Are you sure you have it aligned correctly?Quote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
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Are you sure you have it aligned correctly?Quote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
Not sure. The top of the cap wasnt level but I suppose some of the legs may have been bent more than others. It really sounded bad and I was scared I was going to do some damage leaving it in.
Think its worth trying again?
I'm sure you will like the 4032's - I certainly do.Quote:
Originally Posted by apmusson
Just out of interest - How does the 7520 sound now you have the LM4562's installed compared to your Slee Solo headamp? I seem to remember you saying it was a close call even on the stock 5532's (or was the someone else).
Cheers - Ken
The tab on the cap should be aligned so that it is pointing towards pin8Quote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
Check that none of the IC's legs are shorting to the can. I believe that the can is internally connected to -ve supply rail.Quote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
Ken
I have decided to sell the Slee. Its a great headphone amp, very well made with a rich and detailed sound, but for what I want the 7520 is fantastic. I dont know whether its Stans design or shortened signal paths, but the sound I'm getting from my Sennheiser HD650's is outstanding.Quote:
Originally Posted by sponge
The 4562 opamp upgrade has pushed the 7520 up a level sound qualitywise. Different people have different preferences when it comes to sound quality but I am intending to get together with a colleague of mine who has an expensive DAC and Amp combo... I've told him of my experience with the TC7520 & Slee and we're both keen to do some comparisons. Just waiting for him to confirm a date.
Ade
I think I will leave it until tomorrow-enjoying the music too much tonight.Quote:
Originally Posted by sponge
Well I have been listening to both of these for a short while now and thought I would post my findings:
LM4562NA - A definite night and day difference above the stock opamps, nice character that favors vocals, really makes them stand out of the mix while retaining a great balanced and detailed sound, pianos sound like pianos, cellos like cellos and so forth.
THS4032CD - Very neutral sound which reigns the vocals back in, as a result it brings far more detail out of the material than the LM4562's. This naturally results in having to turn the volume up a bit more :) and because of this cymbals, high hats and drums leap out of the mix far more than they used to, not overly but they now have a satisfying thwack and on some material can feel like your head is indeed inside the drumkit, much more so with Grados than Senns and other similar cans. Not used the extra cap yet so can't comment on this although I shall probably give this a try later on. I think the LM4562 is a great opamp if your system is closer toward the budget scale or needs help with the vocal range. The THS4032 on the other hand would suit a very revealing system or high end headphones, cheap cans sound pretty ropey with them.
I have also noticed on alot of material that you can get a sense of the size of the recording venue with the THS4032's that I dont get with the others, its very subtle to the ear but major enough that the brain notices the change
A word of warning for DIYers tho, I put one of LM4562's in the wrong way and it now ceases to work, luckily I get them for free so there is no loss to me, it just means I have 3 instead of 4.
Thanks for your descriptive review - I'm really looking forward to trying them now.Quote:
Originally Posted by tizer2000uk
It has also got to be said the THS4032's have so far been the less fatiguing of the group by quite a margin. I could quite happily sit here until the sun comes up with this particular one...Every song I have so far fed this thing has sounded....right!
Question for Stan: Without consulting the spec sheet, what other mod would be needed with this opamp to quieten the slight 'pop' when opening a track?
No idea as yet. I'll have to fit a set of THS4032 in mine again and listen out for the pop you hear.Quote:
Originally Posted by tizer2000uk
Ok I am all ready to have another go. Found the tab you mentioned. Is pin 8 bottom right or bottom left?Quote:
Originally Posted by trailer
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3...re020small.jpgQuote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
Thanks Trailer, much appreciated. I had put my opamp in the wrong way around-I used your photo from earlier in this thread but my sockets were 180 degree reversed from yours.
As a result I have damaged the op-amp which plays at very low volume and there is some distortion on the optical input.
So I have reverted to the 4562 which is fine. I will probably leave it a while before messing with more op-amps. :doh:
Right,
I decided to get the original DAC chip put back into the 7510 (otherwise modded with some Black Gates and a 4562). I plugged it back in today and had a listen, compared to my 7520 with the 49720s in.
