Best battery or PSU for Caiman mk2 (that is available to buy)

[RoboCopper]

Any ideas, suggestions?


Robert

[mr sneff]

This (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GSLRKJO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00) works well.

[RoboCopper]

Thanks, anything cheaper?
Or does it brings that much extra?

[CageyH]

A cheaper alternative http://www.amazon.co.uk/HQ-Universal-Sealed-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B0013A7XOC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450373069&sr=8-2&keywords=12v+battery but I am not sure that it will be as good.

[RoboCopper]

Would this do the job?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aukey-10000mAh-Portable-External-Supported/dp/B00UL6MUMY/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1450432962&sr=8-33-spons&keywords=12v+battery&psc=1

Regards

[CageyH]

It's 12v so yes.
No idea what the quality is like though but looks to be a bargain.

[mb32]

Which connector would you use?

[Arkless Electronics]

The best linear supplies will beat batteries ;)

[StanleyB]

The best linear supplies will beat batteries ;)
Not in the case of the Caiman and Bushmaster. They got an energy reserve system that can store about 4 seconds worth of power to drive the DAC if power is removed unexpectedly. That power reserve works very well with batteries in producing clean DC with zero noise or hum. But the new Mark Grant power supply comes extremely close to my Ankaka battery pack. I have been using one for a few weeks now and I really can't fault it.

[pitadavespa]

The best linear supplies will beat batteries ;)

And how much does one of those cost?

[Arkless Electronics]

I stand by what I say that the best linear supply will beat the best battery supply. over and out :)

[Audio Advent]

Beat or equal? Wouldn't it depend entirely on the internal working of the unit being supplied with power and not a universal statement that can be made?

The difference will be convenience perhaps of charging a battery.

[Audio Advent]

Not in the case of the Caiman and Bushmaster. They got an energy reserve system that can store about 4 seconds worth of power to drive the DAC if power is removed unexpectedly. That power reserve works very well with batteries in producing clean DC with zero noise or hum. But the new Mark Grant power supply comes extremely close to my Ankaka battery pack. I have been using one for a few weeks now and I really can't fault it.

Considering the low power use of the Caiman and Bushmaster, does the battery supply used actually make much difference? Perhaps there could be more chemical noise with some than others?

Have people noticed any real sonic differences between say a gel battery compared to something like the Ankaka? Real sonic differences which don't come from psychological effect of a better quality and properly designed product on show (as opposed to a bare battery with wires).

[StanleyB]

The battery method of powering makes an audible difference. But my own design is already very energy efficient and low in noise. There can't be many other DACs out there like the Caiman II that are so quiet as mine that they don't need to use any muting relays or muting transistors. So if different types of batteries were used to power the Caiman II you would have to measure the noise with a scope. The signal to noise ratio of the Caiman II itself is so low that it can't be heard through speakers.

[wee tee cee]

I have run most of my kit on battery for a couple of years. A big car battery if kept above 12v sounds excellent to my ears. Ive tried smaller motorcycle batteries and li -po battery packs but the big car battery gets the nod. Lasts for donkeys on a single charge.

Battery t amp thread on here can help with wiring advice.

Well worth a try if you whip the battery out yer car to trial it before you buy.

[Desmo]

Well worth a try if you whip the battery out yer car to trial it before you buy.

Be very careful in "whipping out" the battery from a modern car! There are many electronic systems that rely on the presence of the battery, and you might find that you'll be paying your local garage to do some reprogramming for you.

As to the whole battery thing for powering a Caiman II - I've tried it, but went on to a good linear PSU pretty quickly. Just too much of a faff with batteries in my experience.

[struth]

Yes. My battery was replaced a few weeks ago and the guy switched the engine on so the generator kept to supply on

[Arkless Electronics]

Beat or equal? Wouldn't it depend entirely on the internal working of the unit being supplied with power and not a universal statement that can be made?

The difference will be convenience perhaps of charging a battery.

