7520/Caiman Mods.

[DaveK]

Hi Guys,
I just thought that I would post a non-audiophile's appraisal of my 7520 as mod'd by Tirna Electronics. Stan has been open enoughto identify the differences between the 7520 and the current Caiman and I, being completely solder phobic, decided to enquire of Tirna Electronics if they would Caimanise my 7520, which they agreed to do: -

I am happy to do the conversion to a Wolfson chip for £15.00 + £3.00 for the chip + the signed-for, insured P/P.

This added up to £30 + £8 for Recorded Delivery to Tirna.
Can I just add, before anyone accuses me of stabbing Stan in the back, that I approached Stan first to do the mods and he politely declined. He is aware of what I have done and is watching with interest, I believe.
The mods were carried out and returned to me in around 1 week - great service.
My appraisal? Well, as regular readers of this column will recognise, I am no audiophile and I am not up with the audiophile's jargon so I'll try and describe my findings in my own language,
I am 69 years old with Industry Related hearing loss and have come only recently to listening to good music, ie good sounds. My entire setup, including PC, amp, CD player, leads, cables, i/cs and speakers, came to well less than £2K and is a mixture of new and S/H, mainly ex-eBay. My music tastes are very eclectic, ranging from 50s and 60s pop, easy listening, crooners, light classics and even includes some Gregorian chant.
Compared with the standard 7520, straight out of the box I noticed a much tighter and punchier bass line, but in no way overdone. I believe that it now presents a wider sound stage, but as I am in the middle of a major redecorating and refurnishing project (pictures later, on completion) I have not really sat down properly and had a thorough listen. I can certainly identify a much deeper depth of sound stage. To illustrate, previously when listening to a favourite female vocalist, she sounded as if she was positioned in mid orchestra with the instruments all around her. Now she can clearly be identified, front and centre, with individual instruments each in individual positions, spread out behind her. What were heard previously as a fairly homogenous orchestra sound can now be heard as individually separate instruments in individually separate positions in the orchestra.
I am hearing things (good things) that I have never noticed before in music with which I am very familiar. Another thing that I have noticed is that some lyrics, the words of which I was not sure that I could hear properly before, are now much clearer and easier to understand what the vocalist is 'saying'.
Favourite music of mine is Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene and Equinoxe. Some of these tracks involve a rapid succession of short notes. Before, the end of one note tended to overlap the beginning of the next, now each note is heard as a distinct and seperate note.
I hope both the audiophiles and non audiophiles amongst us can make sense of what I am trying to get across.
I should also perhaps take this opportunity to thank Dr. James (Jimmy) Dripps and his son Alan for the speedy and efficient way in which they reacted to my request, right from initial enquiry to post-mod follow up.
Obviously anyone without a 7520 already and contemplating getting a DAC would be stupid not to go for a Caiman straight away, judging by the appraisals of the Caiman already posted, but if you already have a 7520 and are contemplating going for a Caiman it is very well worth contemplating a Tirna upgrade.
Sorry that this is such a long post but I thought it important to give as thorough an appraisal as I am capable of. I suspect others may be along shortly (no pun intended) to give a much shorter and hopefully equally enthusiastic appraisal based on much more experienced hearing than I possess.
Thanks for reading it down this far.
Cheers,

[Gazjam]

Agreed 100 percent.

Great service, deal with confidence.
Knowledgable, fair and good people.

A++

[Covenant]

Yep I am a happy Tirna customer too but I havent tried any Gregorian chants yet.

[Getgaff]

Great thread.

I'm sending my 7520 to be Wolfson'd by Tirna next week .

[Alex_UK]

Dave - don't do yourself an injustice - that was a great appraisal of the changes - thoroughly enjoyable and clear to my mind - perhaps that makes me a non-audiphile too!

[DaveK]

Hi Alex,
Thanks for that - I'm glad you liked it - I tend to write as I think and speak, which is why there are lots of little asides and enclosures in brackets and between dashes.
A couple more things I could have written in praise of the Tirna mods but forgot until after I had pressed the 'Submit' button are: -
1) when listening to choirs, (as now, Fron Male Voice Choir), before I could tell it was multiple voices but it was very homogenous, all blending together somehow, whereas now I can hear (almost) all the individual voices - much greater seperation I guess you audiophiles would call it
2) I have only briefly listened through headphones, Senn HD280, within a few minutes of switching it on for the first time and was almost blown away by the improvement (not increased volume ). I am currently in the middle of a lengthy redecoration and refurbishment of the lounge/listening room so it might be a while before I give it a real assessment, but it promises well.
Thanks again and Cheers,

[Marco]

Hi Dave,

1) when listening to choirs, (as now, Fron Male Voice Choir)...

Fron (short for Froncysyllte) is only about 7 miles from me

We heard the Fron choir perform at the world-famous Eisteddfod, where Pavarotti was discovered.

You see, it all happens in Wales!

Marco.

[DaveK]

Hi Dave,
You see, it all happens in Wales!
Marco.

Hi Marco,
Off the top of my head at the moment I can only think of two things that I appreciate that happened in Wales, (sorry, three): -
1) My daughter's degree (Cardiff,),
2) Katherine Jenkins, (beautiful of voice and form )
3) About a dozen of my very clean LPs
Cheers,
PS
With a fourth yet to come, pending receipt of a SL1200

[DaveK]

Regular readers of this column will already know that I am a big fan of Jean Michel Jarre, particularly Equinoxe and Oxygene, and have been for more than 25 years. I first heard these recordings on LPs when I was in Singapore in 1981 and/or 83. I have played them both (very) regularly ever since, having both LP and CD versions of both. I have been married to my wife for even longer, since 1966 , and she has suffered assault on her ear drums by JMJ ever since the early 80s - she does not share my enthusiasm for M. Jarre but tolerates it.
Tonight, having finished her TV viewing she joined me whilst Oxygene Pt. V was playing (PC, FLAC, Tirna-ised 7520, amp to speakers was the path, the only difference to the path used many many times before in her presence being the 7520). Lo and behold, without any prompting from me, out of the blue, she said, "I like this, I've not heard it before, what is it?"
After I'd picked myself up from the floor and told her she responded by saying "I've not heard it like that before".
Apparently miracles do still happen.
Stan, if you can bring about a change in appreciation like that, you can surely walk on water!! I now live in hopes that seeds have been set and that some may fall on fertile ground. It is the best testament, IMHO, to the qualities that you have built in to the 7520, that you are ever likely to get but, unfortunately it probably won't sell you many DACs .
Cheers,

[Alex_UK]

Far more valuable than any 5 star review!