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I`m not very sure if that socket it could be just made of steel. As usual it should be brass or bronse, then nikkel plated, or so. How do you know it is made of steel?
It seems that Oppo had changed the approach about that AC socket. In the first produced HA-1 models, that socket was connected to the board through another two pins connector (easy to replace it).
If the socket is now soldered into the board, then it may not be very easy to replace it.
A solution it may be to just cut the socket pins very near to the board, and then solder on that rest of pins some connection wires to the new socket... However, it may not be just a easy task this one... Maybe a better alternative it may be to just let it so how it is...
I had recently a negative surprise while I tried to solder on the original red connection wires, Oppo use in their devices (in a recent model of their players). That wire was very difficult to solder on it. It not accepted the soldering alloy... So, my conclusion is that Oppo started in the last time to use connection wires made of something else than copper (tin plated)... This is for sure to lower even more the production prices...
The connection wires I refer to, were not for main AC power, but for DC low voltage power... So, in this respect it will not be very surprisingly that you have right, and that socket is not made of an copper alloy, but right of steel...
Cheaper, cheaper, and cheaper inside... for higher and higher selling prices...
However, I still appreciate as not important for the device functionality and performances, if that power socket pins could be made of steel. But if the connection wires inside the device, and for DC power are not made of copper (at least alloy of it), then it may not be just fortunate...
It seems that Oppo had changed the approach about that AC socket. In the first produced HA-1 models, that socket was connected to the board through another two pins connector (easy to replace it).
If the socket is now soldered into the board, then it may not be very easy to replace it.
A solution it may be to just cut the socket pins very near to the board, and then solder on that rest of pins some connection wires to the new socket... However, it may not be just a easy task this one... Maybe a better alternative it may be to just let it so how it is...
I had recently a negative surprise while I tried to solder on the original red connection wires, Oppo use in their devices (in a recent model of their players). That wire was very difficult to solder on it. It not accepted the soldering alloy... So, my conclusion is that Oppo started in the last time to use connection wires made of something else than copper (tin plated)... This is for sure to lower even more the production prices...
The connection wires I refer to, were not for main AC power, but for DC low voltage power... So, in this respect it will not be very surprisingly that you have right, and that socket is not made of an copper alloy, but right of steel...
Cheaper, cheaper, and cheaper inside... for higher and higher selling prices...
However, I still appreciate as not important for the device functionality and performances, if that power socket pins could be made of steel. But if the connection wires inside the device, and for DC power are not made of copper (at least alloy of it), then it may not be just fortunate...
I think it was me who I mixed up a little bit about that socket, and not Oppo has changed the design in the mean time... That connector with wires, I referred to in previous post it is going to the small transformer beside, and the main AC socket it was always directly connected to the board. Sorry for the confusion.
Yes, I got confirmation from Oppo Tech that the Main AC socket is made of steel. There is only one possibility to do so, removing the board away from the chassis, and desolder the pins from underneath. Then using thick Copper wires to solder on the board, which can then be screwed onto the main AC socket which is made of Copper.
But, even so, the works won't be worth it because the reliability is out the window. Beside, these steel pins are Flat and square, the space is so constricted that if trying to use heavy gauge wires would not be ideal at all.
But, even so, the works won't be worth it because the reliability is out the window. Beside, these steel pins are Flat and square, the space is so constricted that if trying to use heavy gauge wires would not be ideal at all.
I still think the steel used for the IEC connector pins is not just a bad idea. Are so more robust and it not impact at all over the functionality and the device parameters.
To take out the whole board there is indeed a tremendous complicated task, but not impossible at all. Lot of to be dismounted and disconnected, as the reverse of the operations, for a doubtful goal...
The connection wires from the board to the new IEC it may not be that thick. These wires are very short, and the current through it is not very high for the length involved. I appreciate a 1 mm for a overall conductor diameter it may be more than enough. You can even make your short connection wires, using a copper conductor of some sort, isolated with some shrinking tube or a Teflon tube ve over it. There is not necessary to be very flexible that wires, as it will stay always in the same position. To avoid dismounting the whole board you can just cut the pins of the original connector, so to keep a part of it out of the board. Then bend that rest of the pins, to avoid they will go through holes while soldering some wires over it, on the upper side of the board (kept in its place). Done! If you will apply my suggestion to mount the whole back panel a little bit far from its original place (by using some 6 - 8 mm M3 spacers on all the parts to be fixed on that panel), then you may create so a little bit more place back to the new IEC, and its connection wires...
To take out the whole board there is indeed a tremendous complicated task, but not impossible at all. Lot of to be dismounted and disconnected, as the reverse of the operations, for a doubtful goal...