A really good linear PSU can have lower noise and much lower output impedance than any battery. That's a universal statement. What really matters is the voltage regulation inside whatever is being powered though and this is usually ignored as it's beyond the non technical dabbler. The external supply is not that important in many cases. I'll leave it at that as it gets complicated and anyway, as I have now long ago found on fora, people would rather believe what a hifi journalist or a few non technical people on forums say than what an electronic engineer involved in the design of hifi gear says :ner:

[Audio Advent]

A really good linear PSU can have lower noise and much lower output impedance than any battery. That's a universal statement. What really matters is the voltage regulation inside whatever is being powered though and this is usually ignored as it's beyond the non technical dabbler. The external supply is not that important in many cases. I'll leave it at that as it gets complicated and anyway, as I have now long ago found on fora, people would rather believe what a hifi journalist or a few non technical people on forums say than what an electronic engineer involved in the design of hifi gear says :ner:

Hmm... I'll have to take that with a pinch of salt! Ken Kessler says that hifi journalists are always right because they listen correctly and electronic engineers are blinkered in technical jargon. I'll go with that because I've had it confirmed by people on the forums.

(for clarification for any libel lawyers, Ken Kessler didn't really say that... just a little joke).

[Arkless Electronics]

Hmm... I'll have to take that with a pinch of salt! Ken Kessler says that hifi journalists are always right because they listen correctly and electronic engineers are blinkered in technical jargon. I'll go with that because I've had it confirmed by people on the forums.

(for clarification for any libel lawyers, Ken Kessler didn't really say that... just a little joke).

Precisely the attitude which means I can't be bothered to get involved beyond telling it how it is and then leaving the thread... byeeee

[struth]

Think you have to consider the cost too A really good linear is going to be expensive, whereas a battery and charger is cheap in relative terms, and even if its not quite as good, are 95% of us going to really notice it that much. I might add I dont use battery stuff but I would do if it suited rather than cough up for a hugely expensive alternative that is 5% better; but I'm a cheapskate:eyebrows:

[Cotlake]

I've compared both battery and linear PSU on my Caiman II and Capella (when I had it) and I now will only use the linear PSU. The battery sounds fine when fully charged but seems to lose dynamics when the charge drops slightly despite apparently giving out the same voltage as when charged. The sound softens with battery whilst it is constantly acute with the PSU. Get a good quality linear PSU (I use a 'Lurcher' or 'Longdog Audio' aka Nick Gorham one) and consider it as just another upgrade.

I know use my Anker battery for for what it was designed for......recharging my iPhone and iPad when on holiday :)

[Audio Advent]

I've compared both battery and linear PSU on my Caiman II and Capella (when I had it) and I now will only use the linear PSU. The battery sounds fine when fully charged but seems to lose dynamics when the charge drops slightly despite apparently giving out the same voltage as when charged. The sound softens with battery whilst it is constantly acute with the PSU. Get a good quality linear PSU (I use a 'Lurcher' or 'Longdog Audio' aka Nick Gorham one) and consider it as just another upgrade.

I know use my Anker battery for for what it was designed for......recharging my iPhone and iPad when on holiday :)

Obviously not a big enough battery! I'm sure a 47Ah car battery won't be loosing anything for a long while driving a 50mW Dac.

[Cotlake]

Obviously not a big enough battery! I'm sure a 47Ah car battery won't be loosing anything for a long while driving a 50mW Dac.

If you like. Personally, I don't want a car battery in my living room! I won't qualify further what I have said. Only one way to find out......

[Jankoff]

Will the Anker 20,000mAh be good for both the Caiman and the Capella? I have the Capella and not the Caiman. Yet. :D

[Old George]

Will the Anker 20,000mAh be good for both the Caiman and the Capella? I have the Capella and not the Caiman. Yet. :D

Yes it will, i'm using the latest Anker with my Caiman MK2 and Capella.

[Old George]

Brings me back to a thread i posted earlier, Anker 20000 or one of these?......CLICK (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111544612626?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&clk_rvr_id=957073673804&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true)

Not much between them in price but what about audible difference?

[Desmo]

Brings me back to a thread i posted earlier, Anker 20000 or one of these?......CLICK (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111544612626?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&clk_rvr_id=957073673804&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true)

Not much between them in price but what about audible difference?

