Touch modifications

[Covenant]

After replacing the power supply to my Squeezebox Touch and trying the SBooster I am wondering if the modification route is the right way to go. I am aware of two companies in the uk that offer an upgrade service-Audiocom and Fidelity Audio.
I would like to hear from anyone who has gone down the upgrade route and if they think the cost (about the same as the Touch itself) is worth it.
Also if anyone has tried upgrades themselves.:)

[MCRU]

there is another thread dude where you can modify the internals yourself for improvements, gazjam is your man on that one

from what I have read it works well

after that I would suggest a better dac which is what I am doing

[Ali Tait]

Aye but that's software mods. Jerry's talking about hardware mods.

[Covenant]

Aye but that's software mods. Jerry's talking about hardware mods.

Exactamundo.

Ali, haven't you or Leo played about with clocks for the Touch?

[Ali Tait]

I haven't done anything on the hardware side yet Jerry, Leo may have. I'm concentrating on a valve output dac that Nick has built for me at the moment. It sounds fantastic but has a couple of niggles that need sorting. I'll put a post up about it when I get it sorted properly. It's really raised the game in the SQ stakes from the Touch though.

[Darren]

Better DAC every time. The Audionote DACs are excellent. Have you considered calling Audio Synthesis and seeing if they have any used DACs in stock? that's how I got mine and it sounded mighty fine.

[Covenant]

Hmmm, my Gatorised standac with all the mods and a ripple eater linear supply is pretty good. It serves as a pre-amp which a lot of dacs are not capable of.
I am inclined to wait and see what Stan comes up with next, I guess he has a formidable challenge with the recent crop of well reviewed dac's that have hit the market.

[Ali Tait]

This dac that Nick has designed and built is easily better than my Standac and my AN dac. It's not a little better, it's a lot better!

Easily the best I've heard in my system.

[Covenant]

You have got me tempted now Ali......:doh:

[Ali Tait]

Well worth a punt IMHO Jerry, though not the cheapest as it uses Sowter output transformers, and there's a choke in there too, and iron always adds to the cost. It's bloody good though!

[Jonboy]

Better DAC every time. The Audionote DACs are excellent.



I have this for sale at the moment

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12957

its also on here (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320753216372?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649)

[lurcher]

Worth pointing out the DAC Ali has got is based on this board + a balanced valve output stage

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Hi-end-DAC-24-BIT-192K-HZ-AK4396-sc-/200613201099?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eb57a84cb

[Covenant]

Looks good Nick, how does it compare to the Sabre dac?

[Ali Tait]

Difficult from memory, and also the fact that I've not heard both dacs in the same system, but I've heard the Sabre with Nick's output stage (same as he's used in the dac he's built for me) and I'd say this dac is at least as good if not better. Don't be put off by the cheap price of the dac board, the AK4396 chip has been used in some very serious equipment, including the Logitech Transporter, and the latest gen 4397 is used by Esoteric in their D-05 dac. See here for more info-

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/modwright3/transporter_2.html

This chip is seriously good, but it's Nick's output stage that makes it really special IMHO.

[lurcher]

This chip is seriously good, but it's Nick's output stage that makes it really special IMHO.

Well, the output stage is only letting the good dac shine through :-). But I do like that output stage.

From memory, I think its a very slightly different sound to the sabre, I could not say which I prefer. I think the Ak has some of the sound of silver wound transformer, whereas the sable is copper wound, sabre slightly richer, but the ak slightly more delicate. But its very very close.

The DAC board on its own is a great thing though, replace the op amp with something better and it might shock.

The ones ready assembled for £60 look good for those who want to play less, but I have slight reservations about the 220v primary on the TX's they seem to come with.

[Ali Tait]

Nick, that's a good way of putting it I think, it does indeed have something of the sound of how Dave's 2a3 amp sounded with the AE silver amorphous core output trannies, and trannies don't get much better than those!

[Covenant]

Does Nick's output stage replace the op-amp like the Gator in a Standac?

[Ali Tait]

Yes. AFAIK it takes the ouput from the chip directly to the grid of the valve. Also, as it uses output transformers, Nick has provided balanced output as well as rca. I have also asked about switched inputs a la Standac, which he says shouldn't be a problem.

Actually, thinking about it, if you had switched inputs and added a volume pot, you'd have a dac/pre in one case, again like Stan's dac. Could be a good option for those looking to reduce box count or save space.

[lurcher]

Does Nick's output stage replace the op-amp like the Gator in a Standac?

Yes, I take the balanced output from the DAC directly into the grids of a long tailed pair with a center tapped step down TX in the anodes. Simplest circuit you could imagine, no caps, just a shared resistor and a transformer. you would see the same shape on the output of any pro audio kit from the 1950's

[Ali Tait]

BTW, anyone local to me who wants a listen, just let me know.

[Covenant]

So you end up with a better dac and you can play around with exotic valves afterwards-brilliant!

[lurcher]

Only problem is the cost of the transformers. Thats why most valve stages after DAC's tend to be anode followers, cathode followers or SRPP.

[Ali Tait]

Aye, but the sound more than justifies the cost IMHO.