View Full Version : DIY techs imput request (please)
I ordered this DAC 1 and would love some upgrade advise.
http://www.littledot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=814&sid=322aba8ff7365b981aac2490df863b3a
The Wofson chip WM8740 can not be upgraded to WM8741 or WM8742 in this DAC lay out.
But there must be Caps and other componates that would bring more out from this non sampleing DAC.
The combind power of our experts should bring some great suggestions.
Thank you for helping,Jeff
Reid Malenfant
19-09-2010, 19:07
Looks like you'll be able to change what could be op amps, various capacitors & rectifying diodes. You could possibly upgrade to better regulators as well as it looks like it's using 3 terminal regulators with adjustable voltage (LM317T or similar). If you were anal i guess certain resistors could be changed, though they all appear to be surface mount :scratch:
Actually it looks to be a pretty well designed circuit. There is input filtering on the mains side & again between the transformer & recifier diodes :) Someone or a few people have taken there time over this ;)
Balanced outputs to, very nice indeed :cool:
Techno Commander
19-09-2010, 20:06
Looks like you have beaten me to my suggestion. :)
The electrolytics are probably the easiest component to change. I wiould go for Nichicons, unless you thing the extra expense of Blackgates is worthwhile. Also change the rectifying diodes for some soft switching fast recovery types.
The engeneer is Sword Yang and his objective is to build a great device experimenting with Caps,and other parts to find the sweet spot between cost and sound quality.
Some compair him to Roy Hall of Music Hall.
Thanks,I will put your suggestions at the top of my list of upgrades.
Looks like you have beaten me to my suggestion. :)
The electrolytics are probably the easiest component to change. I wiould go for Nichicons, unless you thing the extra expense of Blackgates is worthwhile. Also change the rectifying diodes for some soft switching fast recovery types.
Do you guys like Elna Silmic caps ,Nichicon muse,or Black gates?
Steve Eddy
20-09-2010, 02:52
Hey Jeff!
I rather like the Panasonic FM series caps.
se
Techno Commander
20-09-2010, 11:29
Black gates are good, but expensive. I prefer Nichicons to Elnas and I believe these offer the best cost to performance ratio.
Thanks, there is no piont in just dumping money into a sorce that may not yeald very much more.I had an amp blackgated and the only noticable differance seemed to be a slightly darker presentation with some but not all music.I never did keep it long enough to break it in though.It did sound good but I moved from big solid state to tubes.
Ali Tait
20-09-2010, 12:29
Black Gates can take a long time to burn in.
Maybe it's the casework, but it looks a heck of a lot like the elongated MF X series from the late 90's...
You may find that you don't need to fiddle with this. the DAC bits are very cheap now apparently, so I suspect a fair amount has been available for the components and power supply parts.
Rare Bird
20-09-2010, 14:51
Hey Jeff!
I rather like the Panasonic FM series caps.
se
Do you mean 'FC'! They are great & all i use..
Steve Eddy
20-09-2010, 15:20
Do you mean 'FC'! They are great & all i use..
No, I meant FM. They're something of a successor to the FC series, having lower ESR, higher ripple, longer life, and smaller size. They were introduced a few years ago.
se
Rare Bird
20-09-2010, 15:25
Probabaly why i havent heard of them, i'll have to give them a shot thanks.
Steve Eddy
20-09-2010, 15:30
Probabaly why i havent heard of them, i'll have to give them a shot thanks.
You're welcome.
Oh yeah, and with their black and gold sleeving, they look better than the FC's too. :)
se
You're welcome.
Oh yeah, and with their black and gold sleeving, they look better than the FC's too. :)
se
It's not the content of the capacitor, but the color of the can...:mental:
Techno Commander
20-09-2010, 23:24
Shiny ones work best. :)
I just thought of something,you guys may not get the joke I made at all.
There was a flawed but still great man non the less named Martin Luther King who died trying to end the suffering and mistreatment of his people (Black Americans)
In one of his famous soul moveing speaches he said "One day our children will be judged not by the color of there skin but by the content of there charctor."
The brilliants of his speech in the time he said it is as importaint in our history as wining indepenance.That we have sadly lost to the couruption in our own government bought and paid for by lawers and people who would sell there own mother to gain power.
Steve Eddy
21-09-2010, 03:25
It's not the content of the capacitor, but the color of the can...:mental:
HA!
Brilliant, Jeff!
se
I got my DAC today,I hooked it up to the digital out on my music hall 25.2 a legendary CDP known for it's DAC. I could switch imputs on the fly for compairison.
The little Dot DAC1 is killing my Music hall on every level except one. The music hall is 2.5v out and the Dac is 2.0 so the music hall is slightly louder but lacks in every other way.
This little dot is a Giant Killer as is. More later.
Steve Eddy
23-09-2010, 03:17
This little dot is a Giant Killer as is.
What are you saying, Jeff? You're going to leave well enough alone?
C'mon. Gotta do SOMETHING. Don't want to lose your tweaker cred do you? http://www.q-audio.com/images/biggrin.gif
se
What are you saying, Jeff? You're going to leave well enough alone?
C'mon. Gotta do SOMETHING. Don't want to lose your tweaker cred do you? http://www.q-audio.com/images/biggrin.gif
se
Sometimes it's good to quit while your ahead.It sounds to good to mess with.
Steve Eddy
23-09-2010, 05:10
Sometimes it's good to quit while your ahead.It sounds to good to mess with.
I agree. But don't be surprised if they yank your Tweakers License. :lol:
se
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