DIY-Audio – ES Sabre-90xx-Rpi

PROJECT IV: PART 3 / Dual DC +-15 / LibreELEC / Toroidal T.+ LM317/337

Dezember 1, 2021 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, 😉

as said, burnt my Philips BDP9500-powerboard with these fabulous dual DC (+-12V) ->(see post before) but i didn´t give up 😉 and so i tried another way to get my wonderful dual DC 😉 ..

okay, as i have now only straight/normal +12V DC (via another line on the powerboard (have still of course the toroidal Dual AC (18V1 + 18V2, more later)) i thought why don´t buy a single DC to Dual DC-converter !! ? (found it by chance, didn´t knew its possible)-> 5,50€ Aliexpress-> https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32924044001.html

and so i could test-out again the “benefits” from dual DC..

okay, the dc-dc converter runs a little bit hot (had to screw the poti a little bit up (from 12V to +- 15V)(use a little 5V-fan to cool it) but again, such a nice sound/tune from dual DC (absolutely better channel separation etc., see also post before) (and now with the, for me missing, “push” from the +-15V instead of +-12V before !!) + and this time i used “LibreELEC“->https://libreelec.tv

because i´ve got the Rasberry Pi Zero 2 earlier, (and wanted to check the usability as a media-center with only 512MB Ram from the Zero 2) and voilá also a nice sound via Pi 4->Skysong XMOS-USB-bridge->I2S->ES9038Q2M; really a little bit “airier” maybe better as with “Volumio” for example (but also a little bit more “distorted”, have to evaluate it more), but absolutely nice, these better dual DC-sound 😉 ..

and because i´m an absolutely dummy/noob concerning electronical things like these whole dual AC/DC.-thing (but made these site also for people with no knowledge in these things 😉 , to learn about it) i also found out by connecting the toroidal 18V1/18V2 to a simple dual AC to dual DC-converter (see post before) that i got a massive voltage drop under load (means: set to +-15V out, dropped under load extremly about 4-5V (to 11V for example), had not such a drop with the single DC-rail/line, discussed it with some friends and yes, absolutely clear, u need some capacitor to “buffer”, like with these ->”regulated LM317 + LM337 power supply board AC-DC” with some 35V/2200uF capacitors for example ! 😉 (as said, totally clear for some electronical-hifi-freaks but not for me till this point); there are a lot of them around, also with greater capacitors, but just to learn about)..this thing cost about 9€ ->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/32570124466.html

(Voltage input-range: Dual AC28V (three lines), Voltage output-range: ±DC1. 25 V to 30 V adjustable.)

good 😉 ,

so, and now we´ve learned:

you have to use/need a regulated power-board behind some toroidal transformer !! 😉 (and some “thermistor” before, another time..)

more to come + greets for now 😉

Raspberry Pi 4 ->DSD(.dsf/.dff)-files over HDMI / HDMI to I2S-extractor arrived..

Juli 22, 2021 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so folks 😉 ,

hooray, today the hdmi to i2s extractor (from audiophonics) arrived ! 😉 (more later)..

but first, these “Raspberry Pi 4 DSD over HDMI”-thing:

i´ve read the days that openelec, Volumio, Moode + picoreplayer are also capable to sent dsf/dff(DSD)-files via hdmi-out on the Pi-4..

thats also a very nice “alternative” because u didnt have to use an usb-bridge (which is absolutely + in every way necessary) to play DSD-files from a Pi-(X) to an “chinese” ES90XX-board..(we didnt get it to work only over I2S)..

the Pi-4 should now be capable of streaming (also multichannel-DSD) via HDMI (was not (or less) possible with the Pi´s before)..

i´m reading just now a lot of it and will post then more about it..

so, and yet to the (long awaited) “HDMI-I2S-extractor” 😉 ..

