Have the Standalone HagDac up and running.

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orpheus

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Have the Standalone HagDac up and running.
« on: 3 Mar 2006, 04:57 am »
I haven't finalized it, but I have a rough implementation of a standalone HagDac up and running.  I still have to put in a switch for polarity and rolloff, add a better power connector, and finish the enclosure.

I'm using two 12 volt SLA batteries.  I'm sure that part of the good sound I'm enjoying is the result of battery power.  I have a Bugle Supply built, but I haven't tried it yet.  

I didn't put this up to write a review, because I haven't done the intensive comparing necessary to do so, but will say that the sound is immediately different and better than the sound from my Phillips 963sa and Parasound CDP1000.   In fact, I just switched from the HagDac to the Parasound (granted, it's an aged player) and it made vocals sound harsh and fake, in a way that could not just be the difference in cabling (I'm using some diy short runs of Canare Starquad cable w/ canare RCA's on the HagDac, and radio shack on the parasound).  Comparison can be difficult because the HagDac has a 1.2 volt output, while most CD players have 2 volts.  This changes the volume output quite a bit.  The louder player usually has an inherent advantage in the comparison, but I prefer the sound through the HagDac, even without changing the volume on my preamp.


I also want to write that just after I got the hagdac up and running, I stupidly hooked up the batteries incorrectly, and gave positive voltage to the negative input.  A fuse on the board blew, and when I replaced it with the one that Jim mailed me, there were absolutely no problems.  An excellent design, especially for DIYer's like myself who can make some pretty dumb mistakes.

The standalone is a great stepping stone to the Chime.  If you're thinking of building a Chime but don't have the time or the cabbage to get the whole thing right now, you can build the HagDac into an enclosure and pick up a couple 12 volt SLA batteries and you're in business.  Then you can always buy the board and build the Chime later on, which is what I intend to do.

-Aaron.