Zen I/V Converter — Nelson Pass / 2010

Thirteen years ago Pass Labs launched the D1, a dedicated Digital to Analog converter for high end audio. It was based on balanced PCM63 DAC chips with a current source output, which requires a separate current-to-voltage converter (known as an I/V) to turn its output into the voltage to drive other line level audio equipment. We didn't care much for the op-amp based solutions seen in the manufacturer's application notes and decided to approach this part of the circuit much differently. The PCM63, like other current output DACs, favors driving a very low impedance, preferably ground. You can easily create… More...

Current Source Crossover Filters — Nelson Pass / 2004

In today’s marketplace, audio power amplifiers are conventionally viewed as voltage sources, delivering a given voltage at the output that is a multiple of an input voltage. To the extent that they are truly voltage sources, having a very low output impedance, they simply deliver whatever current happens to reflect the response of the loudspeaker to the defined output voltage. Recently I have been playing with current source power amplifiers that have high output impedances and deliver a specific current to the load in response to an input voltage. The voltage across the loudspeaker reflects its response to this defined… More...