Caiman passive output mod revealed

[Butuz]

Stan can I just check - this mod is suitable for 7520 yes?

Also during my experiments with op amps I found that I actually liked the sound with no op amps in at all (!!) as it sounded as if it had more energy, definatly more kick and vibration coming out of the speakers. Clearly my method is not the reccomended (or safe??) for the DAC I will have to try your mod Stan with the two wires in the op amp sockets (what does that actually do compared to just removing the op amps?) but this mod in its various incarnations looks to be an extension of what I found by removing op amps, and I am gagging to give it a go!!!

Gotta order some suitable caps does any have a sugestion for decent caps that are not silly money??

Butuz

[StanleyB]

The mod will work on the TC-7520, but output will be down by about 6dB compared to the opamp. I mentioned this already in this thread and won't keep repeating nmyself.

You can get two pieces of the Rubycon 47uF from Jimmy at http://tirnaelectronics.co.uk for £2.00, or there abouts, posted if you email or phone him and mentioned I sent you. His are fresh stock, which means the electrolyte inside the caps is not contaminated from lying idle on a shelf for years. So performance will be better than the BG I reckon.

[Butuz]

Sorry stan please bear in mind this thread is 25 pages long I only had time to skim read clearly not the best way of gleaning information but it's all I got before I hit the sack!

Ps. i noted the drop in output during op amp removal but it's not a problem as I don't usually listen at more than 1/4 volume anyway. Find myself maxing out at about 1/2 volume with op amp removal.

Cheers for the help.

Butuz

[AndrewR]

I've seen cheap Jamicons used in a lot of Heeds products

Hi leo, you've got it! They're used in the Heed Obelisk and my LK140 amplifier. So I thought it might be worth trying out as I really dig those amps, particularly with regards to their quick warm-up period and really beefy bass. Its just a hunch that the Jamicons may be the commonality there, but over the next few days (when I receive them) I could be proven wrong.

Anyway if I don't like them I've not lost much and can readily swap them for something else (probably try Nichicons).

Andrew

[Puffin]

Has anyone managed to compare the Caiman with the latest mod against anything else? Or is the mod so gripping that you nobody has bothered to even attempt a comparison? I need the research data for long term R&D purposes .

I can do a comparison of my Passived 7510 against the New DacMagic, LiTe Dac Ah and a Chinese CS4397 Dac?

[NRG]

I've got nothing else to compare it against Stan, just with the regulator and cap mod on the audio board it had already pushed past my TDA1541 and MF A3.24, I can try the MF again as it's not been used for a while so memory may be a little dim......

[leo]

I don't really have anything commercial to hand at the moment to compare against, only thing I have is diy so not really helpful

[leo]

Hi leo, you've got it! They're used in the Heed Obelisk and my LK140 amplifier. So I thought it might be worth trying out as I really dig those amps, particularly with regards to their quick warm-up period and really beefy bass. Its just a hunch that the Jamicons may be the commonality there, but over the next few days (when I receive them) I could be proven wrong.

Anyway if I don't like them I've not lost much and can readily swap them for something else (probably try Nichicons).

Andrew

Thats the nice thing with this mod, its cheap and easy to compare caps

[drumlins4ever]

I'm waiting for most of mine to arrive and will then conduct a little 'coupling cap bake-off'. The Nichicon MUSE caps are burning in at home right now, will have a proper listen tonight via CD rather than Sky HD.

Leaving the lid off and using the socket means that caps can be swapped around very quickly.

Any precautions to adhere to when swapping caps ?, don't they hold an electrical charge for a while ?

[MartinT]

Any precautions to adhere to when swapping caps ?, don't they hold an electrical charge for a while ?

The charge they hold is tiny, so no safety requirements. As for thumps through the system, switch the Caiman off while changing caps. Then play a few seconds of music with your preamp/power amp in mute before listening. Any charging thump will have been and gone.