I own both, and I NEVER use the battery any more. Not sure I hear much of a difference, but the PSU is so much less bother. In fact I now have 3 or 4 of these PSUs, that I use to power various bits of kit including a Caiman II, a Stereo Coffee LDR pre amp, and a pi/iQaudiO DAC.

[Jankoff]

I own both, and I NEVER use the battery any more. Not sure I hear much of a difference, but the PSU is so much less bother. In fact I now have 3 or 4 of these PSUs, that I use to power various bits of kit including a Caiman II, a Stereo Coffee LDR pre amp, and a pi/iQaudiO DAC.
Thank you for your suggestions, Old George and Desmo! PSU is less of a hassle - and both options for not much money indeed. I paid €350 for the HiFace Evo Power Supply (with batteries), it used to cost €400. I never learned how to flip which switch to get it to work as battery or from the mains. But it works well - both ways. :cool: Today for the new Evo Power Supply they charge you €500, and even €600 for the new clock generator and the USB interface (each - €400 previously). Yes, the Evo One rocks! And surely the Evo Two will too. But if one can get a good PSU for a good DAC for £39, that's a Christmas gift.
A question that bothers me lately: will the Caiman, when properly powered, be equally convincing as a standard DAC, fed from a CD player, and as a DAC fed from the PC, having in mind, first, that the USB interface is not asynchronous and that, second, there are motherboards with specially powered USB outputs? (I have one.) I already asked this question in another thread but Stan was reluctant to answer. Of course, I understand and respect his position.
I ask this question on the basis of my only USB audio experience so far - which is with the HiFace Evo setup. On its own the HiFace Evo is very very good but not outstanding. With the clock generator and the power supply it is magic. On the other hand, I have large experience with DACs, I own four (including a €1000 valve one, upgraded with good valves) and I have always been a fan of separate DACs. Judging from the the HiFace Evo setup where improvement was brought about by adding each separate component, I tend to believe that the same will be valid if the Caiman - taking for granted it is a great DAC, is paired with a good USB interface, well fed electrically and well cabled. So, let me repeat the question: do you think the Caiman can improve sound-wise as a DAC with a PC source if its USB interface is improved? I might be able to answer this question myself if I had the Caiman but I don't for now. I ordered the Asynch-1 and am looking forward to receiving and testing it.
Sorry for my troublesome questions! Happy holidays! :barrel:

[StanleyB]

A question that bothers me lately: will the Caiman, when properly powered, be equally convincing as a standard DAC, fed from a CD player, and as a DAC fed from the PC, having in mind, first, that the USB interface is not asynchronous and that, second, there are motherboards with specially powered USB outputs? (I have one.) I already asked this question in another thread but Stan was reluctant to answer. Of course, I understand and respect his position.

I can't answer an impossible question. For one, it won't make a bit of difference if you had a specially powered USB output from your PC into the Caiman. The Caiman USB is not externally powered so you would be wasting your time trying to use a powered USB connection. There just isn't any power supply pin on the USB socket in the Caiman.
As for the interface and asynch: if you can produce measurements that can provide evidence that the an asynch USB DAC would be better than the Caiman USB circuit I shall offer you a full refund. Asynch is not the holy grail or anywhere as good as those pushing it would make it out to be. It is all smoke and mirror technical write ups that are full of assumptions. The Caiman uses the audio signal clock reference for decoding, which makes it as bit accurate as one could get. Asynch doesn't even come close to that kind of accuracy.
But if you must have asynch then look at something else.
And that is all I am going to say about asynch and the Caiman USB. I am fed up to the teeth with folks who worship asynch as a deity.

[Jankoff]

I am fed up to the teeth with folks who worship asynch as a deity.

