T+a dac 8 dsd

[bibo01]

1 minute ago, volpone said:

 

Thank you. Good news, but apart from DSD512 successful tests, do you have an idea on the work (and delay) required to integrate firmware code ?  

He said that code integrating is pretty straight forward.

[volpone]

36 minutes ago, bibo01 said:

He said that code integrating is pretty straight forward.

 

Good news again !

 

But i presume when FW integration is ready from Amanero,  a lot of tests are required (possibly involving T+A ) and then an update process to be set ... So end of story is not yet here.

[volpone]

On 18/05/2017 at 1:37 PM, bibo01 said:

He said that code integrating is pretty straight forward.

 

Hi @bibo01, any AMANERO weekly call about Linux FW status planned ?

Thank's for the head-up 

[juanitox]

1 hour ago, volpone said:

 

Hi @bibo01, any AMANERO weekly call about Linux FW status planned ?

Thank's for the head-up 

 

hope is the mother of all things

[bibo01]

4 hours ago, volpone said:

 

Hi @bibo01, any AMANERO weekly call about Linux FW status planned ?

Thank's for the head-up 

I tried yesterday, but I missed him

I'll try next week 

[m3lraaHnevetS]

2 questions for every T+A DAC8 DSD owner that is using HQP to do the DSD512 thing

 

After about 6 months of fiddling with HQP settings I gave up and am now back to just plain simple PCM without any upsampling or converting in software and using the Bezier-interpolator plus IIR-filter (= bezier ovs with the blue light).

 

I just can’t seem to get DSD512 to sound right. Individual instruments or voices are nice in DSD512 but some sort of cohesion or atmosphere is lost.

It could well be that I just have not found the right settings yet so I would like to know which setting others are using and experiment a bit with HQP again.

 

Question 1: When was the last time you shutdown HQP and listened without any upsampling or converting in software?

If it has been a long time please try it and tell us what you think, do you hear the cohesion or atmosphere I am talking about

If it helps you could even pretend it is some new XXX filter in HQP 3.17

 

Question 2: which settings do you use in HQP? (please post a screenshot of the HQP settings tab)

 

these are mine

 

[Miska]

2 hours ago, m3lraaHnevetS said:

After about 6 months of fiddling with HQP settings I gave up and am now back to just plain simple PCM without any upsampling or converting in software and using the Bezier-interpolator plus IIR-filter (= bezier ovs with the blue light).

 

Question 2: which settings do you use in HQP? (please post a screenshot of the HQP settings tab)

 

 

 

Your HQPlayer settings are as different from the settings you use with the DAC's built in upsampling (technically it is still software, just running inside the DAC) as settings possibly could be... Total opposites, no wonder you get different sound.

 

"polynomial2" in HQPlayer is closest to the Bezier-interpolator in T+A. Or from the ones available for DSD oversampling maybe poly-sinc-mqa or minringFIR.

 

[m3lraaHnevetS]

11 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Your HQPlayer settings are as different from the settings you use with the DAC's built in upsampling (technically it is still software, just running inside the DAC) as settings possibly could be... Total opposites, no wonder you get different sound.

 

"polynomial2" in HQPlayer is closest to the Bezier-interpolator in T+A. Or from the ones available for DSD oversampling maybe poly-sinc-mqa or minringFIR.

 

 

Thank you Jussi, I will try the suggested filters/oversampling

[bibo01]

On 5/27/2017 at 4:03 PM, volpone said:

 

Hi @bibo01, any AMANERO weekly call about Linux FW status planned ?

Thank's for the head-up 

UPDATE -

I just spoke to Amanero. He is really close. His T&A DAC is all opened and he's trying the new code on it. There is still something little to be fixed for which he is in touch with T&A tech dept.

[volpone]

1 hour ago, bibo01 said:

UPDATE -

I just spoke to Amanero. He is really close. His T&A DAC is all opened and he's trying the new code on it. There is still something little to be fixed for which he is in touch with T&A tech dept.

 

Thank's a lot @bibo01, again !

