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Post by MikeMusic on Nov 11, 2015 13:01:24 GMT
Stan reckoned on 45 mins, it was more like 60 for me and without all the components done! However, speed is not the goal here. 5 minutes were spent looking for the bloody gold buttons! So around 2 hours for me and then disaster as it doesn't work ! |
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Post by MartinT on Nov 11, 2015 13:55:52 GMT
Give Stan a chance and he might be able to swing a deal with Tirna to perform the rework for the many who won't want to do this themselves.
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Post by tony on Nov 11, 2015 14:04:11 GMT
Way beyond my abilities!!!
What is consensus regards the sonic improvements?
If its worth it I may let Tirna do the work OR if Stan brings out a MK3!!!
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Post by MartinT on Nov 11, 2015 14:53:52 GMT
Tony - there is no consensus yet because my mods are incomplete (and no other member appears to have tried them yet), but I promise I will tell all once I've received the additional components.
What I will say now is that the SQ improvement fully justifies the effort and minimal cost so far.
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Post by stanleyb on Nov 11, 2015 16:06:44 GMT
I spoke to Jimmy at Tirna and she said that he would look at it and let me know.
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 12:10:46 GMT
I now have the 10uF and 100uF SMD tantalums in the correct (B) size, so will be doing those tonight.
Stan - my 15nF WIMAs also finally arrived but I have already installed the 10nF ones. Is 15nF mandatory for this upgrade? I'm not sure what these caps do.
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Post by krzysztof on Nov 13, 2015 12:25:56 GMT
I now have the 10uF and 100uF SMD tantalums in the correct (B) size, so will be doing those tonight. Stan - my 15nF WIMAs also finally arrived but I have already installed the 10nF ones. Is 15nF mandatory for this upgrade? I'm not sure what these caps do. Yes, good quesiton. Another could be according to the Stan's PDF: If you do not intend to remove the PCB in order to carry out the C73 and C83 mods, then try a 100uF/4V or 6.3V size B tantalum SMD in this location. So,what if I do intend to change C73 and C83? [..,] |
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 13:10:35 GMT
I'm doing both (have already done the supercaps). A bit more local smoothing shouldn't do any harm.
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Post by krzysztof on Nov 13, 2015 13:40:44 GMT
I'm doing both (have already done the supercaps). A bit more local smoothing shouldn't do any harm. Probably you're right. Happy soldering and let us know what you achieved there. |
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Post by krzysztof on Nov 13, 2015 15:39:55 GMT
BTW, same story on my side, 100uF arrived in C size  Ordered B size now. WIMAa arrived in 5mm legs, but I guess could be bended to fit to 2.5mm pads. Rest is fine. Instead of WIMAs I have also some blue Philips polypropylene caps, they could also fit. |
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 15:44:29 GMT
100uF arrived in C size Glad it's not just me!  |
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Post by stanleyb on Nov 13, 2015 17:37:16 GMT
I now have the 10uF and 100uF SMD tantalums in the correct (B) size, so will be doing those tonight. Stan - my 15nF WIMAs also finally arrived but I have already installed the 10nF ones. Is 15nF mandatory for this upgrade? I'm not sure what these caps do. The 15nF is not mandatory. But my HD800 headphones sound a bit smoother with 15nF instead of 10nF. I don't play music through my speakers loud enough to know if it is much of a difference on the average audio material. |
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 19:34:56 GMT
Part 2Now for the lone cap C44, the WIMA pair C47/48 (changing them to 15nF as Stan seems to feel they sound slightly better) and the metal film resistors R47/48. Unfortunately, although I thought they were in the package, I still have no 100uF in B size so that'll have to wait for Part 3. I bent the resistors to stand up as in Stan's example, creating tiny legs to solder more easily to the pads.  Photo taken before I cleaned up the board, you can see some solder whiskers around C44. This is inevitable as even my narrow-tipped soldering iron is large compared with these tiny components. I tend to slightly over-solder for fear of dry joints and wiggle the components afterwards for any 'creaking' indicating that the joint is not well made. On the other hand, there's always the fear of pulling a pad off the PCB! The sound quality difference at first seems negligible, but I've been listening to Hugh Masakela's Hope and the way the dynamics pulse while the soundstage is so free and open tells me that I'm hearing more music. The rasp of the trumpets is incredibly vivid, too (something my Usher beryllium midrange drivers do exceptionally well when fed with good material). So the pleasure factor is up, onwards and upwards towards part 3 soon.
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Post by stanleyb on Nov 13, 2015 21:16:16 GMT
What is so striking on my modded PCB is how much more noticeable the fluctuations in vocals are. That's the most difficult thing to reproduce. I have heard amps etc. where the loss of that extra level of depth is often masked by a warm sound. That can often give the impression that you are hearing more.
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 22:30:46 GMT
I have the feeling that my remaining mods (C43, C49) are going to give me more of that. There is nothing at all I could fault in the vocal range and transparency is significantly up with the SFWv4 and mods combined.
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Post by MartinT on Nov 13, 2015 22:34:02 GMT
Thanks Martin, for the conversion write up with pictures. That'll be very helpful when I do mine. Let us know when you start on it, Greg. Pictures will be great! |
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Post by stanleyb on Nov 15, 2015 20:09:46 GMT
I had a word with Jimmy at www.tirnaelectronics.co.uk and he is more than happy to do part or all of the mods for anyone who is not confident enough to tackle the mod. Jimmy has done mods on a variety of my DACs for mainly UK members of another UK forum that many of us have been and/or are members of. From what I understand, due to his previous contacts with customers from those mods, he is regularly being asked by forum members to help out with all sorts of soldering requirements. I have asked Jimmy to join us on TAS, because there may well be many occasions where it is handy to know someone to fall back on when a soldering project you have in mind is a bridge too far. You can contact Jimmy via the number or email address on his website. |
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Post by MartinT on Nov 15, 2015 20:39:02 GMT
Great stuff, Stan, and thanks for inviting Jimmy who will be very welcome to join.
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Post by MartinT on Nov 16, 2015 6:36:22 GMT
I'm hoping that my 100uF tantalums will turn up so that I can complete the last part of my mods. Excited to see if there is yet more improvement to be had.
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Post by stanleyb on Nov 16, 2015 7:23:07 GMT
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Ordered B size now. WIMAa arrived in 5mm legs, but I guess could be bended to fit to 2.5mm pads. Rest is fine. Instead of WIMAs I have also some blue Philips polypropylene caps, they could also fit.
