhere RM110 or so. I've replaced mine 3 times if I can remember..simply because the battery was neglected and the contact points seriously corroded. I still rely on the analog meter for my diagnostic purposes though.

Ok..thats it for today.. will be busy modding a new Rotel RQ-970BX phono stage.. stock design is shi* sounding!..

This post has been edited by bsl555: Nov 10 2007, 02:12 PM

I had a few of those too, and found that like you, somehow the batteries always leaked, corroding the terminals and internal parts, leading to an early retirement.......I think because I always forgot to turn the knob back to the "off" position after use. This Sanwa model is ubiquitous in JP, and there are also plenty of cheap imitation Sanwas to be found in every corner there.

However, since there is no analog multimeter which will work with a pc, I guess a DMM is my only option.

I'd never want to buy or use a Sanwa knock-off.. its so crude and the accuracy is questionable.

Since you and jazzy have inspired me to pick up my soldering iron again, I have been hunting for something to mod too. Looks like I've found my next project. My 14 year old DAC! It has been suffering the jitters lately, and as I now have to iBasso to replace it, I thought maybe worth opening it up to see what's causing the trouble.....


No prizes for guessing which component's the culprit.

What are my upgrade options, if any?

March05: can sell this DAC to me? i am interested if u can offer me a price that i could afford.

i havent got myself a DAC yet, i miss the yulong DAC bulk order. so now funds up for my first DAC in my life.

Whoa! DAC-In-A-Box! Whaddaya know!
This is great development! Will look forward to see this DAC next TT Session This can masuk 'old school' stuffs thread also
Don't take too long, eh Bro March..
Upgrade wise you better talk to 'unka' bsl.. I am still new in this DAC business


This post has been edited by jazzy939: Nov 11 2007, 06:55 PM

No no dont upgrade the DAC, sell to me is a wise choice...serious man

wui, why don't you PM him and beg on your knees for it.. might get it for 'free' Bro March is a very kind and generous fella..

wui223, I feel s.o.b. bad about this...my Audio Alchemy DITB is not going to be for sale. It's part of my history now......this little fella introduced me to digital sound nearly 15 years ago. It didn't quite succeed in luring me away from vinyl, but I still have a fondness for it.

In anycase, I'm sure any new fangled DAC will be better value for money. Patience.

jazzy, your eyes are real sharp...I didn't think anyone would recognise the board, especially since I tried to hide the words in my photo.

So far I've targeted the following items to change:
1. The spoilt capacitor, of course. Maybe all of them anyway.
2. THe OP275GP to a OPA2132 (need some suggestions here!)
3. The clock module.
4. The external PSU. Should I go toroidal?

bsl555, am I heading the right direction? Was thinking of popping over to see you one of these days to take a look at the Linn (if it's still with you).

March,
'alchemist'+'box' will lead to that thing! Those who know, will know!

Definitely after 15 years.. time to replace ALL the caps.
Can't help you with the opamps.. I'm still experimenting on that.
Clock, this one have to get bsl.. he's the 'oldhand' on clocking..
Toroidal will definitely give it the 'oomph' factor. I would make it sing again then upgrade the PSU. definitely the final ultimate improvement.

Audio Alchemy DITB! WOW!! Never thought that I ever going to see one again. Nice one

Guess what, I'm upgrading my DAC too. But the first thing that I did was I replaced the Opamps, since they're the easiest to do.

Now I'm waiting for my Toroidal transformer along with other components to arrive, for the external PSU.

Next would be to replace all the capacitors (and maybe some resistors and diodes while I'm at it). I intend to go crazy on this one

The clock module needs to be upgraded but I'm not so sure how am I going to go about it. Might probably go for the Burson low jitter clock.. I don't know...

Let's see who can finish it first hahaha...

I'm always a slow coach...so you sure to win lah.

What DAC is yours?

Looks like we're going to have quite a variety of DACs at our next TT session.

Wanna call it a DAC TT Session?
Bro March, how's the DAC coming a long?

Sigh! Sigh!.. My SuxMax was down 2 days for no apparent reason and missed your discussion on the AA DAC.
OK.. March05.. depends what kind of sound quality you're looking to relish!. That DAC on its own has its own qualities of very open and forward presentation but may quite limited by the use of run of the mill capacitors and op-amp at low cost. Its comparable with PCM58 DAC design in its heyday. Looking at it, the PSU can be beefed up and opamp replaced to something better. Reclocking would be a problem as space within that box may not permit piggybacking another module. Its not easy to find Wima caps (replacing two thirds of those yellow caps), but the electrolytics in the PSU section can be replaced with Panasonic FC's.
I suppose that's as far it can be achieved..provided the parts are obtainable easily. Should my suggestion be implemented, I think it can face up the new PCM58 DAC you fellas are contemplating to buy. But if it can be re-clocked.. IT'LL BEAT THE PCM58DAC to heaven!...trust me!.
Made in 1993..old skool?..Nahh!.. not qualified yet!..
Personally, I prefer Analog Devices, Philips DACs and certain PCM Burr Brown DAC's.. sorry! PCM58, PCM56, PCM54 or the latest PCM17xx series (mostly designed for low cost objectives) NOT included. The PCM63 is the only one I feel worthy being the most OUTSTANDING among all the BurrBrown DAC's. Crystal DACs?.. I lunn away far far!.. They make Marantz NOT sounding like a Marantz anymore.. I sometimes feel they're making things to suit low cost and just don't make things like they used to do.. sigh! The real good stuff have all but disappeared.. Yep.. go download and listen to more mp3's lah!..

BTW..the Linn may be going back to the owner by end of this week..now awaiting to install a Linn Lingo inside. Better be fast to pop over.. before it disappears for good...leaving me pictorial memories for me to drool thereafter!..

This post has been edited by bsl555: Nov 14 2007, 01:02 AM

March, it's an X DAC

bsl555, IF there is enough space, how would you go about improving the clocking?

my USB DAC in progress, but run out of ferrite beads, anyone can help? now still designing the PCB,using PCM2702 as main chip, basically is something like Alien DAC.

hope can finish and bring to next TT session.

X-DAC have 18bit BurrBrown DAC and HDCD digital filter. Except for the HDCD feature, it's a budget DAC that's no better than the good old Marantz CD63Mk2 (stock and Un-modded).

Install a low jitter clocking module lah..it improves most stock DAC by miles. Commercial ones from LC Audio or Trichord will cost more than the current value of a used DAC. There's DIY ones featured in some diy forums..at a fraction of the price but involves your own hard labor to build one up from scratch and knowing the circuitry to fit one in...sometimes easy, sometimes mind boggling...which I nearly bungled one up inside my own CDP due to component values which had to be altered.