View Full Version : Waiting for my SEG 50
Hypnotist
09-12-2021, 14:55
Wondered if anyone has upgraded their Caimens firmware to the latest SEG 50 and what you thought?
Mines still on SEG 30 from when I bought it at the tail end of 2019.
Mines with Royal Fail now for 7 days and stuck in the Christmas rush, mind you their not better the rest of the year down in the Southwest.
Theadmans
09-12-2021, 17:06
So what is SEG 50 supposed to bring?
...I can't find any reference to it in the technical firmware section of Stan's site.
Like you I still have SEG 30 firmware.
I have the SEG 42-A firmware. Interested what the SEG-50 improves.
Hypnotist
10-12-2021, 17:11
I'll let you know if Royal Fail ever deliver my SEG 50 chip, 8 days and counting
:steam:
Hypnotist
13-12-2021, 12:38
You'll have to wait a bit longer for the results on the SEG 50 upgrade chip, Mines gone missing by the looks of it by those useless people I call ROYAL FAIL, rubbish down here in Cornwall, worst courier we have. Stan refunded me the cost first thing this morning (Cheers Stan) and we'll wait till after Christmas and the New Year and have another go to see if ROYAL FAIL can get one down.
:steam:
Hypnotist
13-12-2021, 23:14
Just reordered a SEG 50 upgrade chip, can't wait for the new year and hopefully this one will get here ?
Come on Royal Fail !!!!
Hypnotist
15-12-2021, 23:58
Spoke to Stan and he went out his way to get another Seg 50 chip down to me, this time it arrived.
5 min job to change it over from the original SEG 30 as supplied at the time of purchase.
On to the initial test, played several tracks I'm very familiar with and I need a longer test to comment fully on differences, what I will say is anyone changing to a SEG 50 who has the durado and a linear PSU set at 15v, you can hear its not the same, in a good way.
Initially I would say the bass has more punch, and my Rega amp has no tone controls, I had to look twice to make sure my sub is turned off, and a couple of female voice tracks its seemed to have better control on the higher octave women can reach, thus avoiding teeth gritting moments
I will do my best to try and give a better review once I've put a lot more hours on it.
StanleyB
16-12-2021, 10:22
So what is SEG 50 supposed to bring?
...I can't find any reference to it in the technical firmware section of Stan's site.
Like you I still have SEG 30 firmware.
I tend not to go into details about the updates. I just don't want my competitors to figure out how I did certain things. But my usual guarantee still applies. If you can't hear any improvement between the 30 and the 50, a refund of the cost of the 50 is quickly sorted out.
Theadmans
16-12-2021, 17:04
Stan - I have a Dorado MK1 (or possibly MK2 has a blue LED) running at 16v from an adjustable Chinese Linear PSU...
...I think you told me that it is OK to whack up the driving PSU to 16v.
Anyway it has been working happily like this for a couple of years...
...the SEG I have had a lot of your upgrades but is still runing on SEG 30 - is this a suitable candidate for upgrade to SEG 50?
BTW the SEG gets most use driving my Sennheiser HD650 headphones.
Is it worthwhile moving from 42 to 50 on my Dorado I Caiman MkII? The jump to the 42 was outstandingly musical.
Andrew
I've had a SEG50/Dorado III since the end of May this year. FWIW, less sibilance and more bass, or to put it another way, had to adjust bass output on the REL's by a notch down. Using with a Cyrus CD8SE, yep, still going after all these years. Earlier this year, I installed a replacement tray motor and housing (eBay special) and internal signal cables. Many thanks to Cyrus for sending spare cables. A1 ++ service. I think I received the last of their stock. Should keep me going for a bit.
Hypnotist
16-12-2021, 21:42
Is it worthwhile moving from 42 to 50 on my Dorado I Caiman MkII? The jump to the 42 was outstandingly musical.
Andrew
Can only say the Jump from 30 to 50 was so different to me, so my answer would be YES Andrew
StanleyB
17-12-2021, 10:54
Stan - I have a Dorado MK1 (or possibly MK2 has a blue LED) running at 16v from an adjustable Chinese Linear PSU...
...I think you told me that it is OK to whack up the driving PSU to 16v.
Anyway it has been working happilly like this for a couple of years...
...the SEG I have had a lot of your upgrades but is still runnng on SEG 30 - is this a suitable candidate for upgrade to SEG 50?
BTW the SEG gets most use driving my Sennheiser HD650 headphones.
Yes the SEG-50 works with the Dorado I and II as well.
I have to check how many chips I still have left. There is a shortage of chips on the market that is affecting manufacturing worldwide. Prices are climbing as mad as a consequence.
Hi there Stan, Still have some old SEG30 chips which I kept after the last update. Can these be reprogrammed if there is ever an update from the SEG 50??
Hi there Stan, Still have some old SEG30 chips which I kept after the last update. Can these be reprogrammed if there is ever an update from the SEG 50??
I think many people will have previous versions of the chip, I know I have 2 or 3 from upgrades over the years. I'd be happy to send them back to Stan if he can re-use them. I am also interested in V50.
