Sabaj D5 - Owners' Thread

[renaudrenaud]

You mean even if you select the lowest level in the menu, it is still on?

 

[Paper Tiger]

You mean even if you select the lowest level in the menu, it is still on?

Yes, it has a level of 1 - 9 and 1 dims the display significantly but does not disable it.

 

[renaudrenaud]

If you totally switch it off, how could you switch it on again? Reset?

Maybe it is time to create a wishlist for a future firware update:
- more than 40 steps for volume
- switch off totally, switch on when receiving remote command
- ...

 

[Paper Tiger]

- switch off totally, switch on when receiving remote command
- ...

That would be perfect

 

[Mr. Olinad]

I received my update tool today (two by the way).
Updated from 1.2 to 1.4.
Even though I never had a problem with my unit, like those mentioned by @jruser at post #7, it's good to be updated.

By the way, did anyone had access to the improvements that were made for each version?

 

[renaudrenaud]

I received my update tool today (two by the way).
Updated from 1.2 to 1.4.
Even though I never had a problem with my unit, like those mentioned by @jruser at post #7, it's good to be updated.

By the way, did anyone had access to the improvements that were made for each version?

You mean a changelog. I suppose they have it for the company but it is not public.

 

[RickSanchez]

The Sabaj D5 DAC/amp is up on AliExpress for US $409, down from $470. (I believe you can get it even cheaper if you stack coupons.)

• https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32981545569.html

 

[NTomokawa]

Does the volume control work for the XLR outputs?

 

[Mr. Olinad]

Does the volume control work for the XLR outputs?

Yes, they do

 

[Malis]

Yesterday I got the D5. I want to thank this forum for the good reviews and now I have my first DAC to use my Hifiman 4XX with.

My Firmware version is 1.4 out of the box.

For now I can not seem to have the ASIO running with the original drivers but I hope I will figure it out somehow.

Very good first impressions and it seems that it has a slightly better sound than the Cambridge DAC Magic that a friend of mine lent me for a few days.

 

[renaudrenaud]

Yesterday I got the D5. I want to thank this forum for the good reviews and now I have my first DAC to use my Hifiman 4XX with.

My Firmware version is 1.4 out of the box.

For now I can not seem to have the ASIO running with the original drivers but I hope I will figure it out somehow.

Very good first impressions and it seems that it has a slightly better sound than the Cambridge DAC Magic that a friend of mine lent me for a few days.

I understand the driver for Windows is an ASIO driver.

 

[Raducub]

Hello guys. I have just bought a D5 and I need to confirm two things:
1. Does every unit have sound leakage? I have output set on headphones (SE) and i can hear what is playing in the speakers (connected via RCA line out).
2. I have micro stutter when input is Optical and signal is coming from TV.
Cany any of you do similar tests?

 

[renaudrenaud]

1. Yes
2. Not sure the clock or everything else is ok from your TV. Nothing wrong with the optical input and my phono ADC to Sabaj.

 

[Raducub]

1. Yes
2. Not sure the clock or everything else is ok from your TV. Nothing wrong with the optical input and my phono ADC to Sabaj.

Thank you for the reply. I will do some more testing, maybe try a different cable. The stuttering is incosistent. When audio is sent from PC via HDMI ARC, TV audio set to optical out, no problem. Only regular TV signal seems to have the issue.

 

[soicjensen]

Hi guys,

I am about to buy D5, but I am curious about its topology.
As usually, there's a 24MHz XO or something like that for XMOS DSP; and 24/22.XXX MHz for CPLD. These are quite within expectation and very typical.
What I am curious is that where the 100MHz for ES9038 is?
From teardown photo we can see there's a ES9311 LDO for ES9038, but no 100MHz oscillator.
Is this crucial oscillator located at the bottom side? or the Sabaj D5 use some other tech so that this XO is not needed?


Also, still $46X USD on the Amazon, I saw somebody get this for just ~367 USD, that 100USD saved! Waiting for sale!

 

[eziitis]

according Sabaj :"Ultra-low phase noise NDK Japan crystal oscillator and high-speed CPLD is used for clock processing"
so ir seems the XIN is generated by Altera.

 

[eziitis]

actually I wonder whether D5 utilizes all 4 dif outputs in parallel per a stereo channel? and does it run in asynchronous or sync master mode?

 

[soicjensen]

according Sabaj :"Ultra-low phase noise NDK Japan crystal oscillator and high-speed CPLD is used for clock processing"
so ir seems the XIN is generated by Altera.

Thank you, that reasonable.
However, I also wonder which way is better, a synchronized frequency or a high-grade XO like CCH-957 and NZ2520SDA?
Why do Sabaj use Altera? For lower jitter or lower cost?

 

[soicjensen]

Can owners of the Sabaj D5 tell us, which NDK do they use?
Is it NZ2520SD or NZ2520SD"A"? As we know, SDA is better than SD, and CCHD-957 at all frequency range.

 

[gto88]

I have Sabaj D5, and it is good, and I did some comparison with other ES9038Q2M dac, D5 is apparently better.