i2s input dacs for multichannel build

[solawind]

No one seems to make a replacement for the EOL Topping DM7, so I decided to build one myself. I am going to buy a multichannel USB to 8 x I2S transport and then use a few DACs with I2S inputs to get synchronized analog channels out of it. So i need a few good dacs with I2S inputs (if they have I2S input pins inside it is fine too). Also there are a lot of cheap I2S DAC boards on AliExpress with questionable DAC quality. Maybe someone has knowledge or measurements for such things? I do not want something crazy; just any entry-level CS/ESS/etc. DAC would be sufficient for music listening. Of course I want to keep things budget-friendly; otherwise, it will not make sense when I could buy an Octo8 DAC/Motu ultralite for the same total price. Maybe you guys can advise me which DACs I can use for such a project and how stupid this whole idea is. I like that I can start with just two DACs or a DAC board and then add more DACs to get more channels out of it.

 

[MCH]

You can get a CT7601 multichannel usb bridge from Taobao or get your hands dirty in xmos documentation.
The DAC part is the easier part.
In case it helps:

DIY CT7601PH multichannel USB bridge, crazy or doable?

I wonder if someone ever looked into DIY a multichannel USB bridge using the Com True CT7601PH. I am asking because all the parts seem to be available yet i cannot find one single diy project online: ComTrue website has available: - Drivers - Instructions and detailed schematic of the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[solawind]

You can get a CT7601 multichannel usb bridge from Taobao or get your hands dirty in xmos documentation.
The DAC part is the easier part.

am planning to use such a configurable bridge with 8 I2S channels: https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/interface-modules/york-pico-c-p-21087.html . But it is still unclear to me which DACs or DAC board I can use to keep performance good and overall price below octo8 point

 

[MCH]

am planning to use such a configurable bridge with 8 I2S channels: https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/interface-modules/york-pico-c-p-21087.html . But it is still unclear to me which DACs or DAC board I can use to keep performance good and overall price below octo8 point

True, I forgot that one. I bet at diyaudio where the York bridge originated folks built and posted finished dacs

 

[Bwaslo]

I'm doing similar with a minidsp mchstreamer driving three of the incredibly cheap PMC5102a boards, a couple bucks each from aliexpress. DAC output quality is very suprisingly good, doubt I could get anything that would be audibly better.

Having some weird occasional channel assignment issues with the mch and Camilladsp though (nothing that the dac boards could be blamed for).

 

[Bwaslo]

 

[Geert]

Maybe someone has knowledge or measurements for such things? I do not want something crazy; just any entry-level CS/ESS/etc. DAC would be sufficient for music listening.

Not the cheapest option but still less expensive than an Okto DAC https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s-of-audiophonics-dac-i-sabre-es9038q2m.8640/ At least you know what you’re buying.

 

[solawind]

so far i found 'BD93 AK4493 DAC board' on aliexpress, pretty cheap (under $50 shipped to my country) , 2 channels, masurements are nice

There is a review of this board on YouTube:

by some Russian guy. He talks a lot of nonsense about op-amp swapping, but at least he has measured it at the end of the video.

it is kinda big tho so i will need a bigger box for 8ch / 4 boards

 

[solawind]

Not the cheapest option but still less expensive than an Okto DAC https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s-of-audiophonics-dac-i-sabre-es9038q2m.8640/ At least you know what you’re buying.

Yeah, another great option. But more pricey due to the HAT form, I guess.

Still wondering why there are no multichannel DAC boards on the market. Many DAC chips have 4 or 8 channels already — they are just thrown away.

 

[Bwaslo]

These are the ones I'm using. No regrets.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285436337517?var=587363814516
(they also arrived weeks ahead of the estimated shipping date!)

Also, I can't duplicate the channel assignment problem today - it might have all been just me getting confused. The multiple options of what DAC output plugs to what ADC (ADCiso and scaler) and mixer routing in Camilladsp are easy to get confused with.

 

[MCH]

Still wondering why there are no multichannel DAC boards on the market. Many DAC chips have 4 or 8 channels already — they are just thrown away.

well, there aren't many multichannel USB and HDMI bridges, so i guess the market for multichannel i2s dacs must be rather limited. Now with the raspberry pi 5 capable of multichannel i2s, maybe things change, but i am only aware of the hifiberry one so far.

