Update: ES9028Q2M 384khz (MPD) in newer Dietpi (6.4 and up) I-Sabre-K2M-driver..

so, 😉
after “Kennyliveforever” made a great post about porting/including the I-Sabre-K2M-driver in Volumio->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=64, i´ve re-checked this driver-option in Dietpi (v6.6) again..
a few months ago i tried everything to get this driver in Dietpi (earlier versions) to work and there was/i heard absolutely nothing..
Now with the new DietPi (v6.4 and up) there was/must be a change in installing the driver..after you change the soundcard in rpi-config to “i-sabre-k2m” there “comes” a rpi-update and after that it loads some software from codeload.github.com, install some compiler-binaries and after that it compiles a complete new .dtbo (overlay) and includes it automatically afterwards..
some month ago, as said, these steps were absolutely not proceeded..

and now we have our lovely “384khz” back !!!

(i really don´t know why this is not clearly communicated via “fourdee” at dietpi..)
anyway, i started this whole blog/site by/of this problematic and alone for this, this blog has been paid off !! 😉 
okay, i had only a few minutes to test it, but i think with this ess-driver which uses (i hope) and demands the special capabilities of the ES9028Q2M i have a here a really better sound (about 10-20% min., i “surmise”); it comes now really up to my best combo at present->ES9038Q2M with Muses8920+Skysong-USB-bridge !!
but, and this is very important too: i strongly recommend to upgrade your ES9028Q2M to “Muses8920” too !!
(they cost only about 3,50$ from this seller by example (and they are not “fakes”, guess so 😉 )->https://www.ebay.de/itm/362255966842?ViewItem=&item=362255966842)
(i will test if this i-sabre-k2m driver also works with the ES9038Q2M..)

ES9038Q2M+Skysong/Singxer XMOS-USB-bridge->(final) thoughts/settings tone optimization

so, 😉
after i tested a lot of different op-amps+filter-settings on the ES9038Q2M (Blue) lately i came to this (final) conclusion:
The Muses 8920, are/”sound” brilliant on these Blue, i think they are lately called “YJ-ES9038Q2M” Q2Ms..
much better as with the NE5532 or the OPA2134 for example (other possibility would be the AD797, LMEXXXX (see earlier post))..

by that to provide the Skysong/Singxer USB-bridge with an external 5V power supply also boosted the overall performance of the Bridge by 10-15% !!
absolutely to recommend !! 😉

absolutely wonderful bridge (read elsewhere they should be the “finest” with the best XMOS-implementation)..(i have the version with the golden crystek cchd957s))..

the filter-settings have here for me not such an impact on the sound/tone, guess 2-3%, max 5% 😉 , but u can hear it if u want..but the differences are really “paper-thin” (on other DACs/millboards it could have a greater impact)..
by that “kennyliveforever” made a great post in the forum-> http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=64 about how to include the “original” essabre-driver (I-Sabre-K2M) for the ES9028Q2M in Volumio (and then maybe in other audio-distros)..
so far for now !!

Op-Amps: NE5532 vs OPA2134 vs. Muses 8920 (02) + ESSabre-Link (+DietPi 6.5)

so, 😉
got yesterday my “OPA2134” and had finally the time to check it out 😉

okay, fired up my Raspberry with the ES9028Q2M and thought first:” ? why sound it so “distorted” ?” (my main “rig” is at present->Skysong/Singxer USB-bridge (golden Crystek CCHD957s) + unmodified ES9038Q2M (Blue)..
Changed then the NE5532 to the OPA2134 and the result ?

Surprisingly good !! 😉

bought a few month ago some OPA2604; they were really, really, really bad (in any case on these Sabre-boards)..

