Twisted Pear Amanero Hermes Cronus Update For Buffalo III DAC

SCompRacer

I'm working on a drop in swap upgrade for Carl's Twisted Pear single Buffalo III DAC. Currently he has the Amanero USB to I2S module with no isolation. That means grounds are connected between PC and DAC. You can get mixed results with no isolation. Our DAC's are similar in that they use the same parts (although mine is dual mono with two DAC boards) and they have Arduino serial control of the DAC with remote control. ALL DAC settings are available and it saves best settings by input.

Twisted Pear developed a nice Hermes/Cronus isolation and reclocking solution that offers better clocks than the ones on the Amanero. Crystec clock oscillators are a high quality reasonably priced low phase noise option. This kind of shows you what you hear about at times. With this combination you have the option of running in synch mode, where the clock on the USB module provides the clock for the DAC.

Fortunately most of the hard stuff is mounted, like the Potato isolation chip. They supply SMD and through hole resistors for R1 to R7 on the Cronus board. I got brave and went SMD. My fillet is thick but they are good joints and no shorts or bridges based on testing with MM.

Outputs are the optional synch mode MCK or Master Clock, BCK or Bit Clock, D1 or Word Clock, D2 or Serial Data. I2S is the serial communication used in CD players where clock and data are separate. SPDIF has the data and clock embedded and the DAC chip must sort it out. Some DAC's do better decoding SPDIF, like the ESS Sabre which does not totally rely on the embedded clock. Thus some DAC's respond with significantly better sound quality using I2S than SPDIF input. I2S is not spec'd for long runs though, so the circuit length must be kept short. We'll be at or under 4 inches length of U.fl cable, which is good. U.fl is a tiny coax.

I'll test it in my dual mono BIII DAC and if it works, send it to him for install. We have a separate power supply in his DAC for the module boards that will supply the 5v it needs.

Long live DIY!











An internal shot of my DAC with Sonore USB to I2S module connected with tiny U.fl cable. I've also used small diameter coax taken from some old video cables and ribbon cable. With ribbon cable its best if you have a ground between each signal wire.

bikerboy

What's the word on the sound quality using the sync with the Amanero?

SCompRacer

Since I never ran in synch mode, all I can do is point to what Russ White said...here..post 18. Kind of hard to dismiss his opinion since he designs all this stuff and uses it.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/twisted-pear/219921-buffalo-iii-se-2.html

"I think the idea that synchronous clocking is somehow more "audiophile" is misguided at best.

While I certainly think providing a synchronous clock can sound really good - it can also sound worse (especially if you end up with longish clock routes). I would never say I think it sounds "better". Other's opinions not withstanding."

Others swear synch is better than asynch. If it were not so difficult to try on a BIII, let alone a dual mono BIII, I'd give it a go. The BIIISE is set up for easy synch operation. Just remove the clock power module and connect to provided EXT_MCK U.fl connector.

HiFiDuino had removed the BIII clock for synch operation and MCK connection to top of board. IIRC Brian D of TP showed a way to mount a MCK U.fl connector under the BIII board, but I can't find it.

SCompRacer

I remembered that there are two BIII board revisions, V1.0.1 and V1.0.2. I have both in my dual mono and form and function are the same. The later version V1.0.2 board has XO pads on top near the clock. For synch mode, just remove the shunt module and leave the clock in place and connect external clock to the pad. The clock is high impedance so it can be left in place with its shunt power module removed.




Ian of FIFO fame had removed the clock on the V1.0.1 board and soldered a U.fl in place. The same three connections are available under the board so a U.fl or header pins could be fitted there.



The three pin outs by Thanks Brian.



Now Ian says synch/asynch is more like a flavor..

"In my configuration, ESS9018 sounds great in both of the modes, sync and async. I even couldn't tell which one is better. But there is slightly difference on the sound style. Async is more like ESS9018 J while sync is more like classical high-end DACs. I usually don't talk much about the sound, because too many psychological factors and personal feelings mixed. I'll left this part to others, trust your ears and try to find out the best parameter settings of 9018 for the sync mode."

The thing about synch mode is the DAC becomes USB input only as SPDIF via Twisted Pear inputs needs the internal clock on the DAC board to function.

tonyb

Keep it up Rich, and I'm going to ask you to marry me....if Jay doesn't beat me to the punch.

SCompRacer

I'd be more comfortable with being brothers...lol

heiney9

Back off Tony, he's taken....lol.

Once again Sir Rich, very nice work and execution. Wish I had your DIY skills.

H9

SCompRacer

Thanks for the kind words!

Testing went well! Much better sound quality as opposed to no isolation or reclocking. It doesn't quite fit in my DAC where my USB cutout it so just had to insulate against shorts.



Now to make a U.fl header adapter so the Amanero/Hermes/Cronus stack can attach to his Sidecar, which does not have provisions for U/fl connectors. We have to connect to the pins on left side. Gnd, BCK, D1/LRCK, D2/Data. I could cut and strip the coax, but this stuff is only .81 thick, really fine wire.



So lets take an ordinary female header...



...cut and bend some pins....the U.fl connectors ground will be soldered on each side. The center pin is signal.



.....solder a pin across for ground bar and solder to ground pin.



I am out of U.fl connectors, have to order some. ~$1.20 each. They look like this. Wish they were that big but they are small. Like 1/8" across.