 

[eclipsevl]

I mostly post on DIY Audio and rare guest here but I guess it's time to create a thread there as well

This is a prototype of DSP and 8ch DAC on AK4458, based on York USB interface. I have two DSP projects: this one and D-class 4 channel amp for which I am also working on software:

 

[solawind]

This is a prototype of DSP and 8ch DAC on AK4458, based on York USB interface. I have two DSP projects: this one and D-class 4 channel amp for which I am also working on software:

I use your York interface in a biamping system, and it is a great little device, very easy to configure. I can recommend it to everyone looking for a configurable multichannel interface.

is that AK4458 8ch DAC your prototype? Nice to hear you are working on a multichannel DAC too. I found no good multichannel boards, so I use a few 2ch boards. But it is pricey and you have to mess with a lot of boards and power converters

 

[eclipsevl]

I use your York interface in a biamping system, and it is a great little device, very easy to configure. I can recommend it to everyone looking for a configurable multichannel interface.

Thanks!

is that AK4458 8ch DAC your prototype? Nice to hear you are working on a multichannel DAC too. I found no good multichannel boards, so I use a few 2ch boards. But it is pricey and you have to mess with a lot of boards and power converters

Yes, it is. It is ok as prototype but not sure what to do next with it: make a one board with DSP and DAC, add ADC and make a full processor or something else.

 

[pppebakerb]

For a self-contained multi-channel I2S configuration, this is possible, but difficult. Because inexpensive boards vary greatly in quality and often do not have proper resynchronization. And the result is that the sound can be noisy or uneven.For entry-level chips, try looking for boards using the CS43131 or ES9023. In my opinion, they are widely available and not bad for music.Keep in mind that synchronizing multiple DACs via I2S can be difficult.

 

[solawind]

In my opinion, they are widely available and not bad for music.Keep in mind that synchronizing multiple DACs via I2S can be difficult.

I have a few PCM5242 I2S DAC boards and an AK4493 board with I2S inputs. I did obvious sync tests (a single impulse click over all channels to check for any delay or smearing issues). So far, no issues. Can there really be any? Isn’t the I2S input always unbuffered and using the I2S clock?

Of course, I would prefer a real multichannel DAC like the Eclipsevl prototype. It is just more convenient and economical than chaining DACs for each channel.

 

[MCH]

I have a few PCM5242 I2S DAC boards and an AK4493 board with I2S inputs. I did obvious sync tests (a single impulse click over all channels to check for any delay or smearing issues). So far, no issues. Can there really be any? Isn’t the I2S input always unbuffered and using the I2S clock?

Of course, I would prefer a real multichannel DAC like the Eclipsevl prototype. It is just more convenient and economical than chaining DACs for each channel.

maybe, if you have many boards sharing the same clock signal, you might have signal integrity issues, but in my experience and from what i read, if you have only, say, 4 boards and your routing is decent, you should be ok. And if you want to make sure, you can use buffers like the LMK1C110x. (see for instance https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ole-lot-easier-and-cheaper.48233/post-2264900 )

.For entry-level chips, try looking for boards using the CS43131

I would not chose CS43131 for any DIY project, the available datasheet is far from complete.

 

[solawind]

I would not chose CS43131 for any DIY project, the available datasheet is far from complete.

My electronic engineering skills are close to zero, so I dont’t even think about it. But it may be useful for someone building multichannel setups, thank you
When I was trying to do some research on this topic and figure out how to get cheap I2S DACs to play with, I asked ChatGPT and got advice to buy a bunch of cheap DACs and cut the I2S lines, then feed I2S directly to the DAC chip. But i guess XMOS do change some dac chip options as well as i2s feed so it may not work

 

[Bwaslo]

I'm having very good results using three of the crazy inexpensive PMC5102a boards available all over ebay or aliexpress. Somewhere on this site I posted some measurements (of a tone and of a multitone), I'm pretty sure performance is well into the audibly transparent category. Thought about doing the mains with a ES9039 dac, but can't really come up with a valid reason to

I'm supplying them (power and signal both) from an MCHstreamer board, run out of a NUC fanless PC running Camilladsp under Ubuntu Linux. DSP usage (with a lot of filters, PEQs and phase linearizing FIR plus some long FIRs for ambient decay effects) is still under 6%, seems like I have room and speed to do just about anything with 10 channels.