This OPA2134 is very lively, airy, is more about middle-highs and really less “distorted”..
you can use them without any problems/thoughts to upgrade your NE5332..!

by that it brings me some “glance” back (in the highs) which i missed since 5 or 6 years ago, as i had to change my lovely Via VT1828S (onboard) to an “ordinary” Asus Xonar DX..;-)

changed then to the “Muses 8920” and ? Better 😉 ..it has the best from both op-amps: this airly, lively (OPA2134) but also the “push” (NE5532) mainly in the middle-lows..;-)(“its all about the slew-rate” 😉 ; funny+interesting article here->http://nwavguy.blogspot.de/2011/08/op-amp-measurements.html )
anyway this OPA2134 is as said very good..
the next possibility would be an “AD797” or some LMEs..(and Burson V5 of course)
ES Sabre itself recommend these “AD797″ + some LMEs (for the ES9006+ES9008 series)..its from a very interesting download->”Maximizing DAC performance…”->http://www.esstech.com/index.php/en/support/downloads (thx to “Mark04” again, over at the DIY-audio-forum->LINK)

(picture from “janos_904“->hope i could use it here..)

so, and another thing is that i´ve updated to Diet 6.5 and with every version it sounds better and better and the main advantage is that u have meanwhile almost no horrible “pops” in changing the music-file-format like flac to wav or 44,1 to 192khz for example..
i guess its also because u got a better/fresher raspian-(firmware) everytime u update it via DietPi..
greets for now..

Different filter types->ES9038Q2M + other..

so, 😉
because i´ve got now the possibility to change the 7 different-filters “on the fly” (on the ES9038Q2M), means no annoying jumper settings, and via BT or web-control, i can say/state a little bit to my impressions about it:

I tested it via jumper (manually) a few weeks ago and at that time i´ve got the feel that it makes a huge difference, up about to 20%, and i really loved the “linear phase fast roll-off filter” (JP3+JP6)..
but, now, yesterday, i didnt feel it was such a huge difference, only about to 1-2% !! the other “circumstances”, quality of the source, the right op-amp, the quality of the power-supply (15V and or +/- 15V) have absolutely a really greater impact of the sound/tune..
The filter here on the ES9038 are really on the digital/sample-site, there is no more 3D, spacious or something and had almost no effect on the “true original”-tune..
if u really like the bitperfect, faithful, “true to original” tune, u have to improve your hi-fi in another place..
with the different filter u hear something more expressed (or decreased) but the overall “sound/tune” stays the same..
so, in this case, i/u have to work more on the power-supply-side, onboard voltage supply on these Chinese-ES9038Q2-boards/cable/source-material and so on (as said).
On the other hand are there a few differences in the “sound/tune”->here is a very interesting picture from stereo.net.au->https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/81435-ak4490eq-filter-adjustment/, its about filter settings on an AK4490EQ, but the basics are the same..(i´ve also posted a few month ago an article about different-filter-types and the impact on the sabres from resonessence-labs (“Invicta-Mirus”)->
http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=21

and i got/have almost the exact feel about it !!

very interesting is also this “Sound Source Positioning”->had the exact impression in changing from one filter to another->also thought “..this voice/guitar/something is more in the back or in the front..” and so on (normal hi-fi experience) !!
Summary: u can hear/have differences, the filter on this board have not soo much impact (imo), but also try to improve your hi-fi in another place !!

(filter/jumper settings ES9038Q2M “Blue”)

NodeMCU: ES9038Q2M Web-Remote-Filter/Source-Control..

