Taking orders :)

I forget if this has been discussed, but what are the chances the BH DAC will be able to function as a network player, too?

Explanation: I have one main computer running J.River with LOTS of FLAC on it. I'd like to be able to access that FLAC in different parts of the house, via ethernet (or wireless). But I need something at the other end to receive the signal, and to send it to a DAC without compression and gaplessly (that, apparently, is where even great products fail). If the DAC itself could receive and process the signal, even better.
 
It's a DAC, not a player. It has USB and SPDIF inputs. You would need a Squeezebox or Alix box or an old Mac Mini or other inexpensive player that is ethernet/wifi capable to run into the DAC via USB or coax/TOSLINK.
 
Doc B. said:
It's a DAC, not a player. It has USB and SPDIF inputs. You would need a Squeezebox or Alix box or an old Mac Mini or other inexpensive player that is ethernet/wifi capable to run into the DAC via USB or coax/TOSLINK.
Click to expand...

That's what I figured. Just checking.
 
I'm taking a short break from slaving away at this and I thought I'd give an update, this is sounding incredible, it is the best sound I have ever heard coming out of a DAC, and it doesn't even have the tube stage yet. I'm listening to an album that I have on both vinyl and CD and am now hearing loads of stuff I have never heard before. This is just plain stunning.

If I had to characterize the sound I would say it's missing stuff: glare, distortion, noise, edginess, grunge, all that stuff just seems to be gone leaving the music in all its glory behind.

Now that I have you all drooling I better get back to working on it!

John S.

 
Doc B. said:
It's a DAC, not a player. It has USB and SPDIF inputs. You would need a Squeezebox or Alix box or an old Mac Mini or other inexpensive player that is ethernet/wifi capable to run into the DAC via USB or coax/TOSLINK.
Click to expand...

So its going to be network, USB, and SPDIF?!
 
Oops...I know, I know.  Sorry.  Perhaps we could start a thread on "What I Want In A DAC?" and all post a never ending set of wishes, each more detailed and hypothetical than the last?  ;)  J/K

Best,
John
 
InfernoSTi said:
Oops...I know, I know.  Sorry.  Perhaps we could start a thread on "What I Want In A DAC?" and all post a never ending set of wishes, each more detailed and hypothetical than the last?  ;)  J/K

Best,
John
Click to expand...

Oh lets, Ill start. How about soon ;).

For the last few years, I have resisted buying more than a few commercial DAC's, thinking Ill wait for the Bottlehead DAC.

In the mean time I have made due with an assortment of kits and other bits, from eBay and wherever.

Learning to solder insanely small pitch SMD chips.

Ripping out op amps and kludge in, entirely the wrong line transformer, that happened to be on hand.

Recognizing the tacked on "tube" stage from, negative supply for grid bias, direct coupled...

hmm, might have another look at that.

I am having no fun at all and am not learning a thing so hurry up...John  8)             
 
PS "J/K" means "joke" in case there is any worry that I was being serious....my apologies stand and are extended just in case!

John
 
To all you waiting patiently (?) here is a quick update:
both USB and S/PDIF are working very well. The USB is working up to 384, but the S/PDIF at the moment is only going up to 96. I plan on it going to up to 192, but it will take a little bit of work to make that happen.

The sound quality is absolutely amazing, right now I'm listening to it with external software upsampling to 352 with my custom filter paramters, the results get sent to the DAC chip with it's own internal filter turned off so its just my filter in the path. This is a whole new realm of experience. I'm listening to an album I've had for 20 years and am hearing things I have never heard before! It is stunning.

My next task is to get that filter working inside the DAC so you can use it with any input/sample rate.

As to the question of DSD, no it does not do DSD. The recent resurrection of DSD has come about during the development of this DAC, so it was not part of the specification.

I HAVE built a really good DSD DAC, and have been comparing the two and I can say that the BH DAC with my custom filter sounds very similar to the really good DSD DAC.

I have been coming up with a scheme to add the DSD output DAC to the aux connector, so there MIGHT be a DSD add on board later on.

I'm really hoping to get the prototype to Doc very soon.

John S.
 
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