Measurements of Soncoz LA-QXD1 Pre-production "Evolution of KTE Board"

[Nybto]

Enjoy!

Great, @Ben1987 !

I only have OS-X, unfortunately. Maybe I can use the ToneBoard instructions for OS-X that uses a tool on GitHub from numbqq, would that work?

 

[Ben1987]

Maybe I can use the ToneBoard instructions for OS-X that uses a tool on GitHub from numbqq, would that work?

We haven't tested this before, so give it a try and share your experience!Thank you ~

 

[Tks]

Great, @Ben1987 !

I only have OS-X, unfortunately. Maybe I can use the ToneBoard instructions for OS-X that uses a tool on GitHub from numbqq, would that work?

If that fails, get ready for Bootcamp (ugh).

 

[Nybto]

If that fails, get ready for Bootcamp (ugh).

Oh yes, never did that before, thanks for the reminder

 

[Nybto]

I built the xmosdfu tool successfully, I believe, but get stuck with this (copied from terminal):

Antonys-MBP:xmos_dfu_osx antony$ sudo ./xmosdfu --download /Users/antony/Documents/IT/LA-QXD1\ DAC/LA_QXD1_default_maximum_volume_DFU_0513.bin
Password:
VID = 0x152a, PID = 0x8826
Could not find/open device

Any ideas?

 

[Stephen]

Also to be noted, my cats love the LA-QXD1. It's slightly warm, perfect temperature for them...
So they hide the leds while sleeping almost on it. Probably the first cat approved DAC ! , after the wolfves, I guess the panther will soon do too .

Anyway, it sounds as good as expected...
Congratulations to Ben!

 

[somebodyelse]

What's the VID/PID of the LA-QXD1? If it's different to the tone board you'll have to change it in the source and recompile. On linux I'd use lsusb - not sure if that works on OSX.

 

[Nybto]

What's the VID/PID of the LA-QXD1? If it's different to the tone board you'll have to change it in the source and recompile. On linux I'd use lsusb - not sure if that works on OSX.

Thanks, I can see the VID/PIDs for both devices (I connected both) in the Mac System Report, USB data, definitely different. Don't know what "the source" is though. I imagined I would find the KTB VID/PID numbers in one of the files included in the Khadas download and try replacing those, but I am not capable in linux, I have to re-learn the basics everytime I come up against it. This is how the directory looks, any idea where I should look?

 

[somebodyelse]

It'll be in xmosdfu.cpp but I haven't looked in that version yet. The one I have is the original from XMOS. When you mentioned github I assumed more familiarity with software development than I should have.

 

[somebodyelse]

This is untested, and may brick your shiny new DAC, so proceed at your own risk. You should probably wait for @Ben1987 to test it.

I'm assuming you're using these instructions from Khadas. In xmosdfu.cpp from line 6 you should see:

/* the device's vendor and product id */
#define XMOS_VID 0x20b1
#define XMOS_L1_AUDIO2_PID 0x0002
#define XMOS_L1_AUDIO1_PID 0x0003
#define XMOS_L2_AUDIO2_PID 0x0004
#define XMOS_SU1_AUDIO2_PID 0x0008

If you edit the values for XMOS_VID and XMOS_L1_AUDIO2_PID so that they match the ones the LA-QXD1 uses, then rerun

make -f Makefile.OSX all

it should rebuild 'xmosdfu' so that it will work with the correct VID and PID. Now continue as in the instructions, but with the firmware file you want to flash.

 

[Nybto]

This is untested, and may brick your shiny new DAC, so proceed at your own risk. You should probably wait for @Ben1987 to test it.

I'm assuming you're using these instructions from Khadas. In xmosdfu.cpp from line 6 you should see:

/* the device's vendor and product id */
#define XMOS_VID 0x20b1
#define XMOS_L1_AUDIO2_PID 0x0002
#define XMOS_L1_AUDIO1_PID 0x0003
#define XMOS_L2_AUDIO2_PID 0x0004
#define XMOS_SU1_AUDIO2_PID 0x0008

If you edit the values for XMOS_VID and XMOS_L1_AUDIO2_PID so that they match the ones the LA-QXD1 uses, then rerun

make -f Makefile.OSX all

it should rebuild 'xmosdfu' so that it will work with the correct VID and PID. Now continue as in the instructions, but with the firmware file you want to flash.

