Review and Measurements of Sabaj D5 DAC & Amp

[solderdude]

explains why there are provisions for a heatsink on the PCB and why they aren't used.
Chances are Amir measured a prototype or early production one ?

It begs the question.. is/was heatsink needed ?
How hot does the chip get without one ?

 

[Patrick1958]

explains why there are provisions for a heatsink on the PCB and why they aren't used.
Chances are Amir measured a prototype or early production one ?

It begs the question.. is/was heatsink needed ?
How hot does the chip get without one ?

I tried opening the D5, unfortunately i don't have the tools to do so.
Some months ago i measured temp of the device cold/warm, difference was 2°.......

 

[wadec22]

Do you believe you hear this difference?

I don't own one.

 

[wadec22]

Even a >100 SINAD is top tier performance. It is impossible to hear differences between -100 and -120dB spurious.
It would be masked by the background noise of any recording anyway.

Out of curiosity, the other thing this unit, the d70 and a few others impress with is such a high dynamic range value. Would someone be able to detect audible differences between 100db Dr and 123db Dr? If not, at what value would it be an audible difference?

 

[777]

Uffffff....those Sabre chip secrets...

 

[AnalogDE]

Man anybody notice your volume getting really really quiet on the D5? Is my volume control broken? I can hardly hear anything coming out... Anybody experiencing this?

 

[AnalogDE]

Man anybody notice your volume getting really really quiet on the D5? Is my volume control broken? I can hardly hear anything coming out... Anybody experiencing this?

Sorry, stupid Tidal setup -- need to turn off 'Loudness normalization' off in the streaming settings. D'oh.

 

[DeepSpace57]

Man anybody notice your volume getting really really quiet on the D5? Is my volume control broken? I can hardly hear anything coming out... Anybody experiencing this?

Are you on MacOs ?

 

[AnalogDE]

Are you on MacOs ?

Yes...

 

[DeepSpace57]

Yes...

You will see a volume control for each output on Audio Midi Setup. Adjust the volume control corresponding to Sabaj D5 to Max.

 

[AnalogDE]

You will see a volume control for each output on Audio Midi Setup. Adjust the volume control corresponding to Sabaj D5 to Max.

Tried that already... It turned out to be a new setting in Tidal -- Loudness normalization that I had to turn off...

 

[DeepSpace57]

Yes, the same problem continues for two days. Just wait for the new update of tidal.

My current setting is like unticked exclusive use (tidal), max volume and 88.2khz (audio midi). 20db is ok to listen everything under such a configuration.

 

[essence]

For those who are using the I2S input, it seems like the D5 runs Gustard standard: (but with L/R channels inverted)

Works great with my Singxer SU-1 and D5 set both I2S mode and DSD on (inverted/swapped).

 

[DeepSpace57]

For those who are using the I2S input, it seems like the D5 runs Gustard standard: (but with L/R channels inverted)
View attachment 33963
Works great with my Singxer SU-1 and D5 set both I2S mode and DSD on (inverted/swapped).

how is this set-up compared to only USB input? @Patrick1958 told me no difference at all. BTW, he uses Gustard U-16.

 

[Veri]

Well Amir already concluded there's really no point https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...face-better-for-dacs-than-s-pdif-or-usb.7105/

I2S input is really just catering to the tweakers who like that kinda thing. Audibly no difference.

 

[Patrick1958]

For those who are using the I2S input, it seems like the D5 runs Gustard standard: (but with L/R channels inverted)
View attachment 33963
Works great with my Singxer SU-1 and D5 set both I2S mode and DSD on (inverted/swapped).

There is a firmware update on the singxer for some time now that corrects the inverted playback on DSD.
On the other hand, indeed in D5 system setup there is a invert for dsd function.

 

[Patrick1958]

how is this set-up compared to only USB input? @Patrick1958 told me no difference at all. BTW, he uses Gustard U-16.

Correction, i use the Singxer SU-1 or the Matrix Audio usb/spdif 2.

 

[essence]

how is this set-up compared to only USB input? @Patrick1958 told me no difference at all. BTW, he uses Gustard U-16.

Compared to USB they offer the exact same functionality. I guess having both means you can easily compare native PCM vs DSD upsample via hqplayer which lets you play with digital filters.

 

[DeepSpace57]

I have got IFI USB Purifier 3.0. Bought it as second hand. Happy with it at all. I hope Amir has soon a test for it.

 

[AnalogDE]

Yes, the same problem continues for two days. Just wait for the new update of tidal.

My current setting is like unticked exclusive use (tidal), max volume and 88.2khz (audio midi). 20db is ok to listen everything under such a configuration.

Yeah you want to turn Exclusive Mode on, Force Volume Max on, MQA passthru off, Loudness normalization off. This is working for me. Still get the annoying pops when it has to switch sample rate...