ESS ES9008/9018 Sabre dac

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Leo,

That's very interesting, as I remember TPA folks saying that the IVYII and IVYIII are "almost identical". I guess "almost" just doesn't cut it

It's good to know that the Legato sounds good. I plan on swapping out the decoupling caps for BC037s, as I never really liked Nichicon caps. The bipolars will have to go as well, I think I'll use my LL1527s instead of caps.

Not sure how it'll sound, but Russ seems to think it's a good idea.

This actually is a very good scenario because the DAC sees a near 0 ohm load, and the transformer sees a low impedance source. Both ends are happy.

[leo]

I lowered the output voltage of the Z1A/Z1N from 15v to 12v , Legato runs a little cooler. Just the XO, VD and core regs need upgrading to PH shunts (series reg for the 1v2 core)

Think I'll change those Nichicon KW decoupling caps too tbh, anybody have any recommendations for something decent on analog supplies which doesn't add lots of signature?

I also need to try alternatives for the coupling caps

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Leo,

I find the BC037s rather decent and less "colorful" than many other caps I've used. But it sounds like that you aren't really interested

I've yet to see (hear) how they go with Legato though. Hurry up Mr. Donegan!

As for coupling caps, have you considered using film caps? May be worth trying.

Cheers,

[leo]

Hi Alex,

I'd like to try the BC037's but I don't think they are available from places like Farnell anymore, I'll have to check

I may try film caps for coupling although tbh lytics are not too bad if properly biased , a lot of film caps over 1uf I've tried sound what they are, plasticky

Edit according to Farnell, no longer manufactured http://uk.farnell.com/vishay-bc-comp...50v/dp/1165335

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Leo,

That's a shame. The BC037s still available locally, so it never occurred to me that they went out of production.

I'd like to recommend some very nice but inexpensive film caps, but they're probably difficult for you to obtain as well. Maybe I should stay quiet this time to avoid looking like an ass

Just one more question, please. You said:

I lowered the output voltage of the Z1A/Z1N from 15v to 12v , Legato runs a little cooler.

Does lowering the voltage affect sonic performance?

Thanks,

[leo]

Most of the good components are harder to find over here thanks to damn ROHS
Anyway let us know which film caps you recommend , maybe ebay will have some

I decided to change the 4 x bipolar 100uf Nichicon coupling caps to 4 x 10uf 50v Wima. I'm not a huge fan of Wima but must admit these are clearly better than the Nichicon bipolars the added bonus is their compact too being almost the same size as the Nichicons. Bass to high's are cleaner for sure so until I can find something better the Wima's will stay inplace .
For those with a Legato , try an alternative for the coupling caps, you may be pleasantly surprised

I'm not sure lowering the voltage with Legato makes a huge difference sonically , tbh if there was it must have been small

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Most of the good components are harder to find over here thanks to damn ROHS
Anyway let us know which film caps you recommend , maybe ebay will have some

I decided to change the 4 x bipolar 100uf Nichicon coupling caps to 4 x 10uf 50v Wima. I'm not a huge fan of Wima but must admit these are clearly better than the Nichicon bipolars the added bonus is their compact too being almost the same size as the Nichicons. Bass to high's are cleaner for sure so until I can find something better the Wima's will stay inplace .
For those with a Legato , try an alternative for the coupling caps, you may be pleasantly surprised

I'm not sure lowering the voltage with Legato makes a huge difference sonically , tbh if there was it must have been small

ROHS? That's something I'm still blissfully unaware of

The caps I'm referring to are the MKP2000. I'd describe them as "better Wimas", as they're relatively inexpensive and compact compared to more exotic film caps, and I find it OK to use them in multiple locations without adding too much color to the sound. Oh, did I mention that they sound noticeably better than the Wimas?

The official page is here. They also have an incomplete English version of it, which has no mention of the MKP2000s. I guess it's some kind of jealously guarded secret...

If you're interested, just send the site owner an e-mail. There's no need for Google translate btw, English is a mandatory school subject in Taiwan

And thanks for yours thoughts on Legato's voltage. Better set it at +/-12v then. Silly class A devices!

Cheers,

[leo]

Thanks Alex, I'll have to give the MKP2000 a try out Their bigger than the compact Wima's but at least their not huge compared to a lot of other plastic film types.

BTW I found this , I presume they are the same ? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Metalized-Poly...item3f02a65ac1

Cheers,
Leo

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Leo,

The picture is the same. But I've never dealt with the ebay seller, so I'm not 100% sure if they'll deliver the right ones. Though judging from the seller's feedback rating, I guess we can be 99.9% sure

I'd personally buy the caps direct for 20%+ cheaper price. Then again, if ebay is more convenient, then maybe you should use that instead.

Cheers,

[leo]

Hi Alex,

The ebay shop seemed easier to use, I'll send UCC Audio a mail first though asking payment details etc

Cheers,
Leo