Stan, please, excuse my ignorance in the technical sphere! I am not an engineer, I work in a scholarly field. But I love music and I listen a lot. And I read a lot of technical stuff that I do not understand much - but I need to understand to be able to improve my listening experience. I am not supposed to be adept at whether USB asynch is better or not, or not exactly, what other types of USB transfer there are, and why or why not the technical experts agree or not about USB audio transfer.
One thing is certain, however: we all have had computers for about 25 years already. Meanwhile the CD was alive and kicking. And only some 2-3 years ago did they tell us: "the CD is dead". Why did they not realize for such a long time that the PC can play music better than the CD? Didn't know? Didn't understand? Why?
Some months ago I read a very interesting article about jitter - explaining how for many years between approximately 1985 and 1995 engineers jeered at musicians who didn't find CD reproduction perfect. "We gave you the CD - with no noise, what is it now that you find deficient?", engineers asked. And it was somewhere in 1993 that an Oxford professor was the first among engineers to admit that CD reproduction is NOT perfect, precisely because of jitter. But the elimination of jitter in CD players did not happen.
OK. From 1993 to 2013, when the first USB interfaces started to really change the market and to introduce the computer as a source, why did the engineers NOT tell us what it was about? It was about jitter. And the HDD was always there to provide a much more stable source for the digits. But they didn't understand that. Why?
This is not finding fault with engineers - I am only curious to know why it happened that way. I have been buying hi-fi and hi-end stuff for 40 years, throwing away hundreds and thousand of dollars for vinyl and vinyl players, tape and tape recorders, CD and DVD players, DACs, amps, cables and connectors and what not, only to find out in the end that CD players are actually rubbish as a source. (Right now I have exactly 11 pieces of rubbish - CD/DVD players, writers, etc..) And that it is actually the computer that is the ideal source.
Don't get me wrong, I will never be sorry for the bucks and time spent. I am only curious to know why it happens that there are such huge heaps of misunderstanding in so many directions, including USB audio transfer.
And thanks once again for your support for us, crazy people for music. :mental: :D :rock: :pub:

[Audio Advent]

Computers have been the RECORDING medium for so many since the mid-90s. And from that the CDs are then made... So certainly the equipment has been there for anyone to use.

But I'd simply say that the average audiophile does not want a cumbersome, noisy computer with clunky software (designed for recording, not playing albums or really basic like early versions of winamp and iTunes) and so it has never been in their blinkered vision - they want nice specialist equipment that has a life-style factor and looks expensive etc. It has been a choice. Meanwhile, non-audiophiles have been ripping their CDs and playing off a cheap beige PC for over a decade, fulfilling party tune requests via SoulSeek, playing out of winamp, illegally downloading on request and playing out of their Soundblaster (or perhaps home-studio soundcard).

Further to that cumbersome-ness, storage capacity has been an issue for many wanting full .wav quality rather than MP3 (and flacs have only become well known in the last 5 years or so). It has only been in the last 5 years that hard-drives have both become quiet and large enough to be practical without engaging in raid storage or very limited music libraries. And with raid storage, only in the last 5 years have raid systems been easy to set-up in combination with your player software over wifi.

In other words, computer audio has always been available and good but it has never been marketable for sale by hifi dealers or talked about in hifi magazines. And lets face it, most "proper" audiophiles who spend all the money turn to dealers and magazines for their fixes AND they want equipment that has been endorsed by audiophile companies AND they want it to look good and fit within the narrow notion of "hifi" . If they didn't want it (because it's not even "hifi") then there's no market to even suggest that they might - chicken and egg.

It has only been the non-audiophiles who are unencumbered by notions of "high-end" and simply want to play music - i.e. people into the music, not the equipment - who have been using their computers for home audio, using gaming soundcards or home-recording soundcards and just using what works.

Funny also that non-USB audio has never taken off. It's almost as if the consumer can only cope with what they know already - mice, keyboards, printers, cameras all run off USB so now they can cope with USB for audio too. Internal soundcards or firewire has appeared to have passed the average home consumer by completely..

[Jankoff]

Very interesting post, Audio Advent's, and I agree on almost all counts - but there is more to the story. I would gladly comment further, but now let me just explain what I did with my PC to bring it in line with the notion of "the average audiophile" [who does not want a cumbersome, noisy computer]. I bought a Thermaltake case that, when placed next to my main setup, looks like an inseparable part of it. Upon seeing it and specifically asked, everyone answers: "This is a subwoofer". Sorry, right now I cannot show a picture of it - I can't find one in Google images. Then I equipped it with a Platinum Seasonic PSU, a fanless graphics card and a BeQuiet! CPU cooler and - although being a power-horse (i7), it is dead silent! It stands now - temporarily - in a small bedroom some 50cm from where my head is in the bed and I can not only sleep while it is working, I simply don't hear anything! More importantly, my wife too. :)

P.S. I found the case http://techgage.com/viewimg/?img=/reviews/thermaltake/eureka/thermaltake_eureka_05.jpg&desc=Thermaltake%20Eureka It is called Thermaltake Eureka, speaker style design (in the ad). It looks even better in reality. Sadly, discontinued.

