and I suppose I would use a relay between the DC converter and the battery for remote turn on ? hooked to the head unit's remote turn on wire ?
I bought some Adire Extremis from CSS years ago for this car. The rare 6.4 4ohm drivers have been sitting in their box, never mounted. Figured I would power them with a big tripath chipamp and use the electronic Xover.
But hey, all this is off-topic to this thread. Lets get back to the FE builds.
I bought some Adire Extremis from CSS years ago for this car. The rare 6.4 4ohm drivers have been sitting in their box, never mounted. Figured I would power them with a big tripath chipamp and use the electronic Xover.
But hey, all this is off-topic to this thread. Lets get back to the FE builds.
My Isotek report.
I know why Dario likes this CD - It sounds like the soundtrack to a Dune movie.
There is truly a noticeable improvement in the clarity of the sound. It's a different change than I expected - like that "lifting the veil" analogy that's often used. I've been listening for about an hour an a half and not found anything that doesn't sound cleaner if the recording quality is there to begin with. Dynamics and punch, I think, are better but that's hard to tell or define when the overall clarity changes at the same time. Been looking for the high register "fuzz" I mentioned earlier and I think it has been tamed if not eliminated.
The signal passes from a computer through a DAC, the FE amps and then a fairly sophisticated crossover to get to the drivers in the speakers. That's a whole pile of caps, coils, resistors and do-dads, so there is no possible way one could even guess what adjusted the most.
Something I really didn't expect was learning that my system is not balanced. There is a spot on the CD that sounds like a rapid paddle-ball (you remember that rubber ball, rubber band and wooden paddle toy) that is clearly louder on the left side. I'm going to do a bunch of swapping to find the problem, but I'm hoping/suspecting it might be a corroded pot on the Lexicon box I'm using till I get the Mini2496 DAC back online. I'll try the PS1 CD player with a naked pot also.
I'll be able to better hear the results of the Isotek process in the next few days, as I'll just be plugging in the V1.3s in the integrated build, the BrianGTs and a pair of vanilla V1.2 amps. The rest of the stream should be stable. Also the FG caps and several Caddock resistors will go into the FEs, so I'll re-burn that system then.
So far - the CD seems to be a worthwhile investment.
More To Come ..................
I know why Dario likes this CD - It sounds like the soundtrack to a Dune movie.
There is truly a noticeable improvement in the clarity of the sound. It's a different change than I expected - like that "lifting the veil" analogy that's often used. I've been listening for about an hour an a half and not found anything that doesn't sound cleaner if the recording quality is there to begin with. Dynamics and punch, I think, are better but that's hard to tell or define when the overall clarity changes at the same time. Been looking for the high register "fuzz" I mentioned earlier and I think it has been tamed if not eliminated.
The signal passes from a computer through a DAC, the FE amps and then a fairly sophisticated crossover to get to the drivers in the speakers. That's a whole pile of caps, coils, resistors and do-dads, so there is no possible way one could even guess what adjusted the most.
Something I really didn't expect was learning that my system is not balanced. There is a spot on the CD that sounds like a rapid paddle-ball (you remember that rubber ball, rubber band and wooden paddle toy) that is clearly louder on the left side. I'm going to do a bunch of swapping to find the problem, but I'm hoping/suspecting it might be a corroded pot on the Lexicon box I'm using till I get the Mini2496 DAC back online. I'll try the PS1 CD player with a naked pot also.
I'll be able to better hear the results of the Isotek process in the next few days, as I'll just be plugging in the V1.3s in the integrated build, the BrianGTs and a pair of vanilla V1.2 amps. The rest of the stream should be stable. Also the FG caps and several Caddock resistors will go into the FEs, so I'll re-burn that system then.
So far - the CD seems to be a worthwhile investment.
More To Come ..................
I know why Dario likes this CD - It sounds like the soundtrack to a Dune movie.
You don't give justice to Toto and Brian Eno...
I do agree.
The more evident change, IMHO, is bass firmness.
More subtle but real is the 'cleaning' effect, the naturalness of sound.
I've had the same impression on my system (which I don't know if it's perfectly balanced) maybe the CD is made that way.
So, it's not snake oil?
Got pretty dramatic results today with the Isotek Rejuvenation CD on Siva's V1.3 amps. These have the LFO1, Sonicaps at C13, Black Gates at C9 and everything else included in Siva's premium package. Also in the box are a JC-2 pre that's controlled by Uriah's Lighter Note.
I only needed one record to hear the difference. I selected this CD because it still sounded muffled when played on the FEs earlier this morning. So I wanted to see what would happen when I did the burn-in on the integrated build. This CD is a gorgeous A-Capella offering where all the supporting instrumental sounds are vocally produced. The female voices are as pure and wide ranging as any I've heard. They can mimic a clarinet’s top notes with uncanny similarity.
Amazon.com: Mood Swings: Swingle Singers: Music
A very clean, detailed and coherent image was produced immediately after the process. What really caught my attention was the increased room ambience and studio introduced reverb. There was no trace of screech or fuzziness on any of the voices. I think it is due to the nature of my speaker and how they have been pre-stressed by the music I play, but I'm not hearing as much low end differences as Dario. Most certainly, there is an improvement in everything from the mids down, but I hear it as definition/solidity more than boost.
