Author Topic: Monica2 and Non-OS Dac (Read 5885 times)

D0Hbert · « **on:** Apr 04, 2006 at 04:26 PM »

Let's start a thread on Non-OS dacs, your impressions vis-a-vis DACs that do upsampling for example, 24bit/192khz DACs. I'm already using a Non-OS dac before monica2 came, however, as previously mentioned elsewhere, Monica2 only outputs .7v as compared to the regular 2v. I've listened to units assembled for vince and louie. For the 1st hour of listening, immediately you'll notice that the DAC is dead quiet, very very quiet as compared to my other DAC. Another thing I noticed, applicable to Non-OS Dacs in general, there is less digital glare, notes are more full bodied, di kasing lipis tumunog. However, with respect to Monica2, maybe because of the low voltage output, voices, intruments are a bit mahiyain and not as upfront as my other non-OS dac. Problem is, its not a fair comparision since may gainstage yung naunang DAC ko. I need to find a way to remove the gainstage to compare the 2 DACs. Monica uses tda1545a while my other dac used tda1543. Let me try and assemble my charlize and monica as one set since they are both optimized to work together, let it burn-in, then do a better review or give my impression on the kits. Thanks

john5479 · « **Reply #1 on:** Apr 04, 2006 at 04:49 PM »

Dohbert, you can remove the gainstage since its a separate board, i just need to make sure if the passive i/v is still there.

TonyC · « **Reply #2 on:** Apr 05, 2006 at 07:12 AM »

Hi Guys!

Am not a techie guy, but am very much interested in the Monica2. Am planning to use it via Tono12AU7 pre amp partnered with a t-amp. Will the output voltage of the Monica2 be a problem for the Tono? Thanks!!

john5479 · « **Reply #3 on:** Apr 05, 2006 at 09:02 AM »

Quote from: TonyC on Apr 05, 2006 at 07:12 AM

Hi Guys!

Am not a techie guy, but am very much interested in the Monica2. Am planning to use it via Tono12AU7 pre amp partnered with a t-amp. Will the output voltage of the Monica2 be a problem for the Tono? Thanks!!

the gain of the tono should compensate the low output of the monica2 but it may have a diff. effect soundwise

TonyC · « **Reply #4 on:** Apr 05, 2006 at 10:55 AM »

....thanks john5479!....gladly awaiting the reviews!!

RU9 · « **Reply #5 on:** Apr 07, 2006 at 01:48 PM »

Just got my Monica2.

Thank you David for organizing the group buy and
1. making me a digital cable;
2. putting the monica2 in a case;
3. and shipping it to Zambo City.

Initial impressions:

1. Monica2 is not for a newbie, unles David helps you with it.

2. You must decide on your power supply, 12V SLA battery or Power converter (AC to DC) 9v.
Warning: You must get the polarity right. I almost damaged my Monica2, by getting the polarity wrong.
The adaptor and the Monica2 got very hot. Lucky I was able to cut the power in time.
3. Monica2 has no power on switch, you will not know the the polarity is right unless you use a tester. No I don't have a tester.
4. You will only know that it is working--when the signal gets locked. The green LED lights up. This blew me away. Can anybody explain this process?

5. Initial impressions on the sound
- Pleasant to the ears
- relaxing and non-aggressive

6. Conclusion: This a good buy.

Need more time to spend with Monica2. May I direct you to an informative thread on Monica2:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=18372&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Weng! · « **Reply #6 on:** Apr 07, 2006 at 05:16 PM »

Quote from: RU9 on Apr 07, 2006 at 01:48 PM

Just got my Monica2.

Thank you David for organizing the group buy and
1. making me a digital cable;
2. putting the monica2 in a case;
3. and shipping it to Zambo City.

Initial impressions:

1. Monica2 is not for a newbie, unles David helps you with it.
2. You must decide on your power supply, 12V SLA battery or Power converter (AC to DC) 9v.
Warning: You must get the polarity right. I almost damaged my Monica2, by getting the polarity wrong.
The adaptor and the Monica2 got very hot. Lucky I was able to cut the power in time.
3. Monica2 has no power on switch, you will not know the the polarity is right unless you use a tester. No I don't have a tester.
4. You will only know that it is working--when the signal gets locked. The green LED lights up. This blew me away. Can anybody explain this process?

5. Initial impressions on the sound
- Pleasant to the ears
- relaxing and non-aggressive

6. Conclusion: This a good buy.

Need more time to spend with Monica2. May I direct you to an informative thread on Monica2:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=18372&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

congrats on ur new purchase bai. dalawa na pala tayo dito na bumili kay dohbert (charlize/alps yung sa akin) na mga promdi

RU9 · « **Reply #7 on:** Apr 10, 2006 at 11:49 AM »

Quote from: GneW on Apr 07, 2006 at 05:16 PM

congrats on ur new purchase bai. d

Congrats too.!!!