“rock-solid” (not soo heavy as the before mentioned Burr-Brown-implementation in the Philips Fidelio BDP9700), but very “steady”..

in first using and setting it up, it has 2 red LEDs flashing/blinking) and no picture/sound and i´ve read elsewhere before that u have to use a 5V external power-source (although its not necessary as per “description”)..

okay, feeded it with 5V,2A and had problems (again) with the I2S-line from the extractor to the “green” (SMPCB) ES9038Q2M, not soo with the JY “Blue” ES9038Q2M..

ended it up now with a coax-line from the extractor directly to the coax on the ES9038Q2M..(but only for now, for DSD(native) u need the I2S-line)

and got finally my lovely 192/24 😉

as said, very “solid”-sounding, almost like the Burr-Brown-Gear in the BDP-9700; very exact, another step in the “hi-fi”-direction..

so, the problem is now that my Sony BDP-S7200 should play .dsf/.dff-files (SACD in anyway) via usb/network, but don´t do 😉

got/always say “file is corrupt or wrong media-format”, + i havent got a single !! SACD here, so i couldnt test the DSD-functionality (and that is/was originally the reason for all these devices lately !!) right now..(but i´m on it !!)..

and so, these Raspberry Pi-4 playing DSD-files via hdmi came to my mind..

(i do play here with volumio->usb-bridge->es9038q2m .dsf/.dff-files “in native” but for test here the hdmi-i2s-extractor)..

(will post a lot more about it)..

so, many greets for now, hope u enjoy the pictures, much more to come

and stay tuned !! 😉

Got today the AK4113 digital receiver to I2S-output/ still at 96khz/24bit..

Juni 27, 2021 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, 😉

got today this little “gem”, the mentioned AK4113 Digital Receiver Board + LCD1602 Screen SPDIF Optical/Coaxial/I2S To I2S Converter”(LINK)

thought first i have to solder the pinheader for the LCD1602 by myself; but it was already soldered->

“powered” it by a simple usb to 5V “converter” but all i got at the end was 96khz/24bit via the hdmi-audio-extractor and also via the coax/toslink-output of the Sony BDP-S7200 and the Philips BDP9700/12->

tried all different settings in the system-menus from the both player (auto,bitstream,pcm etc.,etc.)->no success..also via the hdmi-extractor the max was 96/24..

but don´t know if the AK4113 detects (and displays) it accordingly; but the 3 manual settings on the extractor were “pass”,”2ch stereo” and “5.1”..with the “pass” and “2ch stereo” i got only 48/24 max..has to “evaluate” it more..

UPDATE 1: seems like these special 4k-hdmi-switch/audio-extractor only supports audio up to 96/24..so, be careful in choosing the right one !!

another thing was that i wanted originally connect the AK4113 via I2S (to bypass the spdif-conversion) to an ES9038Q2M, but absolutely no “lock”-light..thought about it a lot and i guess (at the moment) the I2S-line (-cables) are too long (ca.30cm)..(read it sometimes ago->”the i2s-line(-cables) has to be short as possible (5-10cm)..”

UPDATE 2: curiously, i´ve got the “lock”-light (and its playing) with the “blue” ES9038Q2M; so, again, there is often a compability-problem with different devices..

greets for now + much more to come.. 😉

(eventually) “Lock”-problems (coaxial/optical)-line on ES9038Q2M-boards..

Juni 13, 2021 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so folks 😉 ,

as slighty feared, i´ve got a new hdmi-switch with an audio-extractor-function (also for DSD) (19€/Aliexpress)->

but got “massive” lock-problems, means its “stuttering” over the coaxial and optical line on our ES9038Q2M-boards (the “lock”-LED is constantly “working/blinking”); no constantly bitstream..(had it also often, when the soldering on pi-boards/es9038q2m i2s-line was not so optimal)..

checked the coax-cable, used toslink too: same problem..

thought first the switch couldnt deliver a constantly bitstream but connected it then to our mini-dac (Ünnlink 192Khz Digital to Analog Audio Converter (http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2384)) and voilá, no stuttering/problems anymore..

okay, but i had not such lock-problems with my Sony CD-changer, nor Blurayplayer, nor Telekom-Mediareceiver over coax/toslink..