The connection wires from the board to the new IEC it may not be that thick. These wires are very short, and the current through it is not very high for the length involved. I appreciate a 1 mm for a overall conductor diameter it may be more than enough. You can even make your short connection wires, using a copper conductor of some sort, isolated with some shrinking tube or a Teflon tube ve over it. There is not necessary to be very flexible that wires, as it will stay always in the same position. To avoid dismounting the whole board you can just cut the pins of the original connector, so to keep a part of it out of the board. Then bend that rest of the pins, to avoid they will go through holes while soldering some wires over it, on the upper side of the board (kept in its place). Done! If you will apply my suggestion to mount the whole back panel a little bit far from its original place (by using some 6 - 8 mm M3 spacers on all the parts to be fixed on that panel), then you may create so a little bit more place back to the new IEC, and its connection wires...
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First I`m not so sure the new Sabre chip it is just pin to pin compatible. If it may be, then there is for sure different the software (firmware) for it. The HA-1 it have a firmware, which it both control and set quite many parameters inside the DAC chip registries and so on.
Here it can be indeed a compatibility problem. In HA-1 the use of the software/firmware is more elaborated and exstended than in BD players. Another problem is the necessary time to an ESS9038Pro chip will be fully accessible to the large DIY public (included its datasheet). It may take few years at least, if ESS it keep their present information policy...
All these "cons" does not mean that you can not try such mod...
In the end, I would like to say that the DAC chip in HA-1 is not an issue at all. The existent chip it perform just exceptional. The major problem (similar to Oppo players too), is the surrounding approach beside the DAC chip (power, clock). These elements it may degrade the outputted results of the ESS9018. Else the chip is just a exceptional piece of design.
I appreciate as more appropriate improvement, the use of new ESS power chips/regulators, special designed for their DACs, instead of the cheap regulators Oppo used around the ESS9018 in HA-1. However, a such improvement it may not be very easy to implement it in HA-1...
Here it can be indeed a compatibility problem. In HA-1 the use of the software/firmware is more elaborated and exstended than in BD players. Another problem is the necessary time to an ESS9038Pro chip will be fully accessible to the large DIY public (included its datasheet). It may take few years at least, if ESS it keep their present information policy...
All these "cons" does not mean that you can not try such mod...
In the end, I would like to say that the DAC chip in HA-1 is not an issue at all. The existent chip it perform just exceptional. The major problem (similar to Oppo players too), is the surrounding approach beside the DAC chip (power, clock). These elements it may degrade the outputted results of the ESS9018. Else the chip is just a exceptional piece of design.
I appreciate as more appropriate improvement, the use of new ESS power chips/regulators, special designed for their DACs, instead of the cheap regulators Oppo used around the ESS9018 in HA-1. However, a such improvement it may not be very easy to implement it in HA-1...
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I see Coris. What if we replace the resistors inside Ha-1 to MELF or F registers ? What about better and more expensive capacitors ? I may want to start out by doing the Resistors first ? Do you have any idea what values those are ? Thanks
ESS confirmed that es9028 pro not the 38pro, it is pin to pin direct upgrade to the 9018S. I am not sure if software would cause a compatible problem though
ESS confirmed that es9028 pro not the 38pro, it is pin to pin direct upgrade to the 9018S. I am not sure if software would cause a compatible problem though
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Well, some things are not yet very clear about the next Sabre DAC chip... We may wait first to it come out in fact on marked, to be then used by some "selected" users, and so on... It will come so some more infos about...
When to start improvements for HA-1 inside components, I will suggest as a first step the replacement of the filtering caps. These caps should have a bigger capacity value for almost the same physical dimensions to fit into the quite tight place inside, and it have to be 105 deg. C rated, as it is enough warm inside...
One should know that bigger filtering capacities for filtering caps it may trygger the over current protection of the device at power on. This it will prevent the start up using remote control, but it will still work using the start button on front panel (one should hold pressed this button a little bit longer to pass through the over current control in start up sequence). There is a little inconvenient this one, but if it is fixed to work, then is worth to have a better filtering for power system.
First of all step for an overall improvement is to improve the ventilation inside the HA_1 enclosure. Mount the back panel at a distance from the chassis, then install a silent fan inside to exhaust the heat. This fan it can be in the first instance, powered from the remote 12v DC on the device remote start up connector. This circuit it tolerate 100mA load, more than enough for a under voltage powered fan.
I think I have published here in the beginning of the thread something about such fan/ventilation mod.
When to start improvements for HA-1 inside components, I will suggest as a first step the replacement of the filtering caps. These caps should have a bigger capacity value for almost the same physical dimensions to fit into the quite tight place inside, and it have to be 105 deg. C rated, as it is enough warm inside...
One should know that bigger filtering capacities for filtering caps it may trygger the over current protection of the device at power on. This it will prevent the start up using remote control, but it will still work using the start button on front panel (one should hold pressed this button a little bit longer to pass through the over current control in start up sequence). There is a little inconvenient this one, but if it is fixed to work, then is worth to have a better filtering for power system.
First of all step for an overall improvement is to improve the ventilation inside the HA_1 enclosure. Mount the back panel at a distance from the chassis, then install a silent fan inside to exhaust the heat. This fan it can be in the first instance, powered from the remote 12v DC on the device remote start up connector. This circuit it tolerate 100mA load, more than enough for a under voltage powered fan.
I think I have published here in the beginning of the thread something about such fan/ventilation mod.
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