Caiman passive output mod revealed

[HighFidelityGuy]

Dave, you definitely don't get any funny noises between tracks or when switching inputs? That would be the decider for me taking the muting relay out of circuit.

Nope. I've tried optical and coax inputs and I've not heard any funny noises between tracks. That's using the soundcard on my PC as a digital transport. I'm not sure if the soundcard mutes it's output between tracks. So I guess it will depend on how your source handles muting. I think it's worth trying once you've decided which caps to use in the long term.

[Gazjam]

http://eshop.tirnaelectronics.co.uk/...40b090d9b781f9

This is the one I want right?

If that is right, then there you go everyone a useful link

Hey Hamish..
thats the one Ive got from Jimmy at Tirna.
Its the Rubycon NA series...

think these are different from the ones (CA series?) that were fitted for the recent group buy Dave (hifidelityguy) organised for us?
I cant find anything online about the NA series, but Im assuming they are more modern than the CA..at least using the letter notation?

The ones from the link though are burning in nicely it has to be said...even at a couple of days.
big improvement over the opamp board/Grey Rubicon CE/AD826 opamps combo I had before.
Its just a lot more high end sounding...detail is sublime, bass through the floor (Stan got it right with kick drum hitting you in the back)...more of everything.
As others have reported, the increased dnamics are astonishing and to me best sum up the improvements..its as though there less to "get in the way" of the original sound.

To me its a bigger jumpo than fitting the Mutara regulators and the Elna Slimic IIs...

even a cack handed scotsman like me with no electronic skills done the job in 3 minutes..the opamp board just "pops" off.

I'm looking forward to your comparison between the Caiman and the Linn...

Next up, linear PSU from Maplins for me...big thanks to Jim(Trailer) for the 7520 PSU to use for the Maplins supply!

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Yeah, def should be interesting... The majik/dynamic is a different ball game to how the majik was without dynamik

It's reassuring that someone who calls them self a "cack handed scotsman" can do it

[Clive]

Has anyone tried the passive mod without the reg and capacitor changes? I'm wondering what the hierarchy is for the mods. Could it be regs 1st, caps 2nd, passive 3rd? Based on the assumption that the passive mod lets you hear more of what precedes it so the preceding sections need to be at their best?

I could ask the same re the 7520 as well but I expect the extra resolution of the Wolfson is an important factor.

[StanleyB]

You can start with any of the mods first. It's not a chicken and egg situation.

[Clive]

You can start with any of the mods first. It's not a chicken and egg situation.

Hi Stan, I'm aware that technically they can be done in any order but what I'm wondering is whether, say doing the passive mod on an otherwise unmodified 7520 might for instance show up noise from the standard regs. There are times when too much resolution downstream shows up upstream components. I'm thinking about synergy, rather than whether it technically works.

[Gazjam]

Has anyone tried the passive mod without the reg and capacitor changes? I'm wondering what the hierarchy is for the mods. Could it be regs 1st, caps 2nd, passive 3rd? Based on the assumption that the passive mod lets you hear more of what precedes it so the preceding sections need to be at their best?

I could ask the same re the 7520 as well but I expect the extra resolution of the Wolfson is an important factor.

Get Tirna to mod your 7520 to include the Wolfson Dac..its worth it.

[Clive]

Get Tirna to mod your 7520 to include the Wolfson Dac..its worth it.

Yes, there's no doubt I'm doing that (I won't tackle SMD), I'm trying to work out whether to do the other mods, though I'd do those myself. I know I'll end up doing the lot....

BTW, the reason I've not got around to any mods yet is that I've been focused on my 2 record decks and phono stages, I can only cope with optimising one type of source at a time. Oh yes, there's new preamp too...too many changes!

[Ali Tait]

Clive,I've done the passive mod on my 7510 which had previously had part of mod21 done (just the caps) The dac is otherwise standard.The passive mod certainly made by far the largest subjective difference to my ears.I used some Mundorf 'lytics,but have some SCR Obbligato on order as I reckon a film cap will give a better result in this application.

[Clive]

Clive,I've done the passive mod on my 7510 which had previously had part of mod21 done (just the caps) The dac is otherwise standard.The passive mod certainly made by far the largest subjective difference to my ears.I used some Mundorf 'lytics,but have some SCR Obbligato on order as I reckon a film cap will give a better result in this application.

Thanks Ali, that's very useful info. As my preamp has a 100k input impedance it seems I can go the film route too, even paper in oil though I expect film to work out better. I have various 0.47uF and 1uF caps.