The tweeters just plain sound more pleasant and musical. I can't find any of the occasional ear fatiguing nature of the MyRef/LM3886 family. I'm understanding that this Isotek process is one that doesn't knock you over - but after a day or so - there is a warm glow in the room.
Very nice and indeed useful - Dario.
I only needed one record to hear the difference. I selected this CD because it still sounded muffled when played on the FEs earlier this morning. So I wanted to see what would happen when I did the burn-in on the integrated build. This CD is a gorgeous A-Capella offering where all the supporting instrumental sounds are vocally produced. The female voices are as pure and wide ranging as any I've heard. They can mimic a clarinet’s top notes with uncanny similarity.
Amazon.com: Mood Swings: Swingle Singers: Music
A very clean, detailed and coherent image was produced immediately after the process. What really caught my attention was the increased room ambience and studio introduced reverb. There was no trace of screech or fuzziness on any of the voices. I think it is due to the nature of my speaker and how they have been pre-stressed by the music I play, but I'm not hearing as much low end differences as Dario. Most certainly, there is an improvement in everything from the mids down, but I hear it as definition/solidity more than boost.
The tweeters just plain sound more pleasant and musical. I can't find any of the occasional ear fatiguing nature of the MyRef/LM3886 family. I'm understanding that this Isotek process is one that doesn't knock you over - but after a day or so - there is a warm glow in the room.
Very nice and indeed useful - Dario.
Attachments
Can you elaborate?
It seems you're saying that Siva's 1.3 modules with LF01 sound better than the FE, it's so?
Maybe I've expressed myself incorrectly.
I never talked about bass bost, bass became rock solid and controlled, to the point it seems a bit less...
You're welcome
"Can you elaborate?"
That was the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning. I was listening to several pieces on the FEs in a search for just one that would serve as a base. The Swingle Singers was "muffled" compared to the others I heard and had a less complicated instrumentation while also containing a wide range of high and low notes.
I then listened to it on the V1.3s to both tune my ears and get to full warm-up ~30 min. My description dealt with the differences heard before and after the Isotek process - not between the FE and the integrated build.
In my view, the most difficult part of doing any of these comparisons is establishing a valid "audio memory". As little as 30 minutes can diminish ones perception. Also, keep in mind that we have been dealing with decreasing amounts of change/improvement over the past 8 - 10 months. I think we are polishing - not sculpting at this point.
P.S. Beta Testers 2,3,4,5 ..... HELP !!! Dario is trying to bust my chops
I haven't installed the FG caps or the new Caddocks on the FE amps yet (Hey - sometimes procrastination pays off) so I will try a direct comparison between the FEs and the V1.3s later today. Both will have had three passes of the second track on the Isotek CD. [#1 Small Systems 30 min, #2 Large Systems w/Sub 30min, #3 Quick Touch-up]
In any event, even though I don't own the equipment to verify, it's a good feeling to know/believe that the burn-in variable has been reduced and/or eliminated.
Dario, I think we are hearing the same thing from the low end changes. There just may be a small change in "flavor" due to differing speaker designs.
P.S. BETA TESTERS 3.4.5.6.... Help !! Dario is trying to bust my chops.
That was the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning. I was listening to several pieces on the FEs in a search for just one that would serve as a base. The Swingle Singers was "muffled" compared to the others I heard and had a less complicated instrumentation while also containing a wide range of high and low notes.
I then listened to it on the V1.3s to both tune my ears and get to full warm-up ~30 min. My description dealt with the differences heard before and after the Isotek process - not between the FE and the integrated build.
In my view, the most difficult part of doing any of these comparisons is establishing a valid "audio memory". As little as 30 minutes can diminish ones perception. Also, keep in mind that we have been dealing with decreasing amounts of change/improvement over the past 8 - 10 months. I think we are polishing - not sculpting at this point.
P.S. Beta Testers 2,3,4,5 ..... HELP !!! Dario is trying to bust my chops
I haven't installed the FG caps or the new Caddocks on the FE amps yet (Hey - sometimes procrastination pays off) so I will try a direct comparison between the FEs and the V1.3s later today. Both will have had three passes of the second track on the Isotek CD. [#1 Small Systems 30 min, #2 Large Systems w/Sub 30min, #3 Quick Touch-up]
In any event, even though I don't own the equipment to verify, it's a good feeling to know/believe that the burn-in variable has been reduced and/or eliminated.
Dario, I think we are hearing the same thing from the low end changes. There just may be a small change in "flavor" due to differing speaker designs.
P.S. BETA TESTERS 3.4.5.6.... Help !! Dario is trying to bust my chops.
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I've hit a snag. I forgot to order hardware to attach the heat sink to R3. I desoldered some fancy aluminum heat sinks from a dead RCA but the screw is too big and theres not enough room. I pulled the nut & screw from the HS on my dead Kookaburra and they don't fit either. I think Dario said it was a 3mm but I'm still looking thru my piles to find something on-hand that will work.