It still sounds very good indeed. The only thing I would say is that the sound doesn't seem as big. A little thinner if anything. I preferred the 7520.
Through the mailbox this morning came the 4032s from Tirna Electronics.
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/8...re023large.jpg
I left the 7510 playing for a bit whilst I changed out the opamps in the 7520.
Plugged the 7520 back in and fired up some tunes.
I can safely say that the 4032's bring out the best in the 7520 so far. No question. More natural sounding with all the detail still there. One minor point is that the bass doesnt seem to go as low but I think it is more controlled now.
Wow thanks for the write up and picture. I'm really looking forward to getting my 4032s from Tirna Electronics - hopefully they'll arrive tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by trailer
How did you know which way to plug in the circuit board? On the DIL OpAmp chips they have a small mark to indicate pin 1, but I cant see that on the circuit board and don't want to ruin the opamp?
Thanks
Ade
There's a small white triangle on the board adjacent to Pin 1
I bought some adapters that are no good for the TC-7520. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Surface-Mount-...3A1|240%3A1318
The pins have a diameter of 0.9mm. It should be 0.5mm!
http://picasaweb.google.com/bbmango7...13169436296258
I will edit this post when the line-up in the pic is not right
Also, pin 1 solder pad on the adapter board is square - All the others are round.Quote:
Originally Posted by trailer
Is this the right adapter?
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/pro...roducts_id=494
I don't think so - there may not be enough room to fit it, and it looks like the pins are separate.Quote:
Originally Posted by rhmjmango
Better - Get these:
http://cimarrontechnology.com/so8to8...rpn970601.aspx
I only ever use these and have had no problems.
Good luck
Ken
received my 7520 today.
Stan, can you provide some schematics or should I go my own way and do some reverse engineering?
Just got my THS4032 and fitted them correctly (thanks for the info). They sound awesome in the 7520 and are the best I have tried. I am going to stick with them.
I do have one question though. The board and capacitor required for the THS4032 now stick up above the case fitting meaning that I can't refit the original case cover. Is this something I'm going to gave to live with or do you guys have any cosmetic solutions..
Ade
If you are going to stick with them, then consider desoldering the IC socket I fitted for the 5532. Then solder in the THS4032 in its place. That way you can then close the case.Quote:
Originally Posted by apmusson
Stan
Have you found any clearance issues when trying to put the top of the case back on ?Quote:
Originally Posted by trailer
Ány of you notice a significant difference in the way the cab is soldered by 'Sponge' and how 'Trailer' soldered the cap????
It handles the job one way or the other i suppose!?
I can't say I did. The 4032s actually are lower than the 49720s for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by drumlins4ever
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/...1e61ee3e_m.jpg
This is the one by Sponge
What board did you use ? (any Pics?) , it seems you are the first to have this problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by apmusson
Same board as trailer (from Tirna Electronics. I noticed that trailers amp board (containing the IC sockets) was lower against the Headphone socket. When I looked at mine I had a sticky pad between the headphone socket and the amp board, so I removed that which lowered everything by a couple of mm. However the caps still stick out over the case (see pic).Quote:
Originally Posted by drumlins4ever
Ade
I have managed to close the case of my 7520!
I kept looking at trailers pic and noticing that my amp board was much higher off the headphone socket than his was. I took out the amp board and then noticed that the all of the components had about 3 mm of wire sticking out from the solder and that this was preventing the board from being closer to the headphone socket. I snipped off the protruding wire and voila my THS4032 now (just) fits inside the case....
But when I tried it I got the crackle that was mentioned by other THS4032 users. Luckily I had 2 of them so swapped the Fixed Output OpAmp for the Headphone Amp. But be warned, the THS4032 does seem to be very sensitive..
Ade
The difference is that I soldered the cap directly to the IC's pins and Trailer has soldered the cap to the adapter board pins.Quote:
Originally Posted by rhmjmango
I've just had a look at mine and I'll have the same problem. However I didn't just have a sticky pad under my amp board there was also loads of hot melt glue. I managed to carefully remove it all and get the board to sit a bit lower. I don't have any side cutters at home though so I'll have to wait till next week to trim the pins.Quote:
Originally Posted by apmusson
One thing to be careful of though is that there are two tall caps under the amp board which could short out pins if you lower the amp board all the way down. I put some tape over the caps to prevent this.
How are folk finding the 4032s soundwise?
The sound of the THS4032 is (sorry for the Americanism) awesome. Best of the opamps I have tried (4562s and originals). Great dynamics, neutral and easy to listen to, Its all about the music with these beauties.
Definately my favorite opamp (THS4032) right now, unless someone can come up with something better I am very tempted to remove the DIL socket and solder these in place.
Also very tempted to upgrade the dac to a later Wolfson unit :)
Stop it, stop it. I'm trying to forget about op-amps for a while. :doh:
When I mentioned that the THS4032 were the one I liked most and recommended, I didn't expect so many people to take me up on that:scratch:.
But I am glad you guys agree with me on the end results:).
Stan
stan you have created a tweekers delight, there is no longer recession in the opamp manufacture sector
It's one way of getting people involved with the music from several angles;). I wanted to fit those surface mount THS4032 as standard, but a lot of people asked why I hadn't fitted a socket in the TC7510 so that folks could try out different chips. So in the TC7520 had to have a socket with at least a recognized decent chip as standard. If I had fitted a set of more expensive LM4562's instead and people wanted to try something else, then straight away you would have blown about £10 on the price of the TC7520 on a set of now redundant LM4562's. And fitting THS4032 in sockets is not the type of thing you do on any production line.Quote:
Originally Posted by hamish_gill
But there is more:eyebrows:. I am already experimenting with other mod possibilities that would be practical and relatively easy for the average electronic hobbyist to perform.
STan
blimey,
if i were in your shoes i would offer uprgade packages to people. a little bubble wraped package containing a couple of opamps and various other electronic whosiwotsits with a small 'how-to'
btw did you get back the other dac?
and any news on thiat input duplicator thing?
right, so i just hopped on this opamp upgrade parade
i was very happy with the sound from the standard ones but as people keep saying there are alternatives that areso much better i thouhgt id give it a bash
i have put in these 4562s
there is more bass and they seem a bit more grainy, is this normal, concidering they have only just gone in, or am i just hearing something thats not there through worry that i have broken it?
:wow:
Already 25 pages on modding the tc-7520!!! Congratulations Stan!:)
Probably just needs burning in.Quote:
Originally Posted by hamish_gill
How about a quick release latch on the case lid? - These 4 screws are getting to me... :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sensimilia
yeah, it seems to be a bit better now, in fact it did seem to calm down pretty quick! i briefly dropped the other opamps back in and the grain was still there so i think i was just the track i was using and me listening a bit to hard i also am fairly certian in hindsight that it is coming from the amp
these new ones now just seem to sound a little bit more open and more realistic i guess, with a bit more depth yet control to the bass. does that sound about what i should expect?
I left out the screws and wrapped around the casing with electrical tape when i was modding the tc-7510. it keep the case in place just as well as screws and allowed fast access. when i finally finished the all mods i closed all with screws. just remember to keep screws in a safe place for later on...Quote:
Originally Posted by sponge
After living with the 4562 op-amps for a week or so I have decided that the bass is a bit heavy or one note-ish in my system. I must stress this is subtle and dependant on the type of music being played. Its probably due to using floor standing speakers in a small room. With standmounts these op-amps may be perfect.
Nevertheless I will be thinking of swapping them for something with better control of the lower frequencies.
I like a lot of bass and loved the 4562's and the 49720's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Covenant
The 4032's control the bass MUCH better.
Think I might give the 4032's a go now that we seem to have found the eBay supplier that will do all the prep work. I have found the 49720's just take a bit of the feeling out of the sound - this could be because the bass is a little loose and is overshadowing the uppers and the mid's. Some albums/tracks though sound much better with the 49720's - just depends on the recording/music genre.Quote:
Originally Posted by trailer