Yes it is the 14 big blue cap around the TDA1541.
lampizato use 2.2 uF tantalum. I only go up to 1.1uF using 1uF PHE and Rifa SMR from my spare part box. The PHE are bulky and is quite hard to work with.
The Tantalum cap is quite small so they will be easy to handle. What I did was leaving the current cap alone and solder the bypass cap to the feet of the current cap (at the bottom of the PCB). No reason to throw away a good cap.
If you don't like the sound, just cut soldered cap off. It is a cheap mod and will not burn a hole to your pocket.
By right you should really do the power PCB 1st. The power supply affect everything and even though you might have the expensive blackgate, you must try this cheap mod. Yes, BG can clean up the power supply but a cleaner power supply allow the BG to do a much better job.
Lampizato use tantalum here but they are quite expensive where I am (almost the same price as PHE) so I use multilayer ceramic and monolithic. I add them wherever I can on the power PCB. Again I leave the current red bypass film cap alone but solder the new bypass cap to its feet.
I use ML ceramic on the 1st roll, monolithic on the 2nd and so on. And only do one or two roll at a time. Have a listen and enjoy the improvement for a week or two before heading for more soldering.
To me, these are the two must do on Thomas DAC. I find them better bang for the $ than BG.
Have fun
lampizato use 2.2 uF tantalum. I only go up to 1.1uF using 1uF PHE and Rifa SMR from my spare part box. The PHE are bulky and is quite hard to work with.
The Tantalum cap is quite small so they will be easy to handle. What I did was leaving the current cap alone and solder the bypass cap to the feet of the current cap (at the bottom of the PCB). No reason to throw away a good cap.
If you don't like the sound, just cut soldered cap off. It is a cheap mod and will not burn a hole to your pocket.
By right you should really do the power PCB 1st. The power supply affect everything and even though you might have the expensive blackgate, you must try this cheap mod. Yes, BG can clean up the power supply but a cleaner power supply allow the BG to do a much better job.
Lampizato use tantalum here but they are quite expensive where I am (almost the same price as PHE) so I use multilayer ceramic and monolithic. I add them wherever I can on the power PCB. Again I leave the current red bypass film cap alone but solder the new bypass cap to its feet.
I use ML ceramic on the 1st roll, monolithic on the 2nd and so on. And only do one or two roll at a time. Have a listen and enjoy the improvement for a week or two before heading for more soldering.
To me, these are the two must do on Thomas DAC. I find them better bang for the $ than BG.
Have fun
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Hello Sam,
i have been sending email to Thomas and ecdesigns and pocoyo and no answer
i don't know what to do for testing NOS mode
perhabs it is easy to transform full balanced version in SE version
can you please post detailed pictures of modules (so i can see connectors, wiring, jumpers.....)
if i don't arrive to do this i will perhabs test ecdesign mod for nos mode, but it' s would be great if someone has allready test and can confirm??
about capacitors you told :
"The power supply bypass. I find mixing different type of cap (ceramic, tantalum, monolithic) and value give the best bypass results. Try to bypass at every stages and places you can fit the cap. These cap are cheap and worth the effort.
"
I would be glad to see it on photos (where did you bypass, and with what value?)
thanks a lot for helpinp !
actually dac is singing on my system :
teac vrds X25
Thomas dac
apertura RC50 amplification
907Be JmLAB anniversary
i have been testing yersterday USB with streaming radio :
sky.fm, american singer radio
sound was incredible, just as good as Teac VRDS (but my cables are just very bad actually)
il will then do lampization !
thx a lot Sam
i have been sending email to Thomas and ecdesigns and pocoyo and no answer
i don't know what to do for testing NOS mode
perhabs it is easy to transform full balanced version in SE version
can you please post detailed pictures of modules (so i can see connectors, wiring, jumpers.....)
if i don't arrive to do this i will perhabs test ecdesign mod for nos mode, but it' s would be great if someone has allready test and can confirm??
about capacitors you told :
"The power supply bypass. I find mixing different type of cap (ceramic, tantalum, monolithic) and value give the best bypass results. Try to bypass at every stages and places you can fit the cap. These cap are cheap and worth the effort.
"
I would be glad to see it on photos (where did you bypass, and with what value?)
thanks a lot for helpinp !
actually dac is singing on my system :
teac vrds X25
Thomas dac
apertura RC50 amplification
907Be JmLAB anniversary
i have been testing yersterday USB with streaming radio :
sky.fm, american singer radio
sound was incredible, just as good as Teac VRDS (but my cables are just very bad actually)
il will then do lampization !
thx a lot Sam
I am using left over 33pF multilayer ceramic cap. Using mix value monolithic cap and I think they are between 2200pF to 0.001uF. I solder the cap right on the feet of the current red bypass cap. All you need to do is lightly desolder the current red bypass cap and solder the extra bypass cap on to it. Do one feet at a time. If you know soldering, this is piece of cake.