StanleyB
20-12-2021, 11:12
By all means send any old firmware chips back. It will help a great deal. Just make sure no legs are broken...
Hypnotist
23-12-2021, 21:37
Now have about 30hrs with the SEG50 upgrade and my thoughts are inline with the initial test.
A test on tracks I know well from Fleetwood Mac, including vocals from Christine McVie really shine through, treble on female voices are superb, and there is a increase in the bass, separation of instruments is improved to me and the sound stage is like your there, and you can hear the full depth of the Band.
Have to say with the SEG 50 upgrade I don't see any point in looking at possible upgrades of DACs, I'm sure you'd end up spending £1000+ and more to say yes thats a upgrade, or possible you won't.
If you've not heard one of Stans Latest Dac's with the SEG50 chip, running at 15v from a Linear PSU, fed from Stans Durado Enhancer, I suggest you do. I also did a back to back with a new Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200m here https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?74270-Beresford-Caimen-SEG-vs-DA-Dacmagic-200m if you've just bought a new C.A Dacmagic 200m, and you audition one of Stans you'll be disappointed.
Well done again Stan.
Just got my SEG 50 chip (ordered on Monday the 20th, delivered on Christmas eve). Great service as always from Stan. Only just plugged it in, so can't give a serious review, but it does sound pretty good from the get go, nice rich sound on a Claire Martin track. I also have Dorado II and Chinese LPSU running at 15v if that's of any interest.
Hypnotist
24-12-2021, 18:08
[QUOTE=Desmo;1304205]Just got my SEG 50 chip (ordered on Monday the 20th, delivered on Christmas eve). Great service as always from Stan. Only just plugged it in, so can't give a serious review, but it does sound pretty good from the get go, nice rich sound on a Claire Martin track. I also have Dorado II and Chinese LPSU running at 15v if that's of any interest.
Ideal setup Desmo
Theadmans
24-12-2021, 20:21
I rang Stan on Tuesday and asked for a SEG50 chip...
...got it in the post on Thursday - great service considering the postal delays at Xmas.
Fitted after a few minutes trying to tease the chip legs into the socket.
Checked that it is working and all is good - critical listening will have to wait.
Theadmans
29-12-2021, 19:42
OK I have listened to about 10 albums now with the SEG50 chip...
Around 10 years ago I had a Little Dot III valve headphone amp. This was nice and had a nice liquid sound and superb sound-stage with my HD650s...
...but there were strange buzzes which spoiled the experience.
I ditched the Little Dot and started using Stan DACs...
...various upgrades, Anker battery upgrades were applied to the Bushmaster etc. This sounded a lot cleaner than the Little Dot but lacked the magic.
The modified Caiman SEG with SEG30 and Dorado with Chinese 16v linear PSU delivered big time - this had the liquid sound and sound-stage and was clean also. I was really enjoying my HD650s again (for the first time really since the Little Dot Valve days).
SEG50 seems to make everything a tad tighter - I am really enjoying this so far (and for just £9.99!)
Hypnotist
29-12-2021, 23:00
Good description of the Seg50 upgrade - tighter:) I found a bit more bass on my choice of music
I had fitted the SEG 50 firmware a while a go into the SEG DAC whitest using the Dorado II, for the cost of the Dorado III it’s certainly worth spending the money on the III.
I can confirm the comments made by other members re sonic improvements, ECM recorded piano sounds superb.
I haven’t listened to any vocals yet so watch this space!
I wondered if anyone upgrading their Caiman SEG DAC with the SEG50 firmware and Dorado III changed the Signal Processing Mode they were using, of is there still very little difference between the modes still?
Hypnotist
18-01-2022, 11:34
I've had a play with the sound signatures, difficult to say really its very close as you said, I went back to default and thats where its stayed and sounds good to me.
Which is the one you use as default please?
Hypnotist
03-02-2022, 23:50
Sorry been so long answering, no led blinks or power down and power up to come back to the defaut signature, all in the manual that came with the DAC, under Best Sound Signature Mode
3 flashes for DVD and TV no flashes for CDP though very close paid Stan for clock and super-cap upgrades came back with SEG fitted nice guy.
3 flashes for DVD and TV no flashes for CDP though very close paid Stan for clock and super-cap upgrades came back with SEG fitted nice guy.
Just read again what I wrote, to clarify, the caiman SEG came back from Stan's with SEG 50 fitted as part of the modifications. I was using the default settings in the standard setup, I could discern very little if any difference, after the clock, super-caps & my phono socket upgrade i.e. individual sockets connected with 7n OHNO wire + the addition of an MCRU Long Dog designed linear 15v 2 piece PSU. Now in my room and my system I use 3 flashes for DVD and TV no flashes for CDP. This offered a big improvement over the standard unmodified SEG settings.
I spoke to Stan on the phone this morning apparently because of the worldwide chip shortage if any one wants a SEG 50 you will have to send him your chip for re-programming.
As I have said in my opinion the SEG50 is a very worthwhile/essential addition to the Caiman SEG.
My SEG50 arrives next week.
Sent him three old chips from my updates over the years.
Keen to hear it in action.
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