[Old George]

Thank you for your suggestions, Old George and Desmo! PSU is less of a hassle - and both options for not much money indeed..........


Hi Krasimir, 'Struth' (Grant) has suggested this as another option........CLICK (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321734673980?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&clk_rvr_id=957574912596&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true)

Stan told me that the 12 volt PSU that comes with the Capella is a low noise model and it will power both Caiman and Capella in tandem.

[StanleyB]

Stan, please, excuse my ignorance in the technical sphere! I am not an engineer, I work in a scholarly field. But I love music and I listen a lot. And I read a lot of technical stuff that I do not understand much - but I need to understand to be able to improve my listening experience. I am not supposed to be adept at whether USB asynch is better or not, or not exactly, what other types of USB transfer there are, and why or why not the technical experts agree or not about USB audio transfer.
The marketing people are always on the look out for ways to make us dump what we have, and spend money on buying the latest fad. We were told how much CD is over vinyl, including that it was not affected by scratches etc like a vinyl record. I still remember the Tomorrow's World demo vividly. As we all know by now, a CD can be affected by scratches.
They said similar things about valve amps, and offered transistor amps instead. But then they said FET amps are even better. And then we were told how we could use mp3 instead. It was far smaller in size to WAV and we could have many CD albums on a small device called an mp3 player. But when mp3 was found out to be nowhere as good as the claims, they came up with high res. When that was getting popular, in came SACD, and now DSD.
And then came asynch USB. Its supposed low jitter is sold as a cure and solution, even though it is full of holes. TOSLINK and digital coax have been in use for decades, but note that little or no attempt has been made to suggest that we should ditch those wiring methods, and switch to using a PC with asynch USB.
The claim is that asynch USB gives you a low jitter audio playback. But the jitter in a DAC is only as good as the input receiver. When asynch was first dreamt up, input receivers had a jitter figure of 300 to 3000mps. So even that lovely asynch USB converter plugged into a DAC with a Cirrus Logic CS8412 chip would still have a high amount of jitter. That was in the days of USB1.1 and single core processors. The claim at the time was that the USB bus could not handle the data speed for a low jitter sound. We now have USB2.0 high speed audio, and soon it will be USB3.0 audio. Processors are now multi core. But the marketing people have not gone back to update their initial sales pitch on asynch USB even though the theory upon which it is based has long since been surpassed by hardware improvements. So exactly what is the score, and why are so many people still following this trend without any further thought?

[Jankoff]

Old George, thank you very much for your suggestion for the 12 volt PSU for the Capella and Caiman. Stan, I sent you a request by email to include this 12 volt PSU (following your own offer to do this) in the package with the Asycnch-1 due to be dispatched on Tuesday. Thank you very much in advance!

Stan, thank you very much for the explanation on asynch USB. Not only very informative and funny at the same time but also straight from the horse's mouth, as you say in English :D :D :D

I would like to discuss more, but will postpone this for a better time.
Happy holidays with divine music for everybody here - and for all people around you! :violin: :harp: :guitar: :fingers:

[RoboCopper]

Ok, I was on holiday a bit and there was a lot of technical talk, so what is the best power supply for Caiman mk2?
What is the difference in sound?

Would this do the job?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adjustable-DC-Regulated-Linear-Bench-Power-Supply-0-18V-0-2A-/221286090989?hash=item3385adc8ed:g:j3AAAOSwrklVLmz G

[wee tee cee]

Im lucky that I have a cellar bellow my listening room and can accommodate a big car battery. I use a big solar panel to charge it but have to resort to periodic mains charging especially in the winter months with lack of light.

For pure sound quality I cant fault a big battery-I use it as a headphone rig (capella/caiman2/hd700s).