My Monica2:

D0Hbert · « **Reply #8 on:** Apr 10, 2006 at 11:57 AM »

Hehe, kambal yung Monica2 mo and kay kuya vince, mas magulo lang cabling nung kay vince dahil may switch pa sya for 2 inputs. Kumusta tumunog na? Mga 100-150hrs breakin yung blackgates and cerafines. Blackgates yung kulay black na caps (duh) yung 2 pula, cerfaines naman.

RU9 · « **Reply #9 on:** Apr 10, 2006 at 12:59 PM »

Quote from: D0Hbert on Apr 10, 2006 at 11:57 AM

Hehe, kambal yung Monica2 mo and kay kuya vince, mas magulo lang cabling nung kay vince dahil may switch pa sya for 2 inputs. Kumusta tumunog na? Mga 100-150hrs breakin yung blackgates and cerafines. Blackgates yung kulay black na caps (duh) yung 2 pula, cerfaines naman.

Gusto ko ang sound, OK rin sa rock and hip-hop. "non-fatiguing" at walang"ear-bleeding". Connected the unit to a Nextbase 656 DVD player. Parang stand-alone CD-player ang tunog. Suwabe ang presentation.

iceman90a · « **Reply #10 on:** Apr 11, 2006 at 04:35 PM »

Quote from: RU9 on Apr 10, 2006 at 12:59 PM

Gusto ko ang sound, OK rin sa rock and hip-hop. "non-fatiguing" at walang"ear-bleeding". Connected the unit to a Nextbase 656 DVD player. Parang stand-alone CD-player ang tunog. Suwabe ang presentation.

he he - same here, i have it connected a spanking new Nextbase 656 (got it the same night David handed me the DAC)

thank you very much Dohbert for making this happen

i also tried it with my CDP and the volume needs to be turned up a little as compared to the CDP. Will subject it to abuse on dvd's for break in

RU9 · « **Reply #11 on:** Apr 11, 2006 at 04:48 PM »

A couple of links on Non-Os DACs:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9784
http://zerogain.com/forum/showpost.php?p=110493&postcount=11

RU9 · « **Reply #12 on:** Apr 17, 2006 at 10:48 AM »

Quote from: iceman90a on Apr 11, 2006 at 04:35 PM

i also tried it with my CDP and the volume needs to be turned up a little as compared to the CDP. Will subject it to abuse on dvd's for break in

Vince,

Did you use your passive linestage? I used the "Killer" passive linestage with the rotel rb-03. As expected, reduced ang dynamics.

Will test the DAC with Tono preamp and AMX EL 84 when I find time.

iceman90a · « **Reply #13 on:** Apr 17, 2006 at 01:06 PM »

Yup - on the passive preamp (my only preamp) it takes about 25 degrees more to get the same volume. I havent done any extensive listening to it on my audio setup, its still in the bedroom connected to a cheap 2.1 (Electone??) where I'm watching dvd's

Garp · « **Reply #14 on:** Apr 21, 2006 at 01:55 PM »

Wow NOS DAC finally catching on. More listening impressions please.

So its true what forum people say na mas forward 1543 kesa 1545? I wish we could do a 1543 vs. 1545 vs. 1541a listening session. Sinong malapit sa Cavite?

I have been using for over a year a DIY 1541a DAC.

iceman90a · « **Reply #15 on:** Apr 21, 2006 at 02:59 PM »

Hi Garp - I'm probably closest (San Pedro Laguna) since Louie is in Zamboanga

I would be interested in what the outcome would be

TonyC · « **Reply #16 on:** May 26, 2006 at 04:53 PM »

Hi Guys,

Hope those Monica2 owners have fully broken in their units...hope somebody can share their impressions....many thanks!!

s2kov · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2006 at 07:49 PM »

monica2 users, review please!

hi-fidelity-4-all · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2006 at 08:02 PM »

Hi everyone,

I'll be building a NON-OS DAC real soon. Have the kit in my hands just waiting for a new Weller soldering iron.

Will post more when I get started.

Regards.

TonyC · « **Reply #19 on:** Jun 14, 2006 at 12:34 PM »

Mga Katoto.....anybody wish to share their experience so far with the M2??

iceman90a · « **Reply #20 on:** Aug 01, 2006 at 09:19 AM »

i guess i've been playing with the Monica2 dac long enough now to give decent feedback

first off the negatives:

- the ouput signal is lower than the direct analog output of your cd player or dvd player, this will give the impression na "matamlay ang tunog" but in reality, cranking the volume up will remove this impression. in fact i like to play concert dvd's louder now as the sound is more balanced, no pronounced midrange with low bass output or irritating highs

- not readily available

- needs to be run in for quite some time

positives:

- good layering and separation of instruments. i was watching an Aerosmith dvd, and while the whole band was rocking, you can still distinctly pick out joe perry's guitar from brad's rhythm. in short di nalilito o naghahalo yung tunog

