The remarkable story of the € 24 DAC

Ғылым және технология

This is the story of a 24 bit 192 kHz digital to analog converter that has remarkable sound quality, a peculiar error that blocks that and how to work around that.
Contents of this video
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Start of program
01:16 - How to use
01:59 - The outside
02:37 - The inside
03:35 - Sound quality 1
07:17 - A fault discovered
08:47 - Some more measurements
09:20 - Sound quality 2
11:20 - The wrap
Manufacturer: unknown
Bought from:
www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/merchanni...
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About Questions: • About questions
Q&A: Which device is better?: • Q&A: Which device is b...

Пікірлер: 214

  • @onepieceatatime
    @onepieceatatime2 жыл бұрын

    I have this DAC and I was shocked by the quality of the sound. I thought maybe my ears were bad, so thanks for taking the time to confirm that I'm not a total failure as an audiophile.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    😁

  • @cyciumx

    @cyciumx

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm there with you. I bought this awhile back to convert the optical out of a LaserDisc player I bought to the RCA inputs on my SMSL SA300 amp and was left scratching my head why it sounded so good... ha ha ha

  • @keatonz
    @keatonz Жыл бұрын

    I've seen several online reviews and chart measurements from this DAC, but you're the first I've seen to explain WHY it behaves the way it does and to offer a possible solution! You're the man!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad it was helpful!

  • @breakfixbuildimprove4326
    @breakfixbuildimprove43262 жыл бұрын

    I really liked this review, analysis and tear down because it tied together objective measurements, with subjective listening to the hardware design error. Then you did a before and after comparison of the original to the modified hardware, again with measurements. This is how it should be done!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Measurement can only be 'objective' if they prove something categorically wrong. They can never prove a device to sound brilliant.

  • @klaverro
    @klaverro2 жыл бұрын

    Good review! Always nice to see what's in the box and whether it works in your setups. I would not buy one, but your measurements and ears says it all. It is a gamble sometimes that you have to take and experience it yourself ...

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cool, thanks!

  • @the_depressionist_
    @the_depressionist_2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Hans, great review! In Germany, that DAC it's distributed under the name of Dynavox Mini-DAC. The circuit board has a different layout, but it's also based on the MS8416T. It hasn't that big capacitor, but also the same "mute"transistors - it sounds astonishingly good!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the info!

  • @JB-fh1bb

    @JB-fh1bb

    5 ай бұрын

    Can you send (or arrange) Hans one of those exact ones? Because it’s so different it might come out different in testing

  • @teighan7829
    @teighan78292 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for making this, many people just can't afford or don't want to pay past $50 USD for a Dac so this will surely help some on the fence of whether or not they will or should upgrade from whatever internal dac they are using to this one or if they should save.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    👍🏼

  • @DJ_BROBOT
    @DJ_BROBOT2 жыл бұрын

    Uncle Hans... Thanks for covering this. I have this dac to connect between several amps and dacs I got to clean up the system (taking rca to coax) .... It made my humble system to a top notch hifi system that punches waaaaaay above its weight and price point with these dacs.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Rock on!

  • @pbsa1979
    @pbsa19792 жыл бұрын

    I've had few of these over the years and they all sound surprisingly OK, especially for the money. Very informative video and thanks for no "elevator" music. Cheers

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad you like them!

  • @peraphanjittrapirom9820
    @peraphanjittrapirom98202 жыл бұрын

    "It's a jungle out there" Love this warning. Many thank Hans!

  • @whkee

    @whkee

    2 жыл бұрын

    just have fun

  • @andrewwilson8273
    @andrewwilson82732 жыл бұрын

    A couple of years ago I purchased a similarly priced Techole DAC from Amazon. It was highly reviewed but I was sceptical. It was for use with my TV to feed my Beolab 8000 speakers. At the time my music was covered by the Allo Digital streamer/dac. The cheapo unit was very pleasant to listen to. Music from the TV sounded good and compared well with the Allo Digital unit. When I used the Techole DAC for music it was again pretty good. The main difference was in detail and a less solid stereo image. Instruments were rather smeared together, but a difference in degree, not absolutely bad. I just opened the thing up to look at how it was made as it looked like it might be similar to yours, albeit with a different case style. It was different. Very neat, all SMD components and very cleanly laid out. It looks like the thing uses similar DAC and i2s converter but power seems quite different. If I did not have the Allo Digital or the current Cambridge CXN V2 I'd be entirely happy to have this unit in my system. It sounds pleasant, not harsh, audible distortion - no. It seems to me that these little units are a somewhat hidden gem. I'm happy to have purchased the more costly units but the little Techole 192Khz dac works well.