Thanks very much somebodyelse. I did think I'd bricked it once already - then it came back to life! Yes, they are the instructions. The KTB showed a PID of 0x0008, so that would be the only PID value to be changed (given there are four of them there)(PID 0x8826 for the LAQXD1)?
Thanks also for the warning, I suppose I should put up with having to adjust the volume manually for one more night, and see if Ben can give me some confidence in the morning.

 

[somebodyelse]

Thanks very much somebodyelse. I did think I'd bricked it once already - then it came back to life! Yes, they are the instructions. The KTB showed a PID of 0x0008, so that would be the only PID value to be changed (given there are four of them there)(PID 0x8826 for the LAQXD1)?
Thanks also for the warning, I suppose I should put up with having to adjust the volume manually for one more night, and see if Ben can give me some confidence in the morning.

It doesn't really matter which one of the 4 PIDs you change - it's just used to check that there's a USB device with the right VID and one of the right PIDs before trying to do the update. 0x8826 seems plausible - I don't have one so I can't say. In lsusb the values you mention would show as 20b1:8826 for the LA-QXD1 and 20b1:0008 for the TB.

 

[Nybto]

There seems to be another problem, powering up correctly when connected to USB from a Pi4. Sometimes it comes up with just a single LED on the power indicator, sometimes it comes up with that and the USB input lit (the good state). It seems to get stuck in one state or the other. When in the bad state I have tried all sorts of powering up sequences and different configurations to get it to change, but cannot get a consistent behaviour. Eventually something works that didn't work before. When the single light is on Squeezelite on the Picoreplayer fails, the output setting options are not present.
Meanwhile the KTB is bombproof.. reliable and predictable (powered by the Pi4 - which is not the case with the LA-QXD1).

 

[somebodyelse]

You're not trying to power it from the pi are you? IIRC the Pi can output 1.2A shared between all the ports, while the LA-QXD1 back panel says it needs a 2A supply.

 

[Nybto]

You're not trying to power it from the pi are you? IIRC the Pi can output 1.2A shared between all the ports, while the LA-QXD1 back panel says it needs a 2A supply.

No, that was the point I was trying to make, in how it differs from the KTB. My system triggers off the pre-amp when switching on, and this difference (in DAC power supply) could affect the sequence of events between the Pi coming on stream and the DAC identifying inputs and whatever. Maybe.

 

[sinski]

You're not trying to power it from the pi are you? IIRC the Pi can output 1.2A shared between all the ports, while the LA-QXD1 back panel says it needs a 2A supply.

The back panel says 5V/1A, not 2A. According to Ben LA-QXD1 the power consumtion is around 3.5W

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...lution-of-kte-board.10471/page-17#post-382763

I=P/U -> I=3.5W/5V -> I=0,7A

You need at least one 0,7A (700mA) power supply. PI 4 can deliver it on USB-3 port, but if you want a better sound quality, take one good separate ps for the DAC.

 

[somebodyelse]

Pictures in the first post of this thread show "5V@2A" so I guess the back panel has changed on the production model.

 

[spiritofjerry]

Can someone confirm that the firmware update does indeed allow max volume on power-on? I'm not sure I understood what the firmware @Ben1987 released is supposed to do. I'm so looking forward to this unit, and not to have to fiddle with the volume will be amazing!

Also, does it default to USB on power-on? I think I read somewhere up the chain that it does not. Not sure if that can also be ameliorated in firmware or not. Would be AMAZING if it could.

EDIT: Just saw that the firmware should allow Windows to control the volume, is that correct? If so, then it should always default to max (for me), and I'd be one happy camper.

 

[MechEngVic]

For those who ordered directly from Soncoz: How much time passed between when you ordered and when your unit shipped? I ordered almost a week ago, was told it would ship in two days, and we're now at six days. Just wondering if this is the typical experience or if I'm an exception. They just keep telling me to wait.

 

[spiritofjerry]

For those who ordered directly from Soncoz: How much time passed between when you ordered and when your unit shipped? I ordered almost a week ago, was told it would ship in two days, and we're now at six days. Just wondering if this is the typical experience or if I'm an exception. They just keep telling me to wait.

Where do you live? The flights from China are delayed. It's probably been shipped, but it's backed up due to Covid. If you live in the US it could take a while. Very typical during these strange times.