[EdmontonCanuck]

7 hours ago, bibo01 said:

UPDATE -

I just spoke to Amanero. He is really close. His T&A DAC is all opened and he's trying the new code on it. There is still something little to be fixed for which he is in touch with T&A tech dept.

 

Does this mean that we're going to have to physically open up our T+A's to upgrade the FW? That doesn't sound warranty-friendly.

[RS241]

15 hours ago, EdmontonCanuck said:

 

Does this mean that we're going to have to physically open up our T+A's to upgrade the FW? That doesn't sound warranty-friendly.

 

I had a chat with a T+A technical guy on Munich HighEnd show last week about this topic. Here in brief the most interesting things:

 

1.) T+A is really working with Amanero on this topic

2.) The T+A USB receiver hardware is identical to Amanero

3.) Any Amanero firmware will run on the DAC8DSD (so in principle any of the new versions could be flashed into the DAC8DSD)

4.) Currently T+A uses Amanero firmware 1096c and CPLD version 1080. According to T+A these give the best results.

5.) T+A is currently testing new Amanero firmware versions and will release them as soon as everything works flawlessly.

 

6.) Now the tricky part: How to upgrade existing DAC8DSD ? T+A recommends to send them in for firmware upgrade. This would be the "official" way.

Can it be done by the user without sending the DAC8 in ?

In principle: yes - but....

The "but" is this: for re-flashing the firmware you need to have access to the Amanero firmware server with the T+A log-in credentials. T+A is not willing to disclose these (as T+A has to pay license fees for each programming).

So there is no access to the original T+A/Amanero firmware.

 

But  [see 1.) and 2.) above]  the original Amanero firmware could be used. This would mean the T+A DAC would be seen as an Amanero device by the computer. This is because re-flashing with with the Amanero original firmware would re-program the USB VID and PID to the Amanero standard values in stead of the T+A PID/VID for DAC8DSD. So the T+A drivers for DAC8DSD will not work any more and the original Amanero drivers will have to be installed on the PC (at least on Windows PCs - no idea what will happen with Linux based sources).

 

HowTo reprogram

The "official" way is described in this T+A document T+A RS232 Interface document for DAC8DSD

 

But I got hold of T+A Service Document S_0133 describing a "quick and dirty" way to erase the USB receiver firmware. After erasing the USB receiver is in a virgin state meaning that now any Amanero firmware (from the Amanero web site)  can be flashed into it.

 

Warranty

I think if you brick your DAC8 by erasing/reflashing the USB receiver this will not be covered by warranty. So it is in your personal responsibility if you do it.

On the other hand: erasing and re-programming can be repeated as often as you like.

So if one firmware version does not work properly there is a way back - even to the original 1096c version.

 

Only the Amanero driver will have to be used in stead of the T+A driver.

This of course means that re-programming can not be hidden. A re-flashed DAC8DSD can always be recognized by not having the original T+A PID/VID values....

 

Anybody dares to try this ?

I think I will wait for the official release of new firmware and let T+A do it....

 

RS

 

S0133_Erasing_USB_Firmware_DAC8DSD.pdf

[RS241]

14 hours ago, EdmontonCanuck said:

 

Does this mean that we're going to have to physically open up our T+A's to upgrade the FW? That doesn't sound warranty-friendly.

 

I had a chat with a T+A technical guy on Munich HighEnd show last week about this topic. Here in brief the most interesting things:

 

1.) T+A is really working with Amanero on this topic

2.) The T+A USB receiver hardware is identical to Amanero

3.) Any Amanero firmware will run on the DAC8DSD (so in principle any of the new versions could be flashed into the DAC8DSD)

4.) Currently T+A uses Amanero firmware 1096c and CPLD version 1080. According to T+A these give the best results.

5.) T+A is currently testing new Amanero firmware versions and will release them as soon as everything works flawlessly.

 

6.) Now the tricky part: How to upgrade existing DAC8DSD ? T+A recommends to send them in for firmware upgrade. This would be the "official" way.

Can it be done by the user without sending the DAC8 in ?

In principle: yes - but....

The "but" is this: for re-flashing the firmware you need to have access to the Amanero firmware server with the T+A log-in credentials. T+A is not willing to disclose these (as T+A has to pay license fees for each programming).