  • @Niran333
    @Niran3332 жыл бұрын

    I had one Proster dac that’s already out of production that brings amazing clean mass and weight to the output sound from my cd source. The latest iteration of the dac model though sounds bad like it’s made in a totally different design and from a different manufacturer (which most likely is the case). These cheap chifi devices from China brings some rare surprises among mostly disappointments, that when you find one, it feels weirdly satisfying.

  • @ericksonengineering7011
    @ericksonengineering7011 Жыл бұрын

    Nice work, Hans. I currently have no DAC, and this one was very tempting, at $12 so I bought one. You are so right, I verified the scope waveforms. There is bad clipping on the negative peaks, causing several % distortion on peaks. The fact that it is on negative peaks means that it causes the less objectionable 2nd harmonic distortions. But several % distortion is unacceptable. Your fix works great, thanks! As a 45 year EE I'm usually the one who finds and fixes other designs. It is a delight to have someone else do the hard work. Thanks!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    Жыл бұрын

    👍🏼

  • @roxair1
    @roxair12 жыл бұрын

    Have one since years, working perfectly.

  • @garryclelland4481
    @garryclelland44812 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video , thanks for bringing this to our attention , liked and subbed .

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks and welcome

  • @catherinelugg4321
    @catherinelugg43212 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! I learned enough to understand that I have no business poking around stuff.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    And there is no need. Sufficient other gear available.

  • @halfSpinDoctor
    @halfSpinDoctor2 жыл бұрын

    I had one of these in my TV setup (different branding, identical unit) for years and honestly had no complaints. About a year ago I switched from this to a Topping E30, mainly because I wanted to be able to integrate volume control on a single remote with the Amazon Fire remote, but honestly the Topping was only marginally better than the cheap Amazon DAC.

  • @andrewskaterrr

    @andrewskaterrr

    2 жыл бұрын

    I had the opposite experience. I had the Radio Shack Chinese DAC rebrand for years, and thought there was no point going higher. It was much better than my Asus Z97-A motherboard's output. I got the Topping E30 and was blown away by the difference. Everything was smoother (less distortion?) with better channel separation and depth. My brother clearly heard the difference even when he thought he wouldn't be able to. I got the L30 HP Amp to go with it, and now the PA3S for my speakers. I doubt I would hear a difference between the E30 and D90SE though, I don't plan on going any higher. The noise floor is already transparent on the E30.

  • @halfSpinDoctor

    @halfSpinDoctor

    2 жыл бұрын

    Interesting experience! My guess is that while there are many Chinese DACs that look more or less identical, there are varying levels of build quality (or even board implementation) that could produce differences in audio quality, noise floor, etc.

  • @peraphanjittrapirom9820

    @peraphanjittrapirom9820

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@andrewskaterrr thx for sharing! how is Ur experience with pa3s?

  • @andrewskaterrr

    @andrewskaterrr

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@peraphanjittrapirom9820 It's great. Currently using with 6ohm JBL 530s at the desktop and it barely gets above ambient room temp even after hours of music. The noise floor is inaudible too, lower than my Outlaw 7000X.

  • @peraphanjittrapirom9820

    @peraphanjittrapirom9820

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@andrewskaterrr great thx u

  • @hawkins55
    @hawkins552 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting video. Thank you!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    👍🏻

  • @FriesOfTheDead
    @FriesOfTheDead2 жыл бұрын

    Very nice video! 🙂

  • @truephantomsound
    @truephantomsound2 жыл бұрын

    Great revieu! Thanks Hope to see you at the AES on 7 May talking of my True Phanton®

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I hope so too!

  • @manuelhernandez6801
    @manuelhernandez68012 жыл бұрын

    Yes this! I have this for my PC to convert toslink to headphone and I have to say it sounded great but I thought maybe it’s just me. I couldn’t believe how wonderful it sounded

  • @philippkemptner4604

    @philippkemptner4604

    2 жыл бұрын

    is it strong enough for higher impedance headphones?

  • @manuelhernandez6801

    @manuelhernandez6801

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@philippkemptner4604 unfortunately none of my headphones are HI most of mine are 80 and below so I couldn't correctly answer this

  • @Chester200100
    @Chester2001002 жыл бұрын

    After watching the video i hoped on the local auction site and got Prozor branded one for ~10usd after opening it up the inside looked exactly the same so i did the mod which was super easy. It definitely sounds better than my pc build in dac. Thanks so much very cool

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Not bad

  • @bernardstachman3507
    @bernardstachman35072 жыл бұрын

    Fixing a dac, now that was amazing!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Actually,

  • @sloboat55
    @sloboat552 жыл бұрын

    Excellent.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Cheers!

  • @hallanvaara6106
    @hallanvaara61062 жыл бұрын

    Interesting! Thanks!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching!

