Khadas Tone DAC

[MikeyFresh]

Can you have two devices connected at once to the Tone DAC? If you have one connected via USB and another via coax can it switch between them?

If I recall correctly they are not meant to be connected simultaneously in that there is no input switching available. The unit will always default to the USB input when both are connected, unless USB is fed power only and no data, at which point SPDIF is live.

There is an I2C header on the board so in theory it could be controlled and switched, but I'm not sure how one would go about doing that.

I am referring to the original Tone board, or what is now called Tone1, I have no idea how the newer Tone2 Pro may differ.

EDIT: This post seems to indicate that SPDIF is live so long as USB is not actually playing. I can test that for you with my board.

 

[NSBulk]

Thanks! I was wondering about Tone 1.

 

[MikeyFresh]

Thanks! I was wondering about Tone 1.

I just tested it and the above linked to post on the Khadas board is entirely accurate.

When simultaneously connected to a Raspberry Pi 4B via USB, and Sony BDP-S590 disc player via coaxial SPDIF, the Tone1 will play USB as the priority if both inputs are active/live/playing at the same time, but if I press stop on the RPi stream the Tone1 will automatically and seamlessly switch to the SPDIF input which was playing a Redbook CD spinning in the S590.

If I then pressed Play again on the RPi stream, the USB input resumed playback, and none of that caused any glitches or audible pops/clicks etc... very smooth. So USB has priority, but only when actually playing to that input, otherwise the Tone1 automatically switches to SPDIF when that input is live/playing.

I learned something there, and that actually broadens the use case of the Tone1 if one were handy enough to design an appropriate enclosure, you could then have a DAC with both USB and SPDIF inputs, as well as hardware volume control, OLED display, and IR remote control if incorporating the IanCanada ESS Controller:





Keep the reading glasses handy though, it's pretty damn small (dimensions in millimeters):

 

[NSBulk]

I just tested it and the above linked to post on the Khadas board is entirely accurate.

When simultaneously connected to a Raspberry Pi 4B via USB, and Sony BDP-S590 disc player via coaxial SPDIF, the Tone1 will play USB as the priority if both inputs are active/live/playing at the same time, but if I press stop on the RPi stream the Tone1 will automatically and seamlessly switch to the SPDIF input which was a playing a Redbook CD spinning in the S590.

If I then pressed Play again on the RPi stream, the USB input resumed playback, and none of that caused any glitches or audible pops/clicks etc... very smooth. So USB has priority, but only when actually playing to that input, otherwise the Tone1 automatically switches to SPDIF when that input is live/playing.

That's pretty terrific. That's a viable option for a small system I'm considering putting together.

 

[Poultrygeist]

Can you have two devices connected at once to the Tone DAC? If you have one connected via USB and another via coax can it switch between them?

Mine is powered by the USB and the coax is it's output. No controls on the TB.

 

[RoadDawgWest]

Hi.
I was curious if anyone experienced a high level analog output from the Khadas Tone 1 DAC making it difficult to use with preamplifiers or in my case a headphone amplifier.

Therefore I'm looking for recommendation to lower the DAC line level output so I can get more range from the volume control on my headphone amplifier. Right now I turn up the volume to 1 and its loud.

To address this issue would it be electrical or are there any software setting options?

 

[MikeyFresh]

Hi.
I was curious if anyone experienced a high level analog output from the Khadas Tone 1 DAC making it difficult to use with preamplifiers or in my case a headphone amplifier.

Therefore I'm looking for recommendation to lower the DAC line level output so I can get more range from the volume control on my headphone amplifier. Right now I turn up the volume to 1 and its loud.

To address this issue would it be electrical or are there any software setting options?

What is the source/transport connected to that DAC?

If it has a software volume control you could attenuate using that at the source.

Another option would be a fixed in-line attenuator, such as those made by Rothwell.

 

[RoadDawgWest]

What is the source/transport connected to that DAC?

If it has a software volume control you could attenuate using that at the source.

Another option would be a fixed in-line attenuator, such as those made by Rothwell.

@MikeyFresh Apologies for the slow reply.
Got pulled away from the hobbies for a few weeks.

The source is roon via RoPiee into the Khadas. I was using a fixed output level. Today switched roon to use a DSP volume control and that resolved the issue.

Thank you bringing these options to my attention.