So there is no access to the original T+A/Amanero firmware.

 

But  [see 1.) and 2.) above]  the original Amanero firmware could be used. This would mean the T+A DAC would be seen as an Amanero device by the computer. This is because re-flashing with with the Amanero original firmware would re-program the USB VID and PID to the Amanero standard values in stead of the T+A PID/VID for DAC8DSD. So the T+A drivers for DAC8DSD will not work any more and the original Amanero drivers will have to be installed on the PC (at least on Windows PCs - no idea what will happen with Linux based sources).

 

HowTo reprogram

The "official" way is described in this T+A document T+A RS232 Interface document for DAC8DSD

 

But I got hold of T+A Service Document S_0133 describing a "quick and dirty" way to erase the USB receiver firmware. After erasing the USB receiver is in a virgin state meaning that now any Amanero firmware can be flashed into it.

 

 

[m3lraaHnevetS]

Thanks for this info RS241!

the erasing firmware doc does not load btw

 

 

[RS241]

2 hours ago, m3lraaHnevetS said:

Thanks for this info RS241!

the erasing firmware doc does not load btw

 

 

 

... something obviously went wrong. Can't edit my foregoing post.

So here an other try with the service doc

S0133_Erasing_Amanero_Firmware_DAC8DSD.pdf

[richard kimber]

14 hours ago, RS241 said:

6.) Now the tricky part: How to upgrade existing DAC8DSD ? T+A recommends to send them in for firmware upgrade. This would be the "official" way.

 

Does this mean "send them in to your dealer, perhaps in the UK" OR ""send them to Germany"?

[m3lraaHnevetS]

I was told by T+A it has to go back to the factory. I am in the Netherlands so sending it to Germany is not a big deal for me, maybe there will be other options for other countries. 

[eternaloptimist]

11 hours ago, m3lraaHnevetS said:

I was told by T+A it has to go back to the factory. I am in the Netherlands so sending it to Germany is not a big deal for me, maybe there will be other options for other countries. 

I am in Australia.... sending the DAC back to Germany is a huge deal....

[EdmontonCanuck]

10 hours ago, eternaloptimist said:

I am in Australia.... sending the DAC back to Germany is a huge deal....

 

Yeah, that's a bit of a bummer. I'm in Canada, so not thrilled about having to send it back to Europe for an upgrade. Perhaps something can be worked out with the Canadian dealer I bought it from, but I'm not sure what's in it for them exactly.

[rickca]

4 minutes ago, EdmontonCanuck said:

Perhaps something can be worked out with the Canadian dealer I bought it from, but I'm not sure what's in it for them exactly.

Deleted.

[bibo01]

On 5/31/2017 at 5:44 PM, volpone said:

 

Thank's a lot @bibo01, again !

UPDATE -

I spoke to Amanero. He obtains DSD512, but he has to solve a slight clock problem that still happens at that frequency with the on-board processor. Contrary to Windows, Linux requires to know precise timing and that involves more processing. Anyhow, he is sure he is going to solve it. As soon as he does it, he will release everything. Also T&A is pressuring him on this. 

[volpone]

Thank's @bibo01,

Finger crossing for the "slight clock problem" !

[m3lraaHnevetS]

Good luck to all DAC8 DSD users trying to convince themselves upsampling to DSD512 is the way to go!

I am abandoning ship... bought a Pink Faun DAC 2.32 and (hopefully) will live happily ever after doing just plain old redbook and foot-tapping again now that life is back into the music. pfff nearly got me there... just using your T+A to do redbook is OK too but the Pink Faun DAC together with their XLR cable is something special (in the 5K range). so yeah rock on

[eternaloptimist]

I must admit, I am enjoying listening with PCM upsampled in JRiver to PCM352 when I can't be bothered with the Roon/HQPlayer etc. DSD chain!

[volpone]

22 minutes ago, eternaloptimist said:

I must admit, I am enjoying listening with PCM upsampled in JRiver to PCM352 when I can't be bothered with the Roon/HQPlayer etc. DSD chain!

 

From your hears JRIVER upsampling (PCM352) is quite different from ROON PCM upsampling ?