  • @joejoejoejoejoejoe4391
    @joejoejoejoejoejoe43912 жыл бұрын

    I got a DAC board of amazon using the same CS 4344 DAC chip, I resumed the transistor looking things on the output side were an amplification stage and just by passed them with polypropylene film caps ( with cap+resistor to remove above audible frequencies), and the thigs sound dam good.

  • @321amd123
    @321amd1232 жыл бұрын

    I picked up the same looking DAC from Canada Computers last night, $20CAD branded ICAN. Circuit board looked 99% identical, so I did the same mod. I dont have Audiophile ears but sounds good to me! Now my 1989 Kenwood can play digital!

  • @GahMehGrrrr
    @GahMehGrrrr2 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting. Thank you

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Very welcome

  • @ThePerkri
    @ThePerkri2 жыл бұрын

    Very timely video. I was just gifted one of these DACs from a friend who ended up with two of them as the result of a shipping error. I promptly made the changes as suggested as well as adding a new higher grade electrolytic capacitor in place of the one included. (I just happened to have one that would work.) Once my friend returns from his winter hibernation in a warmer climate, I plan to do an A/B comparison. Very curious to see what, if any, differences I end up hearing. It should be noted I don’t listen to digital sources often, as I’m a analog person. But I’m always willing to try!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    It's not the best way to be introduced to digital audio though...

  • @ThePerkri

    @ThePerkri

    2 жыл бұрын

    Totally agree! My main DAC is a Theta Cobalt which I bought new a loooong time ago. The 24€ DAC lacks all the finesse of the Theta. Instrument separation, sound stage, dynamics, air etc. were all lacking in comparison. But, for its low cost, the 24€ DAC does perform well. My friend who gifted it to me actually bought it on my suggestion as he needed a DAC to go with an amp I built for him. I’m looking at this DAC as an inexpensive option to use/integrate in future amp builds. Your RaspberryPi videos have also been of great interest to me as an inexpensive streaming option.

  • @CraigWedd
    @CraigWedd2 жыл бұрын

    i have done of these and it really is cool. from tv to studio monitors in my bedroom. sound is 💯

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing

  • @thiagotrevisandesouza6895
    @thiagotrevisandesouza68952 жыл бұрын

    Very nice !!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! Cheers!

  • @RasheedKhan-he6xx
    @RasheedKhan-he6xx2 жыл бұрын

    "and on that bombshell..." haha love it!

  • @larryh9525
    @larryh95252 жыл бұрын

    in 2019, I had purchased the Prozor model of this DAC for Amazon for $13 USD. While watching the video I popped the cover and the parts layout and model were virtually identical. The most visible chip was a Cirrus Logic 8416, while the one in the video was a brand I didn't recognize but was also an 8416. My hunch is the same part from a different manufacturer.

  • @adambozak5372

    @adambozak5372

    2 жыл бұрын

    Do you enjoy it? This video has inspired me to buy one of those (assuming you have the one with the case where "192k" is spelled out in black text inside a white box), but others online say that Prozor model sounds horrible. Thx

  • @larryh9525

    @larryh9525

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@adambozak5372 Hi, as memory serves it did sound horrible. Low output gain, must meh. What I found that was better, was the Micca Origen G2. Cost: $109. It's kind of a Swiss army knife kind of DAC, sounds good, and does a few different things.

  • @adambozak5372

    @adambozak5372

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@larryh9525 Thanks for the detail, and for the tip!

  • @joeMW284
    @joeMW2842 жыл бұрын

    I've been using this thing to drive a headphone amp in my recording rig for a few years now. It was $10 on Amazon. Might as well put the spdif out to use, right? Always works fine.

  • @EliteRock
    @EliteRock2 жыл бұрын

    I've used only PC's as a music source for about 22 years now, via so many different topolgies I've probably forgotten many of them. A couple of times circumstances have compelled seriously 'ghetto' solutions, and were that the case now I'd certainly be looking at this DAC, but to make the best of it I'd probably just keep the digital signal at the PC attenuated by at least 10dB (at the levels I listen, raising of the noise floor by that much is unnoticeable). I guess that would still run the risk of the non-music plops/clicks but I'd probably be willing to live with that.

  • @audioschipper
    @audioschipper2 жыл бұрын

    Great video, it is a jungle out there

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    It sure is

  • @joelcarson9514
    @joelcarson95142 жыл бұрын

    Would be great if a part number for the correct 3.3V MOSFETs is known. Thump muting is a very desirable feature as I hate blown tweeters.

  • @FatNorthernBigot
    @FatNorthernBigot2 жыл бұрын

    As a man in his fifties, I find it incredible we can now purchase a €24 DAC that has a reasonable sound. I remember DAC in the 80's and 90's.