so it seems its only on some audio-devices (spdif transmitter/receiver-chips problems/incompatible) and as we had it here in discussion a thousand times (->”.. and as we know „our“ early chinese ES9038Q2M-boards had not such a good „coax/toslink/spdif-line“ (the first onboard spdif-receiver-chips were not soo good (hashtag #SRC4192/AK4113/4118) ->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?p=2211 ->“..First, on the new, blue SMPCB they use some „DS9281“ for „better coaxial conversion, less jitter, less „lock“-„problems, „better coaxial line..“),

i/we have to make/find a workaround and for this i´ve found this little nice gem->

“AK4113 Digital Receiver Board + LCD1602 Screen SPDIF Optical/Coaxial/I2S To I2S“, 25$ Ebay/->LINK

has a lot of other advantages too !! first, we got finally our “digital format/sampling frequency/digits”-display !! got besides the 2 spdif-lines also an I2S-in (will be passed through) to whom we can connect for example another hdmi-extractor (link/description at the bottom) and can easily switch between the input-channels via some simple button switch and have in any case some beautiful digital-format/sample-rate display !!

by that it uses the AK4113 which should result in less jitter etc. too..

so, great (i´m waiting for it now) and yet to the last point today, these “Digital Interface Board HDMI / MHL to I2S / Coaxial / Optical”-device;->

had it mentioned in some articles before and because its above the 26€ duty-edge, i thought to buy it from https://audiophonics.fr/en -> https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfaces/digital-interface-board-hdmi-mhl-to-i2s-coaxial-optical-p-15388.html ;

it cost “double the price” (same device) 50€, but its in the EU; faster shipping times + no duty problems..(and there are a lot (all) other nice things u need to have (i2s-cable,XH 2.54mm Male Socket 5 Channels connector, toroidal-transformer, cases, all u wish)

greets for now + more to come !! 😉

Task: with a cheap bluray/SACD-player over hdmi to I2S->ES9038Q2M

Mai 21, 2021 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, in short: 😉

idea is to buy a cheap bluray-player (Sony BDPS570 for example) with SACD-capability and then sending the DSD-information over hdmi to a hdmi -> I2S converter and then via I2S to an ES9038Q2M for example..(btw. absolutely “common practice” in the “hi-fi”-world).

we had such a hdmi-i2s-converter-discussion some time ago->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/?s=hdmi..->

(and beware: there are lot of different hdmi->I2S sender/receiver-boards: ones are only for transmitting the I2S-signal between them and the other “extract” the audio-signals/I2S from the HDMI-stream ! (had made a new category”->”HDMI to I2S”; will explain it in a later post)

there are also complete “solutions” for that, and also i´ve read just now that u can burn your own SACDs with Nero for example..

(50$/37$ Aliexpress->https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005001265826217.html ; https://de.aliexpress.com/item/33031920347.html )

i´m in the “gathering-information” state 😉 right now , will post then more about it,

greets for now 😉

essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2 has moved / Arduino + SSD1306 / ESP32 Bluetooth-serial / 3D-printer case

Mai 19, 2019 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, 😉
essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2 has finally moved..was a bit more work then expected, right now i´m not 100% satisfied with the result->had btw. to change the symlinks-structure in wordpress, so some pics/categories will have another url + the “direct”-forum-link (at the top) has changed to a “2-click-experience” 😉 + some minor changes, but overall i think its now a little bit faster + on a newer OS + a newer php-version..

second i´ve ordered some SSD1306 mini-tft-display test-wise some months ago, set it up on the third !! Arduino Uno finally (i´ve ordered 2 other Unos “in-a-row” and they were both damaged) and got the following result (for u to see it in real life, to maybe get some ideas for your DIY-DAC)..

