Troubleshooting The Gabster TD1
Please make sure you have watched the videos on the right side here and all other related Videos to your problem.
Please make sure you read the Important info on the Manual page
Please also View the steps prior to powering the dac.
I will be adding more to this list.
Advanced Troubleshooting
Not sure you fried your OPA861 something is not correct or you just want to make sure your board is good This very Important Video will help you understand, Check and fix your problems.
when connecting the Dac to power a fuse is blowing
This typically suggests a short in the soldering on the board or the use of power supplies with a common ground. Check all connections to ensure that nearby pads don’t have any solder spills, and make sure you’re using an independent power supply with the negative terminal not grounded.
Chipmunk sounds coming out in Sim mode
PCM Board Not in JOB Mode for the TDA Please read the Manual of the PCM board and set it in JOB mode.
The PCM Board arrive with the jumper in 20bit configuration and we need to put it in the JOB configuration for the TDA1541A.
Thank you Jonathan for this reminder
Faint crackling or no sound
There are several possibilities here. It’s possible that one or more of your UFL connectors are not properly soldered. Test your UFL connectors see Testing your Ufl connectors.
If everything checks out, ensure you’re running the correct configuration by watching the Configuration Video.
If you’re using a PCM board, inspect and test all UFL connectors and verify that all three green LED lights on the PCM board are functioning. Refer to the PCM Board manual for further details. Also, ensure the Zener Diode is oriented correctly—see the photo on the right.
You can also try running the DAC in regular mode without the PCM board. Refer to the Configuration section for more information.
DC Offset shows more then 1V and does not respond to Adjusting
1)This usually means either your dac is not receiving any signal or you have not started to play a song. See Video segment on the right, for the Propper DC offset sequence. If using a MonitorPi Pro (Highly Recomended) make sure to set FIFO section Clock to continuous that usually initiate the Dac and no Initial offset hapens at start, as long as the Dac is not powered till after the FifoPi has finished powering.
2) Ufl connectors are not soldered properly test PCM board and TD1 ufl connecors with a Ohm meter.
when powering the Dac I hear a loud Humm
This usually means either your dac is not receiving enough Voltage check your +5v -5v and 15v they maybe below 4v and 12v turn it off and make sure to charge the Capacitors to proper voltage. See this Video section
other possibility is a bad wiring, soldering ....
C27 Positive pad connection error Ver 3 only
This is not a troubleshhoting issue but a reminder to Fix C27 Positive pad and connect it to ground see Video on fixing C27 + pad While Your TD1 Dac will sound great without the correction it is good to fix that issue takes a couple minutes. This issue has been fixed with Ver 3.3 and later.
15V Shorting When Connecting Dac Output to Amplifier
This usually means You created a short as you are using a 15V power supply that has the negative tied to Ground, and Your Amplifier Input happens to have it's negative also tied to Ground. Possible with a 3 pronged outlet PSU. The IFI Elite version has that issue. See video fore more Info.
Can not hear a difference in Imaging with the Gabster TD1
Proper speaker setup is often the biggest challenge, followed closely by the quality of your source, preamp and amp. Positioning your speakers correctly is the most impactful upgrade you can make to your system—and it’s free.
Start by placing your speakers apart, forming a triangle with you at the listening point. Use tracks with excellent imaging to fine-tune your speaker placement, and don’t forget to pay attention to the bass. Check out my track suggestions for guidance. Achieving the ideal setup might take a full day, but it's worth the effort. To truly appreciate the vastly improved imaging, make sure your system is capable of delivering high-quality sound, especially when using the TD1.Also see below as it could be a low quality TDA1541a chip
The Sound is good but not that great.
The sound quality of TDA1541A chips varies significantly, particularly in the midrange. If I were to categorize them, it would look something like this:
- 30% of the chips are decent, but not outstanding. I'd mainly use these for testing, as their sound is less holographic, and the midrange often feels somewhat muffled.
- 60% are good, with a more holographic sound and a solid midrange performance.
- 10% are exceptional. These offer highly holographic sound with excellent midrange clarity.
Unfortunately, there’s no objective way to measure sound quality—you have to rely on your ears. Some of my favorites have been random "A" chips and R1 chips. The majority of genuine S1 chips, however, have rarely disappointed. Check out my blind test of 16 TDA1541A chips in my video for more details.