The Mute Audio pupDAC Kit
*** Pick & Place, machine-soldered PCM chips now standard !! **
*** NEW Hammond high-quality, blemish-free enclosures !! ***
Note to International Customers:
If total order exceeds $200, Priority Mail International is the minimum shipping required. This is so the shipment may be insured.
This is it! The kit for the Mute Audio pupDAC! Everything needed to complete a pupDAC and enclosure -other than tools and solder - is included:
- Mute Audio pupDAC PCB - electrically tested
- Beezar-produced parts kit
- Beezar-Hammond custom-machined, anodized, and hand-tapped 1455C801 aluminum case
Full DIY building instructions are available on the pupDAC website:
www.diyforums.org/PupDAC
*** New!! Pick & Place, machine-soldered PCM chips now standard! ***
These are the most expensive, most difficult chips to solder on the PCB. Pre-soldering these chips turn the PupDAC kit into a potential beginners kit (caution still advised).
Kit Features:
- High-quality, 1 oz copper, 0.062" FRP, electrically-tested PCB.
- Both RCA and 3.5mm jacks included.
- OPA2836 included as standard pupDAC opamp.
- No wiring required!
- Beezar-Hammond custom machined, anodized, and laser-etched case. Hand-tapped for 6-32 cap screws; matching blue-anodized aluminum socket-head cap screws included (4 at 6-32 x 1/2"). No drilling of any sort required!
Technical features:
- Texas Instruments' Highest Quality DAC chip - the PCM1794, machine-soldered! This chip has a native mono S/N ratio of 130dB!
- Texas Instruments' PCM2706/7 for USB communication, machine-soldered!
- Low Voltage Rail-to-Rail Opamp - the LMH6643, OPA2835 (kit basis), and OPA2836 have all been vetted with the pupDAC!
- No Output Coupling Capacitors - the pupDAC differs from most available DIY-DACs through the use a charge pump invertor. Use of a Texas Instruments TPS60403 provides +and- 2.5V regulated volts to the oamp supply. Only a trivial single resistor is in the output path from the opamp to prevent hiss.
- Every Voltage Source Is Regulated - no less than 5 Low Drop-Out (LDO) linear regulators are provided on the board for the quietest response and low distortion while using USB power, but use of the DoodleBug USB isolator/power supply is strongly recommended.
When built, this DAC (a Digital Audio Convertor) will perform the same function as an off-board stereo sound card from a Windows, OSX, or Linux platform, but with higher-fidelity and a lower noise-floor than onboard or expansion card sound cards. Installation is entirely plug-and-play on all major devices using a mini-USB connection. No extra power supply, software, or programming is required.
Developed since late 2008 and vetted with two prototype groups, the PupDAC has been sold and successfully supported since 2012. We believe the Mute Audio pupDAC provides unequaled performance in a USB-only-powered DIY DAC.
That said, we strongly recommend pairing the PupDAC with the
DoodleBug USB isolator/power supply. The PupDAC excels in its use of numerous onboard regulators. However, no regulator can perform up to its specs with a really bad power supply. Therefore, no USB-powered DAC can ensure quality sound with the complete range of PC and laptop power supplies that are in use. Some are good, but many are bad. The highest quality sound from the PupDAC can be assured with use of the
DoodleBug.
Finally, even though the bulk of the work for this kit is SMD, we believe that Beezar Audio has created one of the most detailed and well-documented websites available for building instructions:
www.diyforums.org/PupDAC
Get your PupDAC today!
*
If more than one pupDAC kit is ordered, or if total exceeds $200 with other products, Priority Mail International is required on international orders. This is the minimum service that allows insurance.