Nuovo TeraDak DAC.........Chameleon Dac

http://cid-1eb7027489224a7d.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Chameleon

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/teradaks-chameleon-dac-458655/

Back in the Summer of 2009, several TeraDak DAC owners unofficially started toying around the idea of what TeraDak's next DAC should look like. Couple people (me included) approached Michael, from TeraDak, and asked him if he had to build another DAC what would that be? We pointed out to him that there is already a wealth of data he could collect from by simply scanning the hundreds of forum exchanges from existing Valab/TeraDak owners on this site. After several email exchanges with Michael, the Chameleon DAC is born.

The basic architecture of TeraDak's Chameleon DAC is an accumulation of all the good things people have tried and done to the previous versions of TeraDak's DAC. It is designed to be a starting point for us DIY folks that want to take an existing good design to the next level of fidelity.

For example, it is powered by an external power supply (DC-30W power unit), isolation transformer for the input stage, 16 TDA 1543 DAC chips, WM8805 S/PDIF chip, TE7022L USB streaming controller, huge room set aside for the output caps all enclosed in a DC-30W like shell. Also, from the pictures Michael just posted it also appears that considerable attention was given to the ground traces and signal paths...

Michael is hoping to official release the Chameleon within the next week or two He is still giving the unit its final "shake down", so he tells me.

From the pictures on Michael's site, I think the Chameleon is certainly DIY friendly. Michael tells me that he will be adding more pictures as he feels more comfortable with the circuit's performance... so I guess that means check back often!

I can't wait to get my hands around this new DAC. I'll continue my dialogue with Michael and share what I find out.