DaveK
05-08-2009, 20:22
Hi Guys,
I just thought that I would post a non-audiophile's appraisal of my 7520 as mod'd by Tirna Electronics. Stan has been open enoughto identify the differences between the 7520 and the current Caiman and I, being completely solder phobic, decided to enquire of Tirna Electronics if they would Caimanise my 7520, which they agreed to do: -
I am happy to do the conversion to a Wolfson chip for £15.00 + £3.00 for the chip + the signed-for, insured P/P.
This added up to £30 + £8 for Recorded Delivery to Tirna.
Can I just add, before anyone accuses me of stabbing Stan in the back, that I approached Stan first to do the mods and he politely declined. He is aware of what I have done and is watching with interest, I believe.
The mods were carried out and returned to me in around 1 week - great service.
My appraisal? Well, as regular readers of this column will recognise, I am no audiophile and I am not up with the audiophile's jargon so I'll try and describe my findings in my own language,
I am 69 years old with Industry Related hearing loss and have come only recently to listening to good music, ie good sounds. My entire setup, including PC, amp, CD player, leads, cables, i/cs and speakers, came to well less than £2K and is a mixture of new and S/H, mainly ex-eBay. My music tastes are very eclectic, ranging from 50s and 60s pop, easy listening, crooners, light classics and even includes some Gregorian chant.
Compared with the standard 7520, straight out of the box I noticed a much tighter and punchier bass line, but in no way overdone. I believe that it now presents a wider sound stage, but as I am in the middle of a major redecorating and refurnishing project (pictures later, on completion) I have not really sat down properly and had a thorough listen. I can certainly identify a much deeper depth of sound stage. To illustrate, previously when listening to a favourite female vocalist, she sounded as if she was positioned in mid orchestra with the instruments all around her. Now she can clearly be identified, front and centre, with individual instruments each in individual positions, spread out behind her. What were heard previously as a fairly homogenous orchestra sound can now be heard as individually separate instruments in individually separate positions in the orchestra.
I am hearing things (good things) that I have never noticed before in music with which I am very familiar. Another thing that I have noticed is that some lyrics, the words of which I was not sure that I could hear properly before, are now much clearer and easier to understand what the vocalist is 'saying'.
Favourite music of mine is Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene and Equinoxe. Some of these tracks involve a rapid succession of short notes. Before, the end of one note tended to overlap the beginning of the next, now each note is heard as a distinct and seperate note.
I hope both the audiophiles and non audiophiles amongst us can make sense of what I am trying to get across.
I should also perhaps take this opportunity to thank Dr. James (Jimmy) Dripps and his son Alan for the speedy and efficient way in which they reacted to my request, right from initial enquiry to post-mod follow up.
Obviously anyone without a 7520 already and contemplating getting a DAC would be stupid not to go for a Caiman straight away, judging by the appraisals of the Caiman already posted, but if you already have a 7520 and are contemplating going for a Caiman it is very well worth contemplating a Tirna upgrade.
Sorry that this is such a long post but I thought it important to give as thorough an appraisal as I am capable of. I suspect others may be along shortly (no pun intended) to give a much shorter and hopefully equally enthusiastic appraisal based on much more experienced hearing than I possess.
Thanks for reading it down this far.:)
Cheers,
I just thought that I would post a non-audiophile's appraisal of my 7520 as mod'd by Tirna Electronics. Stan has been open enoughto identify the differences between the 7520 and the current Caiman and I, being completely solder phobic, decided to enquire of Tirna Electronics if they would Caimanise my 7520, which they agreed to do: -
I am happy to do the conversion to a Wolfson chip for £15.00 + £3.00 for the chip + the signed-for, insured P/P.
This added up to £30 + £8 for Recorded Delivery to Tirna.
Can I just add, before anyone accuses me of stabbing Stan in the back, that I approached Stan first to do the mods and he politely declined. He is aware of what I have done and is watching with interest, I believe.
The mods were carried out and returned to me in around 1 week - great service.
My appraisal? Well, as regular readers of this column will recognise, I am no audiophile and I am not up with the audiophile's jargon so I'll try and describe my findings in my own language,
I am 69 years old with Industry Related hearing loss and have come only recently to listening to good music, ie good sounds. My entire setup, including PC, amp, CD player, leads, cables, i/cs and speakers, came to well less than £2K and is a mixture of new and S/H, mainly ex-eBay. My music tastes are very eclectic, ranging from 50s and 60s pop, easy listening, crooners, light classics and even includes some Gregorian chant.
Compared with the standard 7520, straight out of the box I noticed a much tighter and punchier bass line, but in no way overdone. I believe that it now presents a wider sound stage, but as I am in the middle of a major redecorating and refurnishing project (pictures later, on completion) I have not really sat down properly and had a thorough listen. I can certainly identify a much deeper depth of sound stage. To illustrate, previously when listening to a favourite female vocalist, she sounded as if she was positioned in mid orchestra with the instruments all around her. Now she can clearly be identified, front and centre, with individual instruments each in individual positions, spread out behind her. What were heard previously as a fairly homogenous orchestra sound can now be heard as individually separate instruments in individually separate positions in the orchestra.
I am hearing things (good things) that I have never noticed before in music with which I am very familiar. Another thing that I have noticed is that some lyrics, the words of which I was not sure that I could hear properly before, are now much clearer and easier to understand what the vocalist is 'saying'.
Favourite music of mine is Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene and Equinoxe. Some of these tracks involve a rapid succession of short notes. Before, the end of one note tended to overlap the beginning of the next, now each note is heard as a distinct and seperate note.
I hope both the audiophiles and non audiophiles amongst us can make sense of what I am trying to get across.
I should also perhaps take this opportunity to thank Dr. James (Jimmy) Dripps and his son Alan for the speedy and efficient way in which they reacted to my request, right from initial enquiry to post-mod follow up.
Obviously anyone without a 7520 already and contemplating getting a DAC would be stupid not to go for a Caiman straight away, judging by the appraisals of the Caiman already posted, but if you already have a 7520 and are contemplating going for a Caiman it is very well worth contemplating a Tirna upgrade.
Sorry that this is such a long post but I thought it important to give as thorough an appraisal as I am capable of. I suspect others may be along shortly (no pun intended) to give a much shorter and hopefully equally enthusiastic appraisal based on much more experienced hearing than I possess.
Thanks for reading it down this far.:)
Cheers,