Website News Updated...

AKSA · « **on:** 15 Dec 2003, 10:35 am »

Hey Guys,

Subject says it all, updated this morning with information about the DAKSA, the GK150/160.

My wife and daughters are in Jakarta, so I'm free to work non-stop on audio for two months!! Yay!!

Cheers,

Hugh

George W · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Dec 2003, 12:42 pm »

A good read Hugh, congrats on all the incoming orders. So you have some free time now eh? Then I humbly suggest that your first matter of business is processing my new order!

I just sent you an email.

George

Jon Lane · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Dec 2003, 08:44 pm »

Quote from: AKSA

I'm free to work non-stop on audio for two months!! Yay!!

We may have to talk about that, Hugh.

EchiDna · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 04:39 am »

waiting for my Christmas pressie to arrive too Hugh!

Cheers,

AKSA · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 05:34 am »

Thank you George,

Glen, received your order just now, thanks muchly, despatch tomorrow!!

Scorching in Melbourne at 37C right now.........

Cheers,

Hugh

stvnharr · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 06:40 am »

Scorching today in Washington State @37F!

George W · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 08:05 am »

Hahaha, where in Washington do you live stvnharr?

George

fred · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 02:29 pm »

Hmmm...37C is about my normal body temperature. If the humidity is >90% then you're enjoying weather typical of springtime in Houston! Perfect weather for frozen margaritas.

stvnharr · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 06:08 pm »

George,
I'm currently spending some time in Yakima.

stvnharr · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 06:11 pm »

Hugh,
I read the news about the Daksa. What I am wondering is what is Level II and Level III all about?
Also, there's no mention of the analogue stage of the Daksa. I do recall some time ago that you mentioned you would be doing a ss analogue stage. Anything more???

AKSA · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Dec 2003, 07:59 pm »

Hi Steven,

I thought I'd mentioned the analog out stage? This is the I/V conversion Fred and I did together - it's all done, and VERY nicely too!

I will talk a bit more about Stage II and Stage III down the track. Don't want to over describe before they actually exist!! Essentially Stage II is dither/mute/filter slope/phase invert controls, and Stage III is FIFO reclocking with a super accurate clock rendering the whole DAC transport-independent.

Hope this explains at least a part of it!

Cheers,

Hugh

stvnharr · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 07:05 am »

Hugh,
You've mentioned all these things in discussing the Daksa. I just didn't realize they were in different stages.

AKSA · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 08:25 am »

Steven,

We've decided to offer the DAKSA in stages for upgrade reasons. It means people can buy an inexpensive, conventional but very well done DAC at Stage I, then add certain appealing controls for Stage II if they like it, and if they really like it, go the whole hog and reclock with novel data processing. This is sensible from a commercial POV because it gives people choices, and it also facilitates quicker recovery of R&D costs, which are considerable.

I guess it's a recognition of the fact that not everyone wants the super deluxe; many are happy with a simple, well executed circuit implementation and not all customers want the pinnacle. This thing ain't simple, either. SOTA costs in complexity and chipsets.

Cheers,

Hugh

PSP · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 04:58 pm »

Hi Hugh,
Will the DAKSA stages be independent of each other? Will we be able (and/or would it make sense) to get Stage III without Stage II???

Peter

AKSA · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 09:19 pm »

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your post; good question.

Yes, in a word!

At this stage we plan on three pcbs. All will be linked with ribbon cable and IDC, digital plugs. There will be no speed issues with the cabling; signal will be ground planed. So you can buy EL, Stage II, or Stage III either sequentially or at first purchase, no problem. Cost will be commensurate with complexity; EL will be $US450. This gets you the world's premium DAC chips (2 x PCM1702), the best digital filter (Nippon Precision 5343A), ATMEL pre-programmed routing controller (written in assembler), and a SOTA folded cascode current to voltage converter with Fred Dieckmann's superb Sallen Key analog filter for the 330-352KHz digital artefacts. Of itself, this will be one of the best DACs around.

Stage II gets you this with selectable dither/mute/filter slope and digital phase invert. Another board, obviously. And Stage III has the above with the addition of FIFO bit buffering and ultra high precision reclocking, with tracking of the transport and unique clock rate correction, again, driven by another ATMEL chip with additional programming built in. This will be, hopefully, completely transport independent, so it should be usable with a CDC carousel CD player of the lowest imaginable quality, without detriment to the audiophile experience.

I must stress this is no holds barred, so it's expensive. Top of the Line Stage III will be $US900. As a result, and to achieve lower end sales, it's being offered in stages, all interlocking, all designed as a unit, and all available separately. It seems like the sensible, logical thing to do. Even EL should be a revelation in most people's systems, but Stage III should be transcendental!

Cheers,

Hugh

PSP · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 09:47 pm »

I think your graduated approach is extremely well thought out.

Peter

AKSA · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Dec 2003, 11:46 pm »

Peter,

Thank you for your endorsement - we omit that word 'ringing' in the audio game - bad karma!!

The credit for this approach is not just mine; it's Ben. It was certainly my idea to gradate the offering, much as is done with the GK-1, but Ben worked out the details over one of our frequent working breakfasts (need I mention he always chooses Eggs Benedict??)......

I regard Ben almost as family; his input is not only piercingly insightful, but it shows flashes of genius, and I believe he is one of the cleverest digital engineers in the world, with a true appreciation of the hard work involved in bringing good ideas to practical fruition. His European outlook is extremely subtle, and his capacity to crunch the numbers and formulate the digital circuit blocks astonishing. I bring a rural lad's understanding of cost and marketing issues, and draw up the rear on the analog side. Certainly the two of us together cover most of the ground from analog to digital and beyond!

But enough of this self-congratulatory nonsense; back to work...

Cheers,

Hugh

dayneger · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Dec 2003, 12:36 pm »

Hi Hugh,

I agree, the modular approach is very clever. Congrats!

Could you elaborate in layman's terms what the motivations and effects for Level II are? EL and reclocking ring a bell, but not Level II.

Looking forward to my GK-1R arriving!

Dayne

AKSA · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Dec 2003, 07:11 pm »

Dayne,

Can't say too much just yet because the design is not fully prototyped.

But two words, Sire: options, and gadgets!

slope steepness is useful for comparison purposes, and there are genuine preferences; dither is another which people like, and phase invert is legendary, with many saying they can detect absolute phase. Mute, of course, is almost obligatory.

All good stuff for the audiophile.

Cheers,

Hugh

dayneger · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Dec 2003, 07:43 pm »

Ah yes, absolute phase! I'm quite sure that fits into my personal category "couldn't care less", but of course audio's free for everyone to interpret. . .

Really cool would being able to take a 10-22k sweep from the listening position and then digitally equalize the signal to flatten out the room response as much as possible before that promising circuit of yours turns it into an analog signal. Now THAT I would be willing to stump up some cash for!

Do I hear Level III on the horizon?

Ciao,

Dayne