  • @grimfpv292
    @grimfpv2922 жыл бұрын

    The powersupply is critical. You get virtually no background noise, or a lot of background noise depending on the powersupply you give this device.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    It always is

  • @toddhupp
    @toddhupp2 жыл бұрын

    Love your German precision Hans.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I hope you like my Dutch accent too 😀

  • @GJvVr
    @GJvVr Жыл бұрын

    Als je het scope plaatje kunt toelichten . Wat is de scale op de y-as en wat is time base. Ik heb gekeken bij 100Hz en Vpp 1.85V. Op die levels hoor ik de storing ook.

  • @willp7802
    @willp78025 ай бұрын

    Purchased one of these DAC the other day before seeing your video, its a Prozor brand and stripped it out to see if it was similar to yours. It uses the same chips but a neater board and soldering and the two output transistors appear correctly wired back to MS8416T chip. Compared the sound between direct CD/Amp and the PC/DAC to Amp and very pleased with the quailty of the DAC for just euro13

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing

  • @voltagetoe

    @voltagetoe

    5 ай бұрын

    I gave one Prozor model like in this video to my parents, but now I ordered & received Prozor DAC01s model which seems to be the same thing - just smaller enclosure. however I dont have the tools to see whether fets are soldered incorrectly. the previous one that i gave away sounded good - havent tested this new one yet..

  • @willp7802

    @willp7802

    5 ай бұрын

    @@voltagetoe Hi, did not make it clear on my eariler post, our Prozor DAC was fitted with BJT tansistors not Fets as with Hans earlier model, so they should work ok at 3v3, though no way of measuring their performance like Hans, but the sound is still very, very good.

  • @stephanespohr886
    @stephanespohr8862 жыл бұрын

    Hello Hans, thanks for this interesting video, but in your setup 1 I don't understand how you could connected the USB "clean" output of the Allo USBridge streamer - as shown in the video - to the Coax (or Toslink ?) input of the tested DAC (except if you used in addition the optional Allo DigiOne card with Coax output but it was not represented so).

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I used the SPDIF on the USBridge Lux to the DAC. The version I have has the DigiOne Sig integrated too. That’s why I call it the Lux

  • @stephanespohr886

    @stephanespohr886

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel OK thanks, now it is clear to me :-)

  • @gaborszilagyi1751
    @gaborszilagyi17512 жыл бұрын

    here the other day one of my neighbours was dumping this as rubbish, and I noticed it and bring it up… 👍 😊 thanks for the measurement

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad to help

  • @whkee

    @whkee

    2 жыл бұрын

    rubbish for them, gold for you!!!!

  • @excitedbox5705
    @excitedbox57052 жыл бұрын

    I hope you notified the manufacturer of this issue. That way they can switch the FET and there will be a solid budget solution.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I you can tell me who tha manufacturer is….

  • @Sool101
    @Sool1012 жыл бұрын

    If Dan Worrall had a brother it might have been you. Interesting video thanks!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Could be

  • @GJvVr
    @GJvVr Жыл бұрын

    Hallo Hans. Ik heb ook zo'n merchannice DAC. Ander doosje maar outline van de DAC-buitenkant lijkt hetzelfde zijn gezien plaatsing van de stekkers in/out. Hoewel ik het geluid CD-line (Sony-line vs optoCD-naar DAC eerst verfissend vond hoor ik bij sommige CD's een storing bij stille passages. BV David Sylvian in mijn geval. Andere relatief rustige CD's hoor ik geen afwijking. Ik heb met een Test-CD 1000Hz op een scope gezet maar ik zie geen vervorming tussen testsignaal (signaal generator). CD via Line(kabel uit de CD op DC-in of CD->optisch naar DAC en dan de DAC naar scope, Ik heb gekeken bij 1000Hz.

  • @tullgutten
    @tullgutten Жыл бұрын

    My TV doesn't have RCA output and im using old amplifier so i needed to use the optical cable and have used this exact unit but unnamed version for over 3 years and its been just perfect for me BUT the volume out is a little too low and it makes loud popping when turning off and on the TV (powering it through TV usb). Upgraded to a better one from alixpress that have volume and bass adjustment and i love it, it have an auto mute when no input sound so there is no background noise/hiss like the other one when pausing the tv. It have great bass and sound and very low noise floor.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing

  • @tullgutten

    @tullgutten

    Жыл бұрын

    The unit in this video that i used first was swapped because of the high noise floor that was disturbing while watching movies when it got quiet and the super powerfull pop when tv turned on or off so i always needed to turn off the amplifier first, because the subwoofer litterally popped 2cm out and slowly centered again shaking my whole house (4x cervin vega 15 inch woofers). The new unit have solved all of the problems and have much higher output line level so i dont need to max out the amplifier

  • @philippkemptner4604
    @philippkemptner46042 жыл бұрын

    Highly interesting. My Prozor DAC with a very similar board has a different mute fet setup. The unit is based on the same MS8416T as yours, and has that huge cap. Only difference: Those 2 FETs ar located between chinch and jack connector, just below the led. On my unit, only the source is connected to earth. It's labeled 1.YC H. I wasn't able to find a data sheet, only that H might be a date Code. the "H" is on a 90 degree angle. With a little luck this FET runs on 3.3 volts, but we can't be sure. Would be awesome if it was, as this is the unit that is sold right now (end of Jan 22) by that big western online trader. //Edit// the Box it came in sais: DAC01c, maybe the c stands for mark 3 and they fixed something?

