![]() ![]() As much I would've wanted the ANK Dac 2.1 Signature I had invested in and put together by myself, to be superior, I felt AN UK Dac 0.1x sounded better. The higher up you go in AN UK dac range, the better and bigger the I/V transformers.Īnd also the output board has slightly different schematic than AN UK dac 2.1x, but still uses the same tubes, so not far off.Īnd the chassis cover of ANK dacs is way lighter than with AN UK factory made models which have heavy and thicker metal cover.Īfter I built my ANK Dac 2.1 Signature, some eight years ago, I got AN UK Dac 0.1x for home demo. ANK these days sources them somewhere else. AN UK uses in-house made I/V transformers. Other difference is the I/V transformers (metallic cans) between dac board and output board. But outside of those it's 1:1 same schematic as in AN UK finished products. Likely again no sound difference there, just easier to build and takes less space in the chassis. You can also see this by googling pictures of each.)ĪNK just uses inferior mains transformer and choke (not AN UK house made) and places the choke behind mains transformer instead of between mains transformer and PSU board (no sound difference, just for easier position for builder of the kit) and have moved to Mundorf caps (instead of AN UK Cu or Tin) in the PSU after the split with AN UK.Īlso minor detail is that the ANK made small change in how the two regulators are placed: ANK these days connects them to cooling fins, connected directly to the board, while AN UK still has them placed off-board, secured into the chassis. (I've built ANK dac 2.1 and totally rebuilt ANK 元 Phono that uses that PSU, and have owned AN UK Dac 2.1x/II Signature, AN UK Dac 3.1x/II and had M2 RIAA on home loan. The PSU part in other hand is AN UK designed and exactly the same as in current AN UK Dac 2.1x/II, AN Dac 3.1x/II, AN Dac 4.1x and AN M2 RIAA. If they would've not meant to, the easiest and most cost effective way would've been just to supply ANK with original AN UK dac boards like they did with M2 PSU (see below) It might have been designed by AN UK, during the time AN UK and ANK were more closely tied, but it was obviously deliberately dumbed down design for ANK use. easiest to spot is that row of LEDs in the ANK dac's dac portion that is not used in AN UK dac 2.1x/3.1x boards. It has the same input transformer, Dac chip and receiver chip yes, but completely different layout. Not sure how this one compares to the Philips.Ĭlick to expand.I have to correct you there: basically the dac portion of ANK dac 2.1 is the one part that is definitely not same as in AN UK built Dac 2.1x. The 2.1 has provisions for an optional USB input, but it appears selecting between the inputs is done on the rear of the unit.Īlso of interest to me, it seems that the more expensive Audio Note DACs sold thru AN dealers also use the Analogue Devices AD1865 R-2R chip as well. This DAC from Audio Note also has a USB input and the ability to switch between the two inputs from the front of the unit. The Audio Note 0.1x DAC uses the Philips TDA1543 R-2R chip and the 6111WA miniature dual triode tube for the output stage. The DAC 2.1 from Audio Kits uses the Analogue Devices AD1865 R-2R chip with four tubes: The biggest difference are the chips used and tube(s). You will easily find bad experiences with ANK.If forced to choose one of these two DAC options, which one would you go with and why? Both are similar in price, though one may be able to haggle a bit with the 0.1x as it is sold by AN dealers opposed to direct from ANK for the 2.1. I doubt you will be able to find a negative experience with Bottlehead on the net. The Bottlehead guys couldn't be more allergic to that.īuild-wise, ANK was marginally easier though a bit less satisfying since a lot of the construction involved PCBs. There's also a lot of hand-wavey glim-glam marketing associated with ANK even though, by and large, their entry-level offerings aren't anything soecial. I think it speaks volumes that Brian long ago deactivated the online forums for ANK offerings. There's a large online community as well. Eventually, as I found more and more parts which were not to spec and was experiencing oscillation, demanded that all parts be sent exactly as spec. Strangely, there are two different schematics for portions of the 2.1 which made it difficult to know whether or not I had received the correct parts. Brian is responsive on the front end and marginally so through the building process. You will easily find bad experiences with ANK.Īs for me, I built a DAC 2.1. Click to expand.I've got Bottlehead and ANK kits. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |