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heady

DIY Paradise Monica2 DAC

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Hi,

Just sharing my view on the Monica2 DAC from DiyParadise in Malaysia. I ordered a board from Yeo who operates DiyParadise many many months ago but had no time to built it. When Yeo offered a SS I/V board to complement the DAC, I also bought this board and built both together.

 

Listening to it and comparing with my Marantz 6000OSE, I find the tonal qualities very similar to the CD player output. But the dynamics is in a different ballpark. The noise floor is so low, you can hear very soft sounds in the background or the little nuances in vocals. Listening to good singers just blow you away with their command of their voices, how their tiny improvisations adds to the mood of the song.

 

I am not a good reviewer but I hope I have given you a favourable impression of the Monica2 DAC. Thanks to ckng for helping to buy the parts for the SS I/V for me. I hope you are enjoying your Monica's singing as well as I am.

 

Sorry about my built - it is not eye candy. It is housed in a S$4.50 plastic case. The boards from left to right are Tread regulator board (12V for Monica2), Monica2 DAC and the SS I/V. Power supply is a 15V switched mode power supply. The red things are four Wima 2.2uF MKP polypropylene output capacitors, two in parallel for each channel. I bypassed them with Vishay Roederstein MKP1837 0.01uF polypropylene capacitors under the board.

Monica2.jpg

Edited by heady

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Hi,

 

Wow, messy wiring!

 

Indeed, I am enjoying my Monica 2 as well. Haven't got the time to case it yet, so it's now "naked". :P

 

Compared to the output of my Rotel RCD-02 (modded with the effective audio mod clock and Black Gate caps), the Monica 2 output is lower even with the SS I/V stage so I have to turn up the volume. But what it lacks in quantity, it gains in quality.

 

Playback through the Monica 2 is much more enjoyable. Music just flows. It is also not as "digital" sounding. After listening to this, I hardly want to listen to the CDP output now. Never mind losing the HDCD capability. :)

 

I see you are using different LEDs? Not the red ones I helped you get?

 

Regards

CK

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looks nice... :DD how come you didn't just go with the non-polar blackgates?

 

i got myself one set also but still in the works...prob won't be completed till december.

 

Am really jealous of your small psu, I bought a sigma11 from www.amb.org. With a toroid it's huge will prob house them in 2 boxes sigh...

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Hi,

 

Wow, messy wiring!

 

Indeed, I am enjoying my Monica 2 as well. Haven't got the time to case it yet, so it's now "naked". :P

 

Compared to the output of my Rotel RCD-02 (modded with the effective audio mod clock and Black Gate caps), the Monica 2 output is lower even with the SS I/V stage so I have to turn up the volume. But what it lacks in quantity, it gains in quality.

 

Playback through the Monica 2 is much more enjoyable. Music just flows. It is also not as "digital" sounding. After listening to this, I hardly want to listen to the CDP output now. Never mind losing the HDCD capability. :)

 

I see you are using different LEDs? Not the red ones I helped you get?

 

Regards

CK

 

Hi CK, I agree, the wiring is messy. Too many flying leads. I don't want to tie them down yet, as I haven't put in the final LED indicators. Anyway, the sound more important than looks. :))

 

I didn't use the LEDs you gave me, sorry, I like the way this LEDs looked better. Clear but red when lit. :)

 

I found the music from Monica is very listenable even at low volume. I can hear each note without straining. I always laugh at hifi salesmen when they demo, they turn on music so loud. Of course you can hear everything but can you listen at that level at home? Unless stay in bungalow.

 

Thanks again for your help. Saved me a lot of puzzling over the transistors.

 

 

looks nice... :DD how come you didn't just go with the non-polar blackgates?

 

i got myself one set also but still in the works...prob won't be completed till december.

 

Am really jealous of your small psu, I bought a sigma11 from www.amb.org. With a toroid it's huge will prob house them in 2 boxes sigh...

 

loop_, I am stingy person lah. I did not buy the kit, got only the bare board. Must get the parts myself. So got no BG non-polar to use. :no: So improvise lah. Sad, lah. This hobby very expensive leh. :rolleyes:

 

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Hi CK, I agree, the wiring is messy. Too many flying leads. I don't want to tie them down yet, as I haven't put in the final LED indicators. Anyway, the sound more important than looks. :))

 

I didn't use the LEDs you gave me, sorry, I like the way this LEDs looked better. Clear but red when lit. :)

Don't have to be sorry. I was just curious. :P You can probably use them for other purposes. As long as the thing works, it'll be ok. Can't see the 12 LEDs inside the case anyway. heh

 

 

I found the music from Monica is very listenable even at low volume. I can hear each note without straining. I always laugh at hifi salesmen when they demo, they turn on music so loud. Of course you can hear everything but can you listen at that level at home? Unless stay in bungalow.

 

Thanks again for your help. Saved me a lot of puzzling over the transistors.

Actually, for most hifi setups, getting it to sound good at low levels is much harder. ;)

 

 

Regards

CK

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Any way of getting a Monica 2 ready built?

 

BTW heady, noticed you mounted the boards onto a breadboard. I have always found breadboard work intimidating, must be very skilled to have built that :D

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Any way of getting a Monica 2 ready built?

 

BTW heady, noticed you mounted the boards onto a breadboard. I have always found breadboard work intimidating, must be very skilled to have built that :D

 

You can get a prebuilt Monica from DIYParadise as well.

 

Regards

CK

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Any way of getting a Monica 2 ready built?

 

BTW heady, noticed you mounted the boards onto a breadboard. I have always found breadboard work intimidating, must be very skilled to have built that :D

 

The reason for the breadboard was to make things a little neater. There were 3 separate boards and if I mounted them on the box directly, there will be 12 holes. This way, there are only 4 holes at the bottom. That's the only reason. And no, I am not so skilled, you only saw the photos, if you see the casing in closeup, you will see the imperfections. Casework is not easy for me. :o

 

 

 

You can get a prebuilt Monica from DIYParadise as well.

 

Regards

CK

 

No stock!! I was thinking of getting the USB Monica.

 

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so its powered by usb cable?

 

What I have now is the normal version, ie uses the coaxial digital out from CD player. DIYparadise has a new version which takes the digital signal from USB ie. from computer. And no, it is not powered from the computer USB, you need to provide an adequate power supply.

 

 

 

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The reason for the breadboard was to make things a little neater. There were 3 separate boards and if I mounted them on the box directly, there will be 12 holes. This way, there are only 4 holes at the bottom. That's the only reason. And no, I am not so skilled, you only saw the photos, if you see the casing in closeup, you will see the imperfections. Casework is not easy for me. :o

No stock!! I was thinking of getting the USB Monica.

 

Casework is not my forte either :P And not having the right equipment makes things worse. :P Monica 2 is very "hot", it gets out of stock pretty quickly. Must grab the moment you see that there's stock.

 

Regards

CK

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Haha...din know that ck and heady both of you have also bought the Monica. I also bought one, thanks to ck's recommendation... :))

Just fixed it up 2 weeks ago..got some ground loops issue then...really headache..

 

hmmm...are we using the same casing Heady? :)) looks similar huh...I din buy the SS stage cos I am using it to power my headphones. you all linking it up to your speakers? How does it compare to the amp6??

 

Anyway, after a few listens, I can say that the dynamics are better. More harmonics, so the music feels 'warmer', more 'analogue'? makes my headphone sounds a little more upfront though.

 

post-1940-1188746982_thumb.jpg

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Haha...din know that ck and heady both of you have also bought the Monica. I also bought one, thanks to ck's recommendation... :))

Just fixed it up 2 weeks ago..got some ground loops issue then...really headache..

 

hmmm...are we using the same casing Heady? :)) looks similar huh...I din buy the SS stage cos I am using it to power my headphones. you all linking it up to your speakers? How does it compare to the amp6??

 

Anyway, after a few listens, I can say that the dynamics are better. More harmonics, so the music feels 'warmer', more 'analogue'? makes my headphone sounds a little more upfront though.

 

 

Hi kross,

I used a cheap $4.50 plastic case, certainly not like your spiffy one, even got rack mounting. :)) . Using it as source for my amp5. Sounds so good that I think I need to update my bedroom system.... problem the CD player got no digital out. :no:

 

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haha...bought the exp case cos like the solid look... :))

anyway, how do u use the monica if you dun have a digital input to it?? cd6000ose should have digital out i tot??

 

 

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haha...bought the exp case cos like the solid look... :))

anyway, how do u use the monica if you dun have a digital input to it?? cd6000ose should have digital out i tot??

 

Sorry for the confusion. My living room setup has the Marantz 6000OSE but my bedroom has a Teac player without digital out. Now having tasted Monica, I want "her" in the bedroom setup as well. So, looks like more money out of my pocket again.

 

Am looking for a second hand CD player now.... :))

 

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