  • @picksalot1
    @picksalot12 жыл бұрын

    I have a general question about DACs I hope you can help me with. I've heard that new AD/DA Converters are "better" than old ones. Yet, I've read and heard dozens of times that the "Nyquist theorem proves there is one and only one way to draw a band-limited continuous signal through a set of samples." This requires that the Sample Rate is at least twice the highest audio frequency. Accordingly, one should be able to "perfectly" reconstruct the analog signal that was captured using a DAC with that specification, whether it's brand new or 20 years old. I know there are things like newer/better Preamps, etc. that will affect how the processed signal ultimately sounds. But, according to the Math, the recorded digital signal should be perfect. If that's not correct, could you please explain. Thanks

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    All internal combustion engines are based on the same laws of physics. But does that mean that they are all equal? The Nyquist theorem is not disputed. But in real life it's impossible to limit the bandwidth at half the sampling rate without distorting the sound. The best filters come closer to perfection but are rather expensive.

  • @picksalot1

    @picksalot1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Interesting. I hadn't heard that it is "impossible to limit the bandwidth at half the sampling rate without distorting the sound." Thanks

  • @WhatEver-dx3eu
    @WhatEver-dx3eu2 жыл бұрын

    That's really neat, although the risk of nasty clicks and pops whenever my playlist switches tracks with different sampling frequencies, I don't or need to risk it. Did make me curious though. What did you use as power supply and in your opinion how much does it matter if you use a proper regulated 5v supply of an off-the-shelf left-over some other device for sound quality? In short, same sound quality as long as it's 5V DC?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Of course not. But I used a simple one: the Allo Nirvana.

  • @WhatEver-dx3eu

    @WhatEver-dx3eu

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Thanks for swift reply! That will make a difference, I bet. Is that your supply for your raspberry streamer?

  • @mahdiyussuf9804
    @mahdiyussuf98042 жыл бұрын

    I have the "prozor" branded one from amazon, and I just opened it up. Layout looks similar but the FETs are arranged up and to the right of the rca jacks, behind the LED. Not sure if they are the correct ones, but I'll yank them out anyhow ^_~

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Fine, but it's at your own risk

  • @mahdiyussuf9804

    @mahdiyussuf9804

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel I already have taken them out, but I haven't tried them yet. Been too busy. I'll report soon!

  • @tonym8358
    @tonym83582 жыл бұрын

    Hope you fell better....looking at Amazon I found Prozor make those with Volume control, remote and other brand have bass control and volume...wonder if they make the 320khz

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    The version with volume control and bass control allegedly sounds less.

  • @jazzboy
    @jazzboy6 ай бұрын

    Amazing vid as I have one on order. Did you just bend the FETS or remove them entirely? Thanks.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    6 ай бұрын

    I did bend them

  • @jazzboy

    @jazzboy

    6 ай бұрын

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thanks. Will know my fate by the weekend haha!

  • @miqueas1992
    @miqueas19922 жыл бұрын

    Might be a dumb question, but are there FETs out there that are rated correctly to replace the bad ones on that board (while still retaining safety measures)?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I don't want this channel to become a DIY channel. I'm sure there will be a forum somewhere that can help you out.

  • @bcarlyle7741

    @bcarlyle7741

    2 жыл бұрын

    I would imagine that the problem is that the voltage difference between the audio signal and the gate isn't enough at 3.3V. What might work is to put 5V pull up resistors on the FET gates and then let the mute function pull it down through diodes.

  • @thandargor1677
    @thandargor16772 жыл бұрын

    Just got a Prozor DAC from Amazon, it's an older model so may be the one Spade Ho has, opened it and it's a newer vsesion of Merchannice motherboard which is 1910, this is 2118. Things have moved or removed, but the ones that haven't have exactly the same name and typeface, and all the chips remain the same. One change is that the mute FETs have been moved to just behind the LED. making access much worse. Unfortunately I don't have access to equipment to see if they corrected the circuit then they did this. Best of all it was only £12.99, or 15.65 Euros

  • @thandargor1677

    @thandargor1677

    2 жыл бұрын

    Quick update, after checking the mute ICs, they are marked 1AM, this appears to no longer be FETs but transistors according to the datasheet. No pins are shorted together or to ground (was using the 3.3v regulator heatsink as ground).

  • @Endurmh

    @Endurmh

    Жыл бұрын

    @@thandargor1677 Got also the 2118 revision of the board (Prozor bought from Amazon Germany at August 2022). It has two "1AM" npn transistors (SMD 40V 200mA) for muting right top under the LED. As an audiophile I can't hear any clipping. So the issue was fixed at least for the 2118 revision 🙂

  • @johnm4090
    @johnm40902 жыл бұрын

    A little off topic but I’ve been looking at getting that sub. Why do you like the t5

  • @ralphclark

    @ralphclark

    2 жыл бұрын

    While you wait for Hans to answer that one: The REL T5 was a bit too pricey for me so I bought the BK Electronics P12-300SB-DF and I’m very happy I did.

  • @manikdesilva1
    @manikdesilva12 жыл бұрын

    Hey this sounds interesting, can we buy this through Amazon USA ? Thank you for the great review .

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I don’t know

  • @adambozak5372
    @adambozak53722 жыл бұрын

    Has anyone identified with certainty the equivalent (rebranded) DAC on Amazon? So many look similar, but not much info on internal components.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    And that's the danger...

  • @KonradSkowronski

    @KonradSkowronski

    Жыл бұрын

    Apparently it's Dynavox Mini-DAC

  • @nakedcellist
    @nakedcellist2 жыл бұрын

    Very impressive, only problem is that you might need an expensive power supply to get this quality.

  • @asphalthedgehog6580
    @asphalthedgehog65802 жыл бұрын

    Funny. Just ordered it with headphone and toslink out only, have not tested it yet.

  • @Zwakkie05
    @Zwakkie052 жыл бұрын

    Hoi Hans, sorry ik doe het even in het Nederlands want nu kon ik het niet helemaal volgen 😬. In de video heb je het over een modificatie heb je dit verwijderd of heb je er andere componenten in de dac gesoldeerd? Verder wil ik je mijn complimenten geven Hans 👍🏻😊.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Ik heb één pootje van die FET losgesoldeerd

  • @ulrikmortensen9426
    @ulrikmortensen94262 жыл бұрын

    Got the DAC this afternoon. Lifted the FET middle leg. Has played for about 1 hour now using an Old switch mode wall wart. The sound is not to my liking😔 The bass is very muddy, and the upper part of the mid range is shouty. The treble is a bit of a noise transmitter. I Will let it warm for a couple of days to see if that helps. On the plus side, it has a good perspective, and I think it does phase well. Anyway, it is a fun little toy, and almost invites to experiment with other PSU’s and electrolytes 👍 My source is ripped CDs, Volumio, Raspberry 3B, Daner amplifiers (bipolar transistors, no negative feedback) and Dali Skyline 1000 open baffle speakers with large ribbons.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    AS I said in the video, it might be a different or slightly different model but using an old switch mode power supply won't help either.

  • @ulrikmortensen9426

    @ulrikmortensen9426

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agree, the switch mode psu is a bad idea. Will try a USB Powerbank in the weekend. After that different electrolyte capacitors.

  • @ulrikmortensen9426

    @ulrikmortensen9426

    2 жыл бұрын

    Did a small modification 2 days ago: changed the 47uF electrolyte to a Silmic II 100 uF. In my ears, a partial improvement, as the DAC now plays a deep, happy bass. The 3D is still very good. But the fuzzy, kazoo like upper midrange and treble is still there. Next up is a PSU change. A IFI iPower is in the mail. By the Way, the electrolyte change was very easy, the circuit board is robust and the holes for the component legs are quite large. I really hope the PSU change Will remove the fuzzy sound. A piano with kazoo quality sounds quite disturbing 😂😂😂

  • @EduardoCruz-ur4wq
    @EduardoCruz-ur4wq2 жыл бұрын

    I put one in a good case with high quality RCAs and cables and different power supply plug, capacitor changed with Nichicon audio gear, in another case a linear LT1084 power supply with a Talema toroidal transformer. I will test the fet tip. Thanks.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing

  • @dhpbear2

    @dhpbear2

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Should the FETs be disabled by removing them completely or just disconnecting the middle pins as shown in your photo at 13:52 ?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    The middle pin suffice

  • @danielesbordone1871
    @danielesbordone18712 жыл бұрын

    One thing is for sure , you can't beat the price.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    A Dutch saying goes: whoever wants the bottom of the mug, gets the lid on the nose.

  • @SomebodyYouUsedToKnow
    @SomebodyYouUsedToKnow2 жыл бұрын

    Any chance you could test those 5 buck aliexpress dacs?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Don't. think so.

  • @kenabi
    @kenabi2 жыл бұрын

    hmmm.. i was getting turn on noise from a tv i had hooked up to one of these some years back, i'll have to rip that unit apart if i ever find where it got stuffed and see if it really is a fet issue in that variant. might have to find some of the proper voltages if this is the case. very interesting.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Well you never know what version with what faults you buy..

