Lifespan for a Vivaldi DAC with Apex board upgrade?

[Ermos (Erno)]

@glevethan

Are there any guidelines for leaving the clock, and for that matter the DAC, powered on?

Hi Gregg,

This was the guideline of dCS. I guess it still is:

Standby mode or switching off ? Which one is recommended and when?

Heat cycling is less of an issue in today’s electronics as it was in the past so there aren’t significant concerns for component longevity. Furthermore, the design of the Ring DAC makes it immune to the typical tolerance fluctuations that electrical components go through as they age. All things being equal there’s no benefit to powering the unit down vs. leaving it running constantly. Temperature is an issue when it comes to the performance and stability of certain components when they are bel…

Specifically for the clock:

Temperature is an issue when it comes to the performance and stability of certain components when they are below their ideal temperature. This is especially true of the clock oscillator and certain parts of the output stage. These parts perform their best when at a constant and stable temperature.