|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
70.110.122.152
I have an MHDT Havana DAC that I dearly love. I would like to increase the output voltage in order to get more usable range from my Tortuga LDR preamp. The manufacturer is not easy to reach. Any idea if this can be done? The current voltage output is 2.6v.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
Follow Ups:
The Havana has an output above the Redbook standard of 2.0V. I would look carefully at your passive preamp it might not have as high an output as an active preamps to drive your amps, only a theory.
Edits: 10/15/14
The easy way is to use a pair of 1:2 audio transformers. They must be high quality for good results. High-quality means spendy, like $1K or more.
Something seems a little odd. I use a passive setup and have for many years. my DAC out is 2.35VRMS @50 ohms and my amps are 100K like yours and need a volt for full output and I bi-amp so my passive drives two amps.
So you have slightly higher output voltage but at a higher impedance (2.6@ <800 ohms) and a little less sensitivity 1.25 vs 1 volt needed for full output.
Modding the DAC is probably one of the least easy solutions. Carcass said you have a Sonic Euphoria passive which I assume is TVC based. Try that and tell us what happens. Which taps do you use on the amps? Have you tried both?
In my system there is an occasional recording with a level so low I can't get full output from my amps but it still has enough volume to play quite loud by most peoples standards.
ET
SE is the thing of the past I guess, the same as for myself.
Yes but perhaps it is still around and he can try it. Something seems odd.
ET
I bet your new preamp sounds better, but SE didn't have the problem you're having with insufficient drive, correct?
I replaced mine with Lampizator active pre, BTW - on the advice of "Lampizator" himself, who recommended it over passive version. And, while I couldn't verify whether it really sounds better, the passive version had much higher OUTPUT impedance - which is more likely to create problems with matching amps, including the issue you're having.
In the DAC, you might be able to change out the resistors to allow for a higher output. However, the passive preamp that you're using needs to be able to accept a higher input. Can it? The usual output for components such as DACs is around 2V. Another option may be to adjust/mod the amps to increase the gain so that there is a "boost" to the input signal when entering the amp.
Increasing the output will reduce the available range.
Also, your DAC output is 2.6V vs 1.25 input sensitivity of your amp, which means that chances that you will not be able to get the full amp power output are small, not to mention that you probably rarely need the full output.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."
I guess I was not clear.
I am unable to achieve the volume I would like on some seedees. I am at the very max of the attenuator and the amp is not driven to full output and I would like it to be louder.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
Unless your DAC has "Balanced Outputs" (which may give you the gain you're looking for) you may have to use an "active" preamp or more efficient loudspeakers
Either buy an active preamp, or amp with higher output and/or higher sensitivity.
Modifying the DAC will change it's sound and honestly 2.6V is very healthy output
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: