Caiman passive output mod revealed

[AndrewR]

One further installation tip I've found, while I've been installing my Rubycon NA bipolars from Tirna Electronics. The picture says it all.



By the way, the Rubycons are adding much needed weight to the sound - above and beyond the Black Gate FKs.

Andrew

[Puffin]

I am looking to do the passive mod to this particular 7520. Is there likely to be any problem if I attach the caps to the via's (where the orange wires are already attached)?
I intend to use the variable output to attach the passive caps so that I can swap between the two.

The op-amp board is attached by the two orange wires and I wonder if adding the 47uf caps (or whatever value I chose) will affect the active operation?

Any ideas?

Anyone?

[MartinT]

By the way, the Rubycons are adding much needed weight to the sound - above and beyond the Black Gate FKs.

Nice diagram. This is what I've found with the Rubycon CE (grey) caps, the bass weight is superb. Do we know what the difference is between the CE and NA ranges?

[drumlins4ever]

Rubycons arrived from Tirna,, removed the op-amp board and inserted the 47uF caps into the PIN3A socket .

Sounds very promising already but I dont want to solder them in .

Just thinking of a way to secure them with some insulation tape so i can put the top lid back on and transport the dac without the worry of them falling out.

Anyone try this?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Got mine from tirna too ... Doesn't work to well as a pre to the power amp in a nad c326bbe... Sounded very noisey. Works into the aux in though... Although it is mailing the monitor audio rs8 speakers sound bright and boomy.... But I fear that is more likely the bright and boomy rs8's sounding more bright and boomy beacuse that's how they sound

[The Vinyl Adventure]

... This is kit at work I'm playing with... Not my own... I thought I'd try it on stuff I didn't mind breaking first

[MartinT]

I use some double-sided foam tabs on the relay chip. The caps stick nicely to them when folder over.

[Puffin]

I have done the passsive mod. I started with 47k resistors as I use a Lightspeed Attenuator and thought it might take more than 10k to get a good match. with 47k I still got some distortion and tried 100k. Bingo! spot on. It has only had a couple of hours but I can tell already that I like it. It retains the same sonic signature of the "original" i.e op-amped output, and whilst being just as detailed is less "in yer face". I find I can increase the volume without it getting too edgy. Well worth a couple of quid and if you use the variable phonos, you can switch between the two.

Hamish Got mine from tirna too ... Doesn't work to well as a pre to the power amp in a nad c326bbe... Sounded very noisey. Works into the aux in though... Although it is mailing the monitor audio rs8 speakers sound bright and boomy.... But I fear that is more likely the bright and boomy rs8's sounding more bright and boomy beacuse that's how they sound

Hamish. See above.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

cheers buddy... il try it in my kit at home first... im not bothered about the kit here ... i just wanted to see if it worked ... and i hadn't broken anything...

with that in mind....if i have any issue at home, what question do i need to ask anthonytd to find out what is the perfect cap value? (do i mean value?... sorry i am trying to learn... its just a bit of a confusing load of nonsence) or will the 100uf one more likely work anyway?

[Gazjam]

wow, this wee tweak actually works!
can confirm a more open and "bigger" soundstage with better seperation.

Regarding the caps falling out, when I pulled one out to reverse the way it fitted in (as per the diagram) it took a wee bit of pull to get it out...I dont think I'd have any problem with them falling out when moving the dac out - and in fact I didn't when unscrewing the case and moving the Dac this morning.

Just dont wave it about your head and you should be fine