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DIY Audio Alchemy DC Umbilical

Posted by Duster (M) on November 13, 2016 at 09:16:16

Yet another DIY DC umbilical in the works. It's never too late to improve this aspect, even for use with one of the first outboard DACs to popularize digital front end separates back in the 1990s. I pulled an Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 DAC with Audio Alchemy's top of the line Power Station Two power supply from storage and placed it in a digital CATV audio configuration, and find its smooth, somewhat relaxed and polite sonic signature to be a fine match for my 2-channel home theater audio application. It may not sound as dynamic as the modified TeraDak 3.1D DAC it replaced, but the vintage Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 DAC with Power Station 2 outboard power supply serves the purpose very well, at this time. The I/O jacks and 3-conductor DC umbilical posed an issue of connectivity and suitable cabling for the task. The criteria of cable options involved a Teflon dielectric at the top of the list for the DIY DC umbilical project.

At this time, I'm using a 1 meter DIY DH Labs BL-1 DC umbilical, and much prefer its performance vs. a 1 meter DIY 22 AWG mil-spec SPC, PTFE/Teflon dielectric, with SPC braided shield, DC umbilical. I like it so much that experimenting with another bulk cable from DH Labs was inevitable. Based on how well the Connex/DH Labs BL-Ag (solid core, pure silver bulk cable) performs as a 2-conductor DIY DC umbilical for another component within the digital CATV set-up, I pondered whether it might also perform well as a 3-conductor DC umbilical, since the Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 DAC features a DC umbilical with two separate hot wires (one for ±8 digital, the other for ±18 analog), and a common ground conductor. The Connex BL-Ag bulk cable (manufactured by DH Labs) is intended for use as a foil-shielded, 23 AWG solid core pure silver, twisted pair interconnect cable, with what seems to be a 20 AWG tinned stranded copper drain wire. While I wouldn't use an uninsulated conductor for AC or high-current DC umbilical applications, the substantial-gauge drain wire is suitable for use as a low-current DC conductor that also functions as a drain wire for the foil shield, and I find the Teflon dielectric of the two positive conductors are well-insulated for a low-current, low-voltage DC application.

An unusual thing about the DC umbilical is a 6-pin DIN plug on the source end, with a 3.5mm 3-pole mini-plug at the load end. Using a 3.5mm 3-pole connector for a DC power supply application is rare and questionable, but it certainly serves the purpose, albeit sparks will fly if the 3.5mm connector is plugged-in while the power supply is connected to an AC outlet. The best 6-pin DIN plug option I found is a product from ShowMeCables.com, with what looks like silver plated pins rather than nickel, and a rigid metal shell rather than a flimsy plastic shell that is usually available for a DIY project. The 3.5mm 3-pole mini-plug I'm eagerly waiting to be delivered is a product based on the design of a right angle Oyaide 3.5mm plug, but the one I chose features a very robust 1-piece ground design with set-crew strain relief that will accommodate up to a 7mm OD cable. The fact that the plug is a right angle design should provide a more secure connection, since it should be a bit less easy to accidentally pull out of the Audio Alchemy DDE v1.0 DAC.

Another aspect of this DIY upgrade path project is a DIY 12 AWG Acoustic Revive 8800 Triple C bulk power cable terminated with gold Oyaide 079 AC connectors for the Power Station Two power supply. The 8800 sounds exceptionally good when terminated with gold plated Audio Grade AC plugs, which can be problematic due to the potential of an unfavorably lush, rich, warm sonic signature. However, I find gold Oyaide and gold Furutech AC connectors to provide excellent synergy when mated with the Acoustic Revive 8800 Triple C power cord. I actually built two Acoustic Revive 8800 Triple C power cords recently: one terminated with Furutech FI-50 Gold AC connectors for use with my iMac computer for audio purposes; the other terminated with Oyaide 079 Gold AC connectors for use with the Audio Alchemy Power Station Two power supply. I found both DIY power cord builds sound excellent after many hours of burn-in time.

BTW, another excellent DIY power cord success is the moderate-cost level 12 AWG Oyaide Black Mamba V2 bulk power cable terminated with Oyaide 004 Beryllium AC connectors, which I actually prefer vs. a more expensive 10 AWG Acrolink 7N-P4030 II terminated with Oyaide 004 Beryllium AC connectors, since the Black Mamba V2 sounds very focused, with a more coherent soundstage, but with a bit smaller-scale soundstage imaging as a sonic trade-off, IME.

Cheers, Duster

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Herbie's Audio Lab

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