- relatively affordable upgrade for your 2 channel audio player. i'm using it with a xenon 830 dvd player and in comparison to the players analog output, masarap sa tenga

- as mentioned above, it removes the midrange peak sound providing a more balanced frequency range

is it the best buy out there, i honestly can't say - it would still be up to your ears to decide if your system needs one

rascal101 · « **Reply #21 on:** Aug 01, 2006 at 09:33 AM »

Quote from: iceman90a on Aug 01, 2006 at 09:19 AM

i guess i've been playing with the Monica2 dac long enough now to give decent feedback

first off the negatives:

- the ouput signal is lower than the direct analog output of your cd player or dvd player, this will give the impression na "matamlay ang tunog" but in reality, cranking the volume up will remove this impression. in fact i like to play concert dvd's louder now as the sound is more balanced, no pronounced midrange with low bass output or irritating highs

- not readily available

- needs to be run in for quite some time

positives:

- good layering and separation of instruments. i was watching an Aerosmith dvd, and while the whole band was rocking, you can still distinctly pick out joe perry's guitar from brad's rhythm. in short di nalilito o naghahalo yung tunog

- relatively affordable upgrade for your 2 channel audio player. i'm using it with a xenon 830 dvd player and in comparison to the players analog output, masarap sa tenga

- as mentioned above, it removes the midrange peak sound providing a more balanced frequency range

is it the best buy out there, i honestly can't say - it would still be up to your ears to decide if your system needs one

Just wanted to ask why you need to run it for some time? Burn in?

JojoD818 · « **Reply #22 on:** Aug 01, 2006 at 11:21 AM »

I'm sure it's for burn-in purposes.

iceman90a · « **Reply #23 on:** Aug 01, 2006 at 04:39 PM »

yup - 1st time i used it, my impression was "yan na yun? so it works, ok fine.." then after a long while, it was like "wow, ok yun ah - try that with the analog outputs only... hmm di talaga, may ginagawa talaga yung dac"

TonyC · « **Reply #24 on:** Aug 02, 2006 at 08:31 AM »

Read TNT's review of Burson Audio HDAM module and buffers/Discrete opamps...am not a techie guy but would this be a better upgrade than the Monica2?....here is the link:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/hdams_e.html

cheers

RU9 · « **Reply #25 on:** Aug 02, 2006 at 09:42 AM »

Quote from: TonyC on Aug 02, 2006 at 08:31 AM

Read TNT's review of Burson Audio HDAM module and buffers/Discrete opamps...am not a techie guy but would this be a better upgrade than the Monica2?....here is the link:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/accessories/hdams_e.html

cheers

If I may suggest, a more pronounced difference may be observed if you change your:

1. ss preamp to a tube preamp (or vice versa)
2. active preamp to a passive preamp
3. ss amp to a tube amp
4. X speaker to Y speaker (lots of variables...)

rascal101 · « **Reply #26 on:** Aug 02, 2006 at 10:35 AM »

Quote from: iceman90a on Aug 01, 2006 at 04:39 PM

yup - 1st time i used it, my impression was "yan na yun? so it works, ok fine.." then after a long while, it was like "wow, ok yun ah - try that with the analog outputs only... hmm di talaga, may ginagawa talaga yung dac"

Actually kahit ano naman bago i-try ko, the first few minutes parang naninibago tenga (at utak) pero after a while (about 1 - 3 tracks) dun ko na na-di distinguish properly. Iyung burn-in kasi trabaho ng manufacturers dapat iyun - at least 24hrs or 48hrs at elevated temp eg 40degC or max allowable temp powered-up para makita iyung manufacturing defects or early life failures.

Iba ibang DAC iba iba iyung tunog - eg BB 18-bit Audio DAC vs Sony 1-bit delta sigma DAC.

JojoD818 · « **Reply #27 on:** Aug 02, 2006 at 10:06 PM »

Quote from: RU9 on Aug 02, 2006 at 09:42 AM

If I may suggest, a more pronounced difference may be observed if you change your:

1. ss preamp to a tube preamp (or vice versa)
2. active preamp to a passive preamp
3. ss amp to a tube amp
4. X speaker to Y speaker (lots of variables...)

I agree, especially if you are a keen observer and you use your ears not your eyes

. Syempre meron din hindi madidinig yun difference, but for those who do hear (or interpret) what others can't hear (again, or interpret), bless you.

alexg · « **Reply #28 on:** Aug 17, 2006 at 08:09 AM »

A newb question:

If I buy the Bada tube CDP, would adding a monica2 improve it?

bumblebee · « **Reply #29 on:** Aug 17, 2006 at 08:11 AM »

Sayang yung tube! If you use an external DAC, transport lang yung player. Your pioneer w/ external DAC should be as good.