As for ecdesigns fix on the NOS, well his inst for SN74HC04 is for the 14 pin version. Thomas DAC is using 16 pin. I've email him asking for the 16pin inst and so far no reply.
As for the jumper setting, Julian inst is very complete. If you need to find out on other jumper, let me know and I'll have a look for you. The DAC is in a case and their wiring mean they are a pain to be taken out for photograph. Specially under the PCB. Not sure I'll have time to do this as work is heading to the end of year madness. Also, no guarantee of clear shot on every single jumper and cable.
As for ecdesigns fix on the NOS, well his inst for SN74HC04 is for the 14 pin version. Thomas DAC is using 16 pin. I've email him asking for the 16pin inst and so far no reply.
As for the jumper setting, Julian inst is very complete. If you need to find out on other jumper, let me know and I'll have a look for you. The DAC is in a case and their wiring mean they are a pain to be taken out for photograph. Specially under the PCB. Not sure I'll have time to do this as work is heading to the end of year madness. Also, no guarantee of clear shot on every single jumper and cable.
some pics
hello ,
i send you some pics of my dac
can you just take a look at the wiring and jumpers positions?
i try now to transform my full balanced dac in SE dac
i think cards are the same, only wiring and perhabs jumpers are changing ?
i have been looking at the schematics, but i did nt found one schematic for SE dac and another for full balanced !
thanks a lot for your help : do you see something different in your dac (wiring !)
first pic is one of my two tda1541 card (i have been removing the other)
jumper 19 and 20 are important i think
Gomi
hello ,
i send you some pics of my dac
can you just take a look at the wiring and jumpers positions?
i try now to transform my full balanced dac in SE dac
i think cards are the same, only wiring and perhabs jumpers are changing ?
i have been looking at the schematics, but i did nt found one schematic for SE dac and another for full balanced !
thanks a lot for your help : do you see something different in your dac (wiring !)
first pic is one of my two tda1541 card (i have been removing the other)
jumper 19 and 20 are important i think
Gomi
Attachments
how to : balanced dac to SE dac > NOS + noreclock
Hello My DAC is now SE dac thanks to Jean Charles Sam and Julien
here is the howto go from balanced to SE dac Nos + no reclock
remove CPLD card
remove one of the two TDA card : remove J5 cable
optionnaly if you go for nos no reclock you can remove SA7220
on TDA1541 card change jumpers :
J19 pin 1 and 2 short together (default pin 2/3 short together)
J20 short jumper (default open)
connect rca (ground to the middle of connector ; L and R each side of connector
changing settings on the card for nos + no reclock
S7 no change : all off
S8 all off default> all on
S3 all on default > all off
S1 off off on on default > on off on on
J3 no change open
J4 J6 J7 all short default > all open
now i m listening nos + no reclock, and it's just better
i would like to inject I2S signal directly, and bypass 8412, anyone trying?
i want to use PC for music, i think it's could be great to get directly I2S signal frome PC perhaps with TG Link card Odeum
Hello My DAC is now SE dac thanks to Jean Charles Sam and Julien
here is the howto go from balanced to SE dac Nos + no reclock
remove CPLD card
remove one of the two TDA card : remove J5 cable
optionnaly if you go for nos no reclock you can remove SA7220
on TDA1541 card change jumpers :
J19 pin 1 and 2 short together (default pin 2/3 short together)
J20 short jumper (default open)
connect rca (ground to the middle of connector ; L and R each side of connector
changing settings on the card for nos + no reclock
S7 no change : all off
S8 all off default> all on
S3 all on default > all off
S1 off off on on default > on off on on
J3 no change open
J4 J6 J7 all short default > all open
now i m listening nos + no reclock, and it's just better
i would like to inject I2S signal directly, and bypass 8412, anyone trying?
i want to use PC for music, i think it's could be great to get directly I2S signal frome PC perhaps with TG Link card Odeum
Hi Gomi, glad to hear that your SE version is singing.
My experience with IV is limited to the one supply by Thomas. So my opinion is no good.
Like yourself I am split between active tube IV and passive using transformer. At the moment I am leaning toward the transformer. But this is on hold due to $$, Lundahl is expensive.
Well will appreciate if someone can share their transformer IV experience, specially on a TDA1541 DAC.
My experience with IV is limited to the one supply by Thomas. So my opinion is no good.
Like yourself I am split between active tube IV and passive using transformer. At the moment I am leaning toward the transformer. But this is on hold due to $$, Lundahl is expensive.
Well will appreciate if someone can share their transformer IV experience, specially on a TDA1541 DAC.
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