My main rig is temple monos also feeding off the battery.

The only thing on the mains is my 57s (fed by an airlink bmu).

IMHO battery will get the best out of 12v kit sound quality wise.

Stan has been very supportive of his small customer base that has went down this route.....im greatly appreciative of this!!

The sonic benefits are palpable!!

Trust your ears and decide for yourself.

[Lapfanne]

Hi Krasimir, 'Struth' (Grant) has suggested this as another option........CLICK (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321734673980?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&clk_rvr_id=957574912596&afsrc=1&rmvSB=true)

Stan told me that the 12 volt PSU that comes with the Capella is a low noise model and it will power both Caiman and Capella in tandem.

Hi,
I have been reading some threads and still trying to find out which voltage is perfect for my 7520SE Caiman.
Ordering the several times quoted China PSUs like this http://r.ebay.com/463C2S should I chose 12V or 15 Volt as output power?

[StanleyB]

If it is the Caiman that you got, then 15V is the one to use.

[mrboonmee]

The iFi iPower is 12v, would that not be recommended for the Caiman II? the stock power supply says 15V on it.

http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/accessory-ipower/

[StanleyB]

It will work.

[Theadmans]

Got this Chinese 2 way Power Supply to power my new SEG (15v) and Squeezebox Touch (5v) the other day :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-way-linear-power-supply-DC-2-USB-preamp-DAC-external-linear-PSU-5V-9V-12V-15V-/111328891082?hash=item19ebb810ca:g:utcAAOxy4YdTT-fq

...had the seller fit an earth and fair play to him he did this. The UK mains cable supplied was of poor quality though and appeared to have no fuse. So I changed the mains cable for a more substantial item with fuse. The voltages were a little out 15.4v and 5.16v so I whipped the lid off but for the life of me couldn't see the adjustment screws. I rang the ever helpful Stan and he suggested sending him photos. The problem was revealed as my ageing eyes. Once I took a high definition photo with flash - even I could see the adjustment screws lit up brilliantly by the flash. I am 50 next birthday and trying to avoid Bi-Focals !

Once adjusted to the correct 15v and 5v ....annoyingly it started to drift out again. I whipped the lid off and readjusted several times but it kept drifting upwards slightly (the OCD in me finds this more of an issue than it probably is). Ended up with 15.1v and 5.04v.

Stan had mentioned that people had fried their Squeezebox Touch with 5v. As the Squeezebox has now foolishly been discontinued and is something of an appreciating classic I decided not to risk mine. I swopped in the Raspberry Pi with Wolfson Audio Card I built for my second system. The Pi seems quite happy with 5.04v and 2 amps. OK I lose the screen of the Touch but with my cr*ppy eyesight I tend to look at the display on my Hudl 2 Android Tesco Tablet using the excellent Squeeze Commander App anyway. At least the Pi is only about £50 in parts and readily replaceable if it goes pop (unlike the Touch).

Certainly my SEG really sings on 15v (I previously used a 3 year old Anker Astro Pro 2 battery that need a grain of wheat bulb to stay up giving 12v). The difference is really appreciable on Sennheiser HD650s - they now seem to be held in a vice like grip by the SEG - bass is deep and controlled.

The difference on the Raspberry Pi between the supplied 5v 1 amp wallwart and the Chinese Linear 5v 2 amp is huge. Before the Pi sound insubstantial and grainy but now is up with my Squeezebox Touch.

The power supply gives a huge leap forward in convenience compared to the Anker battery. Now I can switch my system on an hour before listening to warm up (without worrying about depleting the battery). Also no recharging and I get to get rid of the pesky grain of wheat bulb at last - Hallelujah !


Overall very happy with the £50 investment in this unit - good communication from the seller too (only 15 days delivery time from China).

[mrboonmee]

I just received the 15v version of this power supply from same seller. quick shipping.

solved my problems with Caiman II. I was using an 12v wall wort from iFi.

only thing not working is the Async-1 for some reason.

I think 15v is ok for Caiman II, the small power supply that came with it was 15v.

mine has the gator mod.

I have been happy with it, just a few technical issues, has been a very nice sounding piece.

i have my eyes on the SEG at the moment.