  • @kenabi

    @kenabi

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel sure, different iterations, different parts suppliers, parts availability, etc. still, gives an interesting potential since at the time i had pretty much written it off. might be a decent little bored day project to poke around with it once i track it back down. throw it on my scope and see what it tells me. now i know there's potential for the chipset itself to not be complete junk, it's worth at least the attempt. and if its a similar model and has the mute circuit, i'll see if i can find a fet worth swapping in to get the thing working as intended. if it doesn't pan out, i'll know in short order and won't be wasting a ton of time trying to narrow down a vector. much love for the leg work.

  • @warpigs330
    @warpigs3302 жыл бұрын

    It is funny, I am coming from an electronics background, and I thought this video would be talking about a DAC chip. My first reaction was, "that is a really expensive part, I wonder what makes it good enough to warrant the price" Then I realized it was about a product and not a component, and though, "wow, that is a cheap dac!" I bet the DAC inside that thing costs less than $5. What you are really paying for is the work of the engineers and designers, and the costs that go into tooling enclosures and things like that.

  • @JustinMurray170fin
    @JustinMurray170fin2 жыл бұрын

    I'm guessing this will do little to alleviate EMI/RMI problems?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    No

  • @davek6686
    @davek66862 жыл бұрын

    Is there an link to Ali for this DAC?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Watch the video

  • @VinodKumar-gx7wj
    @VinodKumar-gx7wj2 жыл бұрын

    Is this product same as Fiio D03K that are available in Amazon and other online shopping media?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    It might be

  • @Endurmh

    @Endurmh

    Жыл бұрын

    No, the Fiio D03K is completely different, even the basic chipset is same it sounds _much_ _much_ better at all, also there isn't that ugly clipping because of wrong Mosfets for muting. The board is much more made with care and intelligence. It runs on 4.8V and not 3.3V. It has instead a chip of TI to enhance the analog output. Have compared both.

  • @sebizbir
    @sebizbir Жыл бұрын

    is there on market same dac with bluetooth buit in?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    Жыл бұрын

    I don’t know. Sorry.

  • @meetoo80
    @meetoo802 жыл бұрын

    do these also exist with bluetooth? with decent sound quality?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I don't know

  • @dinhduynguyen3809
    @dinhduynguyen38092 жыл бұрын

    I didnt quite understand what you did to „modify“ the FETs. Did you just heat up the middle pin with a solder and pry it open?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Correct

  • @Rudofaux
    @Rudofaux2 жыл бұрын

    I had three of these DACs. All three gave the same thing. A output of noise. The first one only when the optical is plugged in. The other two only when powered on. No sound, just noise.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Well you never know what version with what faults you buy..

  • @Rudofaux

    @Rudofaux

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Perhaps I'm just having the worst of luck with them.

  • @nekron75

    @nekron75

    2 жыл бұрын

    Faulty power supply maybe?

  • @isbestlizard
    @isbestlizard11 ай бұрын

    I wonder why everyone reviewing DACS doesn't hook up an oscilliscope to the analogue outputs, and measure the actual line out signal? Why push it through an amplifier and speakers, if the object is to determine whether e.g. a sine wave in digital PCM format gets converted into a sine wave line-level voltage on the outputs? Just use an oscilliscope o.o

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    11 ай бұрын

    I measure every DAC and while measuring an oscilloscope stays connected all the time. What d you think I see on the scope?

  • @92trdman
    @92trdman Жыл бұрын

    I have this !

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    Жыл бұрын

    👍🏼

  • @Plons0Nard
    @Plons0Nard2 жыл бұрын

    Every Mosfet has an integral body diode. IMO that is the reason for the distortion. Not Vgs. Cheers 👍🏻🤝🏻🇳🇱

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the info!

  • @bulldogbrower6732
    @bulldogbrower67322 жыл бұрын

    Do you have the link for the correct DAC on Amazon ?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    No, see he video.

  • @veejoe1
    @veejoe12 жыл бұрын

    This may be a dumb question from a non-electronic layman, but would there be the same problem using the 3.5 jack output?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes, the same problem there.

  • @veejoe1

    @veejoe1

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thank you for your quick reply !

  • @MiroslavBendik

    @MiroslavBendik

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel 3.5 jack has mosfet on output? I don't see it on board.

  • @JBSCHAFFNER
    @JBSCHAFFNER2 жыл бұрын

    Can you see the same one on Amazon US

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’m sure you can. Search for ‘audio DAC’

  • @dartrunner4599
    @dartrunner45992 жыл бұрын

    Would be nice if it had a USB input.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Would even better if it had I²S and costs €1😅

  • @jmlathion2909

    @jmlathion2909

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel 😂

  • @rolandmetivier4437
    @rolandmetivier44372 жыл бұрын

    11:47 They are probably identical. The CS4344 I2S DAC or a variant drives it. Does the FiiO D3 have the same flaw? Also, I have worked with a nice mini CS4344 board at one point in a hobby electronics project, these parts are nice.