SCompRacer

Well it isn't beautiful but it has good measured connections and no shorts.



This is the rough layout of how it will look in his DAC. Should be plug and play.

agfrost

Coolness. How much online research time would you estimate you spent over the course of your TPBIII adventures?

SCompRacer

Now that's a good question! I think more than I ever studied in skool. lol

I never kept track, but many, many hours for a year straight. Lots of time spent in the Arduino I2C serial control of the DAC chip with LCD and remote control. Thank goodness for Corpius in the Netherlands who helped me and others immensely.

He also designed the shields, or circuit boards, that attach to the Arduino controller which cut down on number of wires to connect to the LCD. Even the LCD uses serial control and a special library for display. Unfortunately for the diy world he is furthering his education so we are on our own.

For a visual example...without a shield and without I2C serial control of LCD.



With a shield and with I2C serial control of LCD. The small round board at left is the manual encoder for manual control. The small board center low is remote receiver. The USB cable attaches to side panel for Arduino code updates without disassembly. I regret buying only two shields. One is in my DAC, the other in Carl's. Just two wires connect to the DAC board for control.



Carl's single BIII. Funny thing was this DAC was going to be passed around to a couple of folks. It never left Carl's possession. He said MINE! Mine! lol



The code! The code! :0

agfrost

Wow. I was pretty sure your research was massive. Guess I was right.

SCompRacer

It lives and breathes! Can't wait until the owner hears the USB input difference with the Hermes isolation/Cronus reclocker. The stack was too high to fit between inputs/top chassis so moved it inboard, made a little USB extension.

Sounds fantastic, dead quiet background.

schwarcw

Great job Rich!

I was going to make a post in this thread to talk about the update. I can't wait to hear the DAC again. This beautiful DAC has always been a great sounding unit.

Personally, I am always in awe of you creativity to solve problems. I am continuously impressed with your knowledge and workmanship. It's second to no one. I am humbled by your kindness and honored to be your friend.

Rock on RockMan!

EndersShadow

Rich, one day I'm gonna get enough to have you build me a unit similar to yours lol...

DAC w digital volume control and a couple inputs and outputs.....

SCompRacer

For what it's worth Dan, don't build one exactly like mine. Build one like Carl has, maybe simplify it even more, use the BIII SE, which has one SPDIF input and one I2S/DSD input.

I'm thinking of eliminating all inputs in my DAC except for USB to I2S. Get rid of all the added circuits and switching. Once I got a higher quality USB to I2S module with isolation and better quality reclocking, then added a dedicated super quiet music server, I no longer can say SPDIF is close in sound anymore to I2S.

FTGV

Nice work Rich.You have added lots of versatility to a great sounding dac.

SCompRacer

Thanks for the kind words and confidence Carl and Fred. It was supposed to be plug and play for Carl, but I forgot about the first design TP 4 channel SPDIF board. It freaks out at 5 volts, which is what the USB stack needs. The SPDIF board prefers 4.6v to be stable.

Russ did a nice job on the Hermes Cronus. The Amanero with Hermes Cronus sounds as good as the higher priced Sonore USB board, well at least I couldn't tell a difference. The Sonore does have the option of 8x oversampling which I haven't tried yet. You have to turn OSF off in the BIII DAC.

EndersShadow

SCompRacer wrote: »

For what it's worth Dan, don't build one exactly like mine. Build one like Carl has, maybe simplify it even more, use the BIII SE, which has one SPDIF input and one I2S/DSD input.

I'm thinking of eliminating all inputs in my DAC except for USB to I2S. Get rid of all the added circuits and switching. Once I got a higher quality USB to I2S module with isolation and better quality reclocking, then added a dedicated super quiet music server, I no longer can say SPDIF is close in sound anymore to I2S.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'd probably have USB and SPDIF with MAYBE an options I2S, simply because I2S while superior requires me to mod my other devices to send that signal out, and I wouldnt be comfortable doing that lol....

And might even just do USB by itself since I am using my PC only as a source, but I'm nowhere near making any "real" decisions on that end lol...

FTGV

Dan I doubt you would be disappointed with a Buf 3.These things sound darn good,smooth and refined is how I would describe it.Mine is bare bones, I built it with just a single SPDIF input.I feed it data from a remotely located asynchronous USB to SPDIF convertor connected to a PC running JRiver.

SCompRacer

Nothing wrong with a bare bones DAC. I'm headed that way myself.

Fred, Ian's FIFO II ultimate weapon to fight the jitter now has an I2C input. I don't think any USB to I2S modules, while they measure low jitter, can attain the single digit jitter numbers like the FIFO (properly implemented of course).

FTGV

Sounds interesting Rich.Unfortunately with my current set up I have a long run from my PC to DAC so 75ohm coax is my only real option.The USB-SPDIF convertor is placed close to the PC.Certainly using the SPDIF is a compromise,but as you know it is less so when using the ESS Sabre IC. For now the USB -SPDIF convertor I'm using is an unmodded as of yet basic Cmedia CM6631A based unit.I previously used the coaxial output of my old PC's soundcard until it's hard drive decided to take a dump.It was time for an upgrade anyway so replaced it with a new ASUS desktop.It does not have an SPDIF output so I needed to go the USB route.I find the async 24/192k capable 6631A USB device to be superior to the SPDIF output of my old PC.It is also vastly superior to the high jitter pcm2704 to which I compared it.