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nihtila

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ADC AK5572 – Very high performance audio AD-converter

by nihtila
written by nihtila

Audio ADC with superb performance figures in a compact form factor. Suits audio recording kit, Hifi systems, or audio measurement applications.

  • Up to 768 kHz / 32-bit audio
  • Very high (measured) performance, typically:
    • 121 dBA dynamic range / SNR (124 dBA in mono mode)
    • -113 dB THD+N (-1 dBFS, 1 kHz)
    • -117 dB THD (-8 dBFS, 1 kHz)
    • -130 dB crosstalk (10 kHz)
  • Balanced differential input
  • Stereo or mono operation
  • I2S output; Master or Slave
  • HW configurable (supports I2C as well)
  • Assembled boards available
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Wee DAC

Wee DAC addons – XLR output and extra S/PDIF inputs

by nihtila
written by nihtila

There are several addon boards for Wee DAC to expand feature set:

  • W-Output XLR – Balanced XLR output for W-DAC
  • W-Output XLR Mute – Balanced XLR output with Mute relay for W-DAC
  • W-Input+ Combo – Extra Coaxial and Toslink S/PDIF inputs for W-Input
  • W-Input+ Combo XLR – Extra AES/EBU XLR and Toslink S/PDIF inputs for W-Input
  • W-Input+ Combo BNC – Extra AES/EBU XLR and BNC S/PDIF inputs for W-Input
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Wee DAC

W-Input – Compact digital input board

by nihtila
written by nihtila
  • Flexible digital input board combines I2S input and S/PDIF inputs
    • One I2S input / passthrough
    • One Toslink S/PDIF input
    • One isolated coaxial S/PDIF input
    • More inputs (Toslink / Coax / AES/EBU) can be added with addon board
  • I2S output (up to 192 kHz / 24-bit from S/PDIF)
  • High performance to match with high performance DACs
  • AK4115VQ S/PDIF receiver
  • Compact size at 70 mm x 50 mm
  • Can be used with W-DAC or any compatible I2S-input DAC
  • Wee DAC ecosystem offers numerous compatible boards
    • S/PDIF input addon boards (Coax, Toslink, AES/EBU)
    • DAC with balanced XLR addon
    • Baseboards with or without power supply
  • Assembled boards available
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Wee DAC

W-DAC 4490 – Very high performance compact DAC

by nihtila
written by nihtila
  • Very high performance
    • THD+N ratio: -108 dB (1 kHz -5 dBFS)
    • THD ratio: -115 dB (1 kHz, -10 dBFS)
    • Dynamic range / SNR: 119 dBA
    • Crosstalk: -125 dB, 10 kHz
    • Comprehensive measurement data available
  • Unbalanced RCA, 2 V output level
    • Balanced addon available
  • I2S input, supports up to 32 bits and 768 kHz sample rate
  • 5 digital filters selectable with jumper links
  • AK4490EQ DAC, LM4562 opamps
  • Compact size at 70 mm x 50 mm
  • Can be used with any compatible I2S source or in Wee DAC system
  • Wee DAC ecosystem offers numerous compatible boards
    • Balanced XLR addon
    • S/PDIF input boards (Coax, Toslink, AES/EBU)
    • Baseboards with or without power supply
  • Assembled boards available
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Audio Theory

DAC digital filters part 2 – deeper dive into AK4490 and AK4493 filters

by nihtila
written by nihtila

This post delves into digital filters in AK4490 and AK4493 DACs used in W-DAC boards and provides extensive measurement results of the filters in time and frequency domain. This is not only relevant to these specific DAC chips and filters but general information on DAC digital filters from audio perspective. This is a practical approach – no poles, zeros, or formulas but lots of plots.

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DevelopmentWee DAC

Wee DAC update 3 – New LDO and AK4493 tests, and new boards designed

by nihtila
written by nihtila

Follow-up on AK4490 test board measurements

  • Comparing cheap LDOs to superb LT3042
    • LP2992 shows excellent performance
  • AK4493 vs. AK4490
    • Even better performance
    • Almost pin compatible
  • New v1.1 boards in production
    • Slightly larger but still ‘wee’
    • Supports AK4490 and AK4493, and different LDOs
    • Possibly two or three assembly versions with different price and performance
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