I think my System is finally finished

[rollo]

  Steve Youtube has better sonics ?? That is very interesting to hear that.

charles

[steve]

I think I can answer Nick's, Don's, and Charles's comments and questions in this post.

A few things most already know. But some do not.

1. It has a DAC chip.

2. It  has a following analog chip for gain of about 2, or 6db.

3. The analog chip has no markings/labels.

4. There is no re clocking in this little dac, thus a good usb cable is necessary. (The supra usb cable turned out to be great.)

5. The DAC chip includes both digital and analog circuitry with two power inputs, one for digital and the other for the analog sections. I have no idea of how many transistors are incorporated in the analog section of the chip. We also have X number of solid state resistors and capacitors within the analog section.

Fortunately, Schiit did a wonderful job with the digital part or I would not have gotten the resultant quality of my upgrade. However, the analog section is a quite different matter. But then for the $99.00 price point set, what should one expect, not faulting the company at all; they wanted to reach a certain market. Nothing wrong with that.

There is nothing to be done with the analog section of the DAC chip. I have not spent a ton of time on this DAC, no schematic. So I have left the analog chip connected.

One of the faults I often see in players/dacs is the power supply simply using electrolytic capacitors and typical solid state voltage regulators. Both degrade the sound. However, using poly caps takes a huge amount of room. I used a 17" by 10" by 3" chassis for all the parts in my upgrade. I used a variety from my parts bin from yesteryear. Is it possible to improve further? I don't see how, but I need to investigate not assume for that possible ounce.

Maybe I will tweak a little more on the DAC if I can get a schematic. But right now I don't see why.

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Charles, I rewrote the last paragraph of my last post to be clearer. What I am saying is that even though I mainly use Youtube premium (many more selections), the sound is more natural, transparent, dynamic etc etc than any other audio system I have ever auditioned over the decades, and those systems used redbook/high rez, or turntable and cost xxxx. (I can use redbook or high rez, even turntable as well, but you tube has so many more selections.)

What I found, as a result of my decades of research is how far off my initial designs were 40 years ago (and other stereo designs to this day) are from accurate. I fell into the same trap as others, that solving a few equations is enough, but it is not.

I have mentioned before that solving a few equations won't produce an accurate/truly natural sounding component..
The paradigm of what is considered "superior" sound quality was based on just a few equations, thus not on all the science. All one has to do is consider the incongruity of same specifications yet different sound from different highly
priced components.

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Here is a question. If the older electronic designs/systems are so good, then why are small speaker enclosures being pushed with high power SS amps, instead of sticking with large speaker enclosures? (My large enclosures are only 11" wide.) Is space the only answer?

I hope this has helped in understanding.

Cheers

steve

[rollo]

  Always a pleasure learning from you.
charles

[steve]

Thanks Charles. I try to pass important information on, as long as it does not reveal classified company secrets. (I learned that from all the politicians and company execs over the decades.)

I have found that as I improve the system using redbook, hi rez, tidal, that YouTube premium also improves. Got to
give the public some selections that the public can test, adjust, and hopefully help their systems.

Yes, there can be "touch ups" when switching to YT P, but there are so many selections that the others just don't have available but the public loves to listen to. I am hoping that the public sees what is possible in the lab and that stereo improvement is still possible in this day and age.

cheers and thanks again.

steve

[steve]

A tidbit (for diyers) on your audio quest is the elimination of electrolytic capacitors as decoupling capacitors. Decoupling
capacitors are capacitors that connect to the plate resistor (or collector/drain resistor in solid state
devices) and ground.

In the schematic below, the C1 capacitor connected between RL plate resistor and ground. Decoupling capacitors are
in nearly every stage of the source, preamp, and amplifier.

Even one electrolytic capacitor in your system will cause loss of audio quality, the realism, naturalness of the music.
The first installed electrolytic decoupling capacitor makes the most significant sonic difference, followed by the 2nd and 3rd in other stages. A typical audio system could have up to a dozen or more. That is a lot of degradation to the music.

Unfortunately, they are generally necessary in the main high voltage power supply for output stages due to the high capacitance (ufd) needed; especially in solid stage amps.

The one obvious hang up is a polypropylene cap's physical size.

But if realism, naturalness is your goal, ridding of electrolytic decoupling capacitors is a positive.

cheers

steve