  • @whkee
    @whkee2 жыл бұрын

    just order similar one from Amazon about 20euro with shipping! Thanks Han!

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Have fun!

  • @seanmangan2769
    @seanmangan27692 жыл бұрын

    Hi Hans! How are you doing lately?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’m 101% fine, thank you.

  • @ricktherecorder4416

    @ricktherecorder4416

    2 жыл бұрын

    Glad the op was a success!

  • @PlaAwa
    @PlaAwa2 жыл бұрын

    i'm pretty sure these are AUD $15 with power supply and optical cable. i bought it for the optical cable.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    clever

  • @PlaAwa

    @PlaAwa

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel thanks. the DAC also came in handy eventually.

  • @kooskaasproblemenoplosser7432
    @kooskaasproblemenoplosser74322 жыл бұрын

    Zeer veel plezier en kennis dank ik aan uw youtube kanaal. Maar waarom in het Engels? Het is noch door Nederlanders, noch door Engelsen slecht

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Omdat 92% van mijn kijkers in het buitenland zitten.

  • @Sylveste22
    @Sylveste222 жыл бұрын

    I have to say Hans if you paid 24 EUR for that DAC someone somewhere is making a lot of money. I have bought two of those purely for the fiber optic cable that comes with them which was hard to find sold alone. I paid slightly under 4 EUR each.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    So I found out 😀

  • @Sylveste22

    @Sylveste22

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Ahaha yes I have just watched to the end of your video and see what you mean... Oh well. If you are looking for other unusual chinese-origin things to review from that same source I run the Marantz M7 clone preamp (ICAIRN audio) from a SMSL M100 DAC and into a NFJ FX Audio '502s pro' digital amplifier and am quite happy with how they all work together. The M7 tube pre looks nice, too. BRZHIFI from the same source also has interesting products but the shipping costs for their heavy amplifiers are a bit alarming.

  • @diebackmischung503
    @diebackmischung5032 жыл бұрын

    Does a psp charginng cable work?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I wouldn't know

  • @diebackmischung503

    @diebackmischung503

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel Do I even need one with a denon x2700h avr which has a 24/192kbit iinside?

  • @kdomster9141
    @kdomster91412 жыл бұрын

    Change that junk Chi Capacitor to Audio Note Standard costing 3euro and it will filter a lot better for further sound improvement....

  • @peterlarkin762

    @peterlarkin762

    2 жыл бұрын

    Where do you get audionote standard for €3?

  • @user-ie5zu4ft1k
    @user-ie5zu4ft1k2 жыл бұрын

    The pinch roller on your A807 has turned into slime. Please clean that up. And when you buy a new pinch roller don't get a green one or it may happen again. Especially when it comes in contact with alcohol.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Very perceptive

  • @Vorss76
    @Vorss762 жыл бұрын

    Have you measured at 48k?

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes

  • @FSXgta
    @FSXgta2 жыл бұрын

    My reciever's built in DAC is good enough for me

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    Then you are a happy listener

  • @user-zk9nd4fz2h
    @user-zk9nd4fz2h2 жыл бұрын

    And it's less than 10€ on taobao😅

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    You can get them even cheaper...

  • @fvandenpoel7627
    @fvandenpoel76272 жыл бұрын

    Found for 3 euro

  • @fvandenpoel7627

    @fvandenpoel7627

    2 жыл бұрын

    the one which just arrived today has a similar chip, but the components are on the bottom of the PCB, so not visible from above when opening the device, and the layout is completely different from what is shown in the video I had to open the thing first as a small piece of solder was loose and rattling inside Connected to an older 65 inch plasma TV's toslink out which I now use as my bureau TV, it clearly works - testing with a headphone

  • @jonhelmer8591
    @jonhelmer85912 жыл бұрын

    No, that's too cheap! You must be lying.

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    You're the first to complain about a device being too cheap!

  • @c-teamtrading9690
    @c-teamtrading96902 жыл бұрын

    Sorry but as an avid follower of your channel, why spend 15 minutes telling me about a cheap Chinese DAC ,then that it has a mistake , tell me how to fix it and then finish the video by telling me that there are hundreds of versions ,this and that and that you are not responsible for any outcome. What a waste of time !

  • @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    @TheHansBeekhuyzenChannel

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’m sorry that you didn’t get it.

  • @dannyalvens5418

    @dannyalvens5418

    2 жыл бұрын

    He told you what model he was using,and how it performed before and after the modification....

  • @whkee

    @whkee

    2 жыл бұрын

    I don't know why you're here!!

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