absolutely easy wiring + sketch;.ino is here->Link

third got by chance some really simple ESP32 Bluetooth-serial tutorial on “Random-Nerds“; ( 😉 ) maybe interesting for you->https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-bluetooth-classic-arduino-ide/
fourth no new Volumio-version is out and a new drop is the SMSL-SU 8 Version 2 with two (dual) ES9038Q2M for 200$ instead of 250$->Link

fifth, no other news concerning the ES9038Q2M, nothing spectacular in the diyaudio.com-forum about it->https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/314935-es9038q2m-board-446.html
sixth i´m still planning to buy some 15V-0V-15V toroidal transformer and for the case i was looking for some “3D-printer”-layouts/submittals; had found a site (don´t know the url right now) and maybe we could make a new “thread” here or at the forum, for some “3D-printer”-submittals for the case !!

more to come + greets for now !!

New Dual ES9038Q2M out !! + new Volumio ES9038Q2M-plugin !! (HW-Vol. + DPLL etc.)

Dezember 22, 2018 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, 😉
in visiting this great,great, diyaudio.com-forum (as said a million times before and link also in the “sidebar”)->https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/314935-es9038q2m-board-338.html we have now here first a new “Dual ES9038Q2M-DAC/board“; it has also “a lot of shit” as a bluetooth-receiver and such on board, but has also an HDMI-I2S-input, see post before..(the board itself is also from “SMP CB” (like “our” green-ones))

160-200$ roundabout->Aliexpress-Link..

by that, and thats most important, someone over at the diyaudio.com-forum “DID IT” 😉 , means software-control on some internal register, HW-Vol, DPLL-settings and so on / unbelievable !!..

i dont want to write here too much about it (NDA and such), just head over to the forum->https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/314935-es9038q2m-board-338.html and u will be absolutely fascinated !!

also i found just now by chance a github-repository for a driver/.dtbo for the AK-4137 on a ES9028Q2M (hifibunny-driver) or ES9038Q2M->also just discussed in the forum..->Github/TuziUsagi->https://github.com/TuziUsagi/ak4137

more to come, merry christmas and many greets for now !! 😉

HDMI I2S LVDS to I2S /-modules / incompatible XMOS-driver V4.45 Win-10 / new ESP32s

Dezember 21, 2018 admin Kommentar hinterlassen

so, 😉
in waiting/looking for a toroidal 15V-0-15V transformer and the right case and thinking about the “maximum” 😉 DIY-DAC + connections i came back again to some HDMI I2S LVDS to I2S-connections/modules..

Audiophonics has some there (25€+shipping)->https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfaces/hdmi-i2s-lvds-to-i2s-input-module-hdmi-i2s-lvds-to-i2s-output-p-12422.html (u can get the same here for 21$ without shipping (costs)->https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-HDMI-to-IIS-I2S-Receiver-Board-Conversion-Board-Module-With-I2S-Switching-/332651861540
interesting by this “Audiophonics”-module is the selectable dual-I2S-input option ->

(u can get single “ones” here for 15$->https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/diy-interfaces/interface-module-hdmi-lvds-input-to-i2s-p-12683.html?search_query=hdmi%20i2s&fast_search=fs)

meanwhile i think u have to include such a “I2S-HDMI”-option because we got more and more USB-bridges with I2S-HDMI-out like the Gustard U-16 (see some earlier posts, LINK ) or some Singxer SU-1 for example..

Audio-GD also made equipment with this connection and interesting would be if it has great benefits in modding a “transporter” means CD/DVD-Audio/Bluray-player and so on to bypass the spdif-connection/conversion and directly connect the transporters internal I2S-connection to an I2S-HDMI output module like this:(Link)

by that it is recommend only to use (hdmi-)cable shorter than 50cm->”..which needs to be kept as short as possible to uphold decent signal integrity”..
Kitsune for example has some there also by only 30cm (as example)(9,90$)->LINK
by that, i´ve faced some incompatilibity issues with the XMOS-USB-driver V4.45 (on my Skysong (Singxer)-USB-bridge) since the last Win10-updates (stuttering); reverted back to V4.36 (but still not “optimal”)..(link to the driver in the forum->Forum)