so, 😉
got yesterday my “NodeMCU V3” IoT-module->approx..2,60€ Aliexpress/Ebay/Bangood etc..
really freaky/whacky 😉 ..
i just tried something out; have to wait here for other things/”items” 😉 to come..
It has a full 802.11 b/g/n WLAN onboard and can fully work as a webserver; its much faster than an Arduino and has also programmable GPIO-pins..
and u can fully use the Arduino-IDE..
anyway, wrote a little sketch, can now access to it via Wlan and can select the source and the different-filter on the ES9038Q2M..
u can also use some HTML-Slider to adjust maybe the onboard HW-Volume-Control (and then via some digi-poti->http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/2018/02/es9038q2m-project-2-building-a-bt-controlled-hw-volume-control-digital-pot-10kohm-mcp4131/)..
but originally i wanted to control our lovely “DIY-DAC” via Bluetooth; but a web-interface could also be an (additional) option..
so only some “tech-demo”-pics..
(but this NodeMCU is really,really freaky “stuff” 😉 )
(i could here only test two filter right now :”BrickWall” and “minimum phase fast roll-off” and i must say to my degrace: i´ve heard no difference 😉 (but could be also a wiring-problem; have to evaluate more)(but tested it via Jumper some weeks ago and “Minimum-Phase-Slow-Roll-Off” and “Linear-Phase-Fast-roll off” looks the most promising (for me))..
but i will test it more…

 

 

ES9038Q2M+other: The right voltage/cleaner Power/Power supply->USB-bridges-/Sabre-Boards..

and so, 😉
we are now here again with a main “Hi-Fi”-theme/problem:
“Clean-/clear-/power” and Power-Supplies” 😉 ..
It´s all about the right-/clean power, voltage-regulator-/stabilizer..
i´m very often in this very good forum concerning all these electrical things/also concerning the ES9038Q2M->
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/314935-es9038q2m-board-38.html
so, and i came again to this subject (matter), cause i had/these “stuttering”-problems again with the Skysong-/Singxer-USB-bridge+the ES9038Q2M..
first i thought it´s mainly a driver problem but meanwhile i guess it could also be a power-supply problem->5V on the USB-bridge via USB !! (500mA); could really be a problem(-“stable-wise”)..
I came by it because i (try to) made a DIY-power-supply with a 32V-HP-power supply for some printer + a cheap “Step-down-power regulator/supply” from Aliexpress->
http://essabre-90xx-rpi.sfb2.com/2018/01/diy-make-your-own-15v-dc-power-supply-for-es9038q2m-or-other-the-cheap-way/
it had 625mA and i thought this should be enough cause i´ve read elsewhere that the ES9038Q2M only needs roundabout 200mA..
I connected my ES9028Q2M with this regulator and (adjusted it down to 15V) to my raspberry and got a horrible, horrible stuttering !!
thought first it was a software-problem but wasnt..asked some user in the forum and they told me that some power-supplies may become “unstable” with/on “low-load”..
anyway this brings my again to the above “topic” and now i think i better use a 5V-stand alone-power supply with minimum 1A for my USB-bridge (the Skysong-/Singxer have the possibility via a barrel-jack)..
by that i´ve ordered some other 15V-power supply with “stable” 2A for the ES9038Q2M..
where we so come back to the main “theme”: Dual 15V for the ES9038Q2M and power-supplies in general..see above 😉


(the pictures are from “Markw4” from the above mentioned forum; hope i can use them here, there are just to “illustrate”; if not please some e-mail)

ES9038Q2M: interesting facts + ES9038Q2M DAC HAT by “iancanada”..

so, 😉
came by chance about this facts/post in this very interesting forum->http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pc-based/302687-es9018k2m-es9028q2m-9038q2m-dsd-i2s-dac-hats-raspberry-pi-17.html
iancanada” posted:”..ES9018 and ES9028 need the small DoP daughter board (which can be plugged in the IsolatorPi) to convert the DoP stream into DSD. However ES9038Q2M has a built in DoP decoder, so, for ES9038Q2M, the DoP daughter board is not a must.”,
+”ESS9018/28/38 has internal 32bit digital volume control. Much better than any 24bit digital volume control, but still not as good as the analog one on my PASS XP-10. However according to my listening experience, the difference is not that huge.”..

by that his “ES9038Q2M DAC HAT” looks very fine, neat and “sophisticated” 😉 ; mail him..😉
(also very interesting other (DIY-Audio) projects there !! ->https://github.com/iancanada)

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