TDA1541A DAC Build with Tube Output Stage

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter.
| Mayday DIY Blogg
http://maydaydiy.wordpress.com/maydac-a-tda1541a-based-da-converter/
Mayday DIY Blogg
MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter.

This project is almost finished, but Ill put up all info on the build and pictures as soon as possible. Based on: TDA1541A SAA7220P/B 0,3ppm 11.2896Mhz TXCO OPA604 (have OPA627 and AD797 on the way) ECC86 tube This is how the DAC-PCB looks right now.
It started like this (some of the pictures you have to click on to view the whole picture)
1 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg
Then it got more and more populated
2 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
3 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
4 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
5 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
6 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
TCXO
7 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
TCXO and homemade socket
8 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Enclosure, used to be a tube preamp
9 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Copper wall that will separate the transformer from the rest of the DAC
Custom wound transformer from Toroidy.pl
Mounted the PCB in the enclosure and set the 7 voltage regulators
10 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Toroid will be installed further from the PCB with the copperwall between them.
2012-03-10 Done some work on the enclosure.
11 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Made crude angles to mount ECC86 horizontally.
12 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
13 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Braided 40,6mm silverwire in teflontubing for internal analog wiring.
14 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Done! Waiting for 75ohm digital cable for the digital signal.
15 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Changed from RCA to BNC for digital signal
75ohm 4mm diameter coaxial cable for internal wiring of the digital signal.
In place and screwed to the PCB, but not yet soldered in the other end.
16 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
All internal wiring apart from the wires from the transformer is now in place.
17 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
This how Ill make the secondaries longer and also prefent shafing against the copper wall.
18 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Got the philips ECC86 that eventually will be the outputstage in this DAC via passive I/V
19 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-03-16 Started on the ECC86 output today. PS cap(4700uF), resistor, 2SK170 via 100R trimpot to ECC86 plates.
20 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2,2uF output cap and 100Kohm resistor between out and ground.
21 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
22 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
23 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
24 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
The free legs of the caps is where Ill connect the signal from pin3(source) of the 2SK170s
25 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Temporary mounted shielded tubesocket to get a view of the layout
2012-03-17 Re-worked the layout of the MayDac. Thanks for the advice Lovan and reVintage!!
26 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
27 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
New digital wiring in place.
28 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-03-19 Did some work on the ECC86 output and drilled some ventilation for the top of the chassies.
29 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
30 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-03-20 Got some soldering done on the tube output. Cathode resistors in place and set to 68R to begin with.
31 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
47nF and 47R in parallell to be put between gnd and signal in to grid.
2012-03-21 Front and sides in Oak arrived today
32 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Made a gnd point for signalgnd among other things.
2012-03-25 Not much left to do on the tube output.
33 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Soldered connectors for signal to grid, wires for heaters and wires to cathode resistors.
2012-03-27 Done some internal wiring using silver wire. Also made ground points for the 47nF/47R-filter that comes after the I/V-resistors.
34 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-03-29 Tube output buffer is almost done. Good because I have two Philips NOS ECC86 waiting to be used(one is to change tubes when the first one has lived its life)
35 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Wires going off picture is for heater, they will be twisted and soldered to chassis connector.
PS for B+ Purple wires are to be soldered to ECC86 plates.
36 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-03-30 Finished the digital interconnect for this DAC.
Put in all the ICs (will run it with ICs before I run it with the ECC86 Tube output buffer.
37 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
At first power-up.nothing. The 500mA Fuse I used wasnt enough. Switched it to a 1A Fast blow fuse, and now it works fine. To early to really comment on sound quality, but after just 20min listening I can say that Im not dissapointed 2012-04-02 Got I/V-resistors from Hificollective today. Amtrans AMRG and Holco H2
Also recieved a 4-pin connector so I can connect both wallwarts in the PS for the ECC86 tube output to one connector.
38 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-04-06 I recieved the matched PIOs for the tube output yesterday.
39 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Did some work on putting the ECC86 tube output in to the DAC box today. Will continue during the weekend.
2012-04-07 Got some more work done on the tube output.
40 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-04-08 47R Amtrans AMRG I/V-resistors with 47R/47nF-filter soldered to them. Wire thatll go to signalgnd is also soldered. Left to do on this part of the build is to solder wires from I/V-resistors to signal out from the TDA1541A, and to solder wires from I/V-resistors to ECC86 grids(with gridstoppers between).
41 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-04-09 Got some more work done on the tube ooutput. Also I connected the separate PS for the tube output to one 4-pin connector. And finally a first idea on how to place the I/V-resistors and filter.
42 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
43 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
2012-04-10 The Tube output is playing!! And playing very well I might add I had to correct an error Id made with the I/V-resistors
And now it plays music like no other DAC Ive heard
44 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
45 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Thats all for today, stay tuned! /Mayday

Share this:
46 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM
Mayday DIY Blogg

Theme: Twenty Ten Blog at WordPress.com.
47 of 47
4/12/2012 5:44 PM

TDA1541A DAC Build with Tube Output Stage

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

TDA1541A DAC Build with Tube Output Stage

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter.

| Mayday DIY Blogg

Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Then it got more and more populated

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

TCXO and homemade socket

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Enclosure, used to be a tube preamp

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Custom wound transformer from Toroidy.pl

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

2012-03-10 Done some work on the enclosure.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Made crude angles to mount ECC86 horizontally.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Braided 40,6mm silverwire in teflontubing for internal analog wiring.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Changed from RCA to BNC for digital signal

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Temporary mounted shielded tubesocket to get a view of the layout

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

New digital wiring in place.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

2012-03-21 Front and sides in Oak arrived today

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

Made a gnd point for signalgnd among other things.

2012-03-25 Not much left to do on the tube output.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

PS for B+ Purple wires are to be soldered to ECC86 plates.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

2012-03-30 Finished the digital interconnect for this DAC.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

2012-04-07 Got some more work done on the tube output.

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg

MayDac, a TDA1541A-based D/A-converter. | Mayday DIY Blogg