So there's my excu...... reason. Next beta tester ?
From my Rev C tutorial:
Now we're going to prepare R3s, If yours screw are bigger than resistor's hole you can enlarge it with a screwdriver.
In fact 3mm screws enter only after enlarging the holes...
Also those heatsinks are there for safety, if you have efficent speakers (> 89db) they won't heat much.
Bob, are you still using an almost Rikens setup?
They should be used sparingly, at the end while delicious they're colored, too much of them can bring to a closed sound.
Actually I don't have such a problem with any of my CDs...
Now it's more clear, thanks
I do agree on auditory memory, it's one of the reasons why I use sockets... they permit a very rapid swap.
I'm don't agree completely on polishing... some of the alternative parts have a not small impact on sound, IMHO.
Fine
It's one of the things I most appreciate of the Isotek.
Now it's a fundamental tool in my evaluations.
It's probably so.
P.S. BETA TESTERS 3.4.5.6.... Help !! Dario is trying to bust my chops.
As I hear it. My subjective comparison of my FE build and the V1.3 integrated. From the start I have to establish there are a lot of variables as I’ll try to describe.
The major difference is power. I started on the V1.3 build as warm-up with Amazon.com: A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection: Alison Krauss: Music . A clear and resonant vocalist with acoustic and electric guitar, reasonable percussion and solid bass. The music sounded top notch with all the qualities I mentioned yesterday. The acoustic guitar sounded really great and all the placements were accurate and distinct. Switching to the Fes without touching any volume knob produced a lot more SPL.
So I mounted my meter on a tripod and started over. The difference in registered peak was 85-86 with an occasional bump to 87 for the V1.3s and 87-88 with many bumps to 90 for the FEs. What sounded comfortable with the V1.3s sounded loud on the FEs.
This was counterintuitive because the FEs use two of the smaller ApexJr 120 VAC toroids and the V1.3s have the larger Antek AN-2222 200 VAC transformers. (BTW - I gave up the hunt for affordable FE R-Cores yesterday and ordered two 300 VACs from Antek.) The other variable here might be the fact that I robbed the big Mundorf caps (C3 & C8) from the V1.3s to audition in the FE beta build.
With the need to make frequent volume adjustments – sound quality was harder to deal with. At that “comfortable” level the V1.3s sounded accurate and relaxed. If I attempted to bring the volume up to peak at 90, I could hear stress and what I believe is intermodulation distortion. I didn’t hear that with the Fes higher SPL but there was a more “forward” nature in addition to the increased power. This one man jury is still out on that being a benefit.
Here is where things get really complicated. I changed the caps at C10 & C34 as suggested in this post: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/54571-my-audiophile-lm3886-approach-378.html#post2986212
The improvement is dramatic - approaching the significance of the C9 & C13 choices.
"Coherence" is the word that comes to mind. The bass is surely more controlled and more dynamic/punchy. It sounds noticeably more musical, especially from the mids down. On jazz groups and vocals the clarity is improved, but I think I hear a bit less shimmer/sizzle in the cymbals. That may not be a bad thing. I suspect I might be hearing that "tube-like" quality so many speak about. Back several months ago I posted about listening to a $5-6,000 tube amp at a friend's house. After hearing these two mods, I'm really anxious to do a live comparison between it and the FE, but I'll hold off till I get all the "good stuff" on the board. The improvement is so dramatic that I can’t do justice to the V1.3s till those parts are installed. It is very inexpensive and has the “bang for the buck” efficiency approaching Tom Es recommendation for the Sonicaps. They are on order.
A bit of a cop-out – yes. But important enough for me to feel the need to even the playing field before I continue with the comparisons.
Stay Tuned.........
The major difference is power. I started on the V1.3 build as warm-up with Amazon.com: A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection: Alison Krauss: Music . A clear and resonant vocalist with acoustic and electric guitar, reasonable percussion and solid bass. The music sounded top notch with all the qualities I mentioned yesterday. The acoustic guitar sounded really great and all the placements were accurate and distinct. Switching to the Fes without touching any volume knob produced a lot more SPL.
So I mounted my meter on a tripod and started over. The difference in registered peak was 85-86 with an occasional bump to 87 for the V1.3s and 87-88 with many bumps to 90 for the FEs. What sounded comfortable with the V1.3s sounded loud on the FEs.
This was counterintuitive because the FEs use two of the smaller ApexJr 120 VAC toroids and the V1.3s have the larger Antek AN-2222 200 VAC transformers. (BTW - I gave up the hunt for affordable FE R-Cores yesterday and ordered two 300 VACs from Antek.) The other variable here might be the fact that I robbed the big Mundorf caps (C3 & C8) from the V1.3s to audition in the FE beta build.
With the need to make frequent volume adjustments – sound quality was harder to deal with. At that “comfortable” level the V1.3s sounded accurate and relaxed. If I attempted to bring the volume up to peak at 90, I could hear stress and what I believe is intermodulation distortion. I didn’t hear that with the Fes higher SPL but there was a more “forward” nature in addition to the increased power. This one man jury is still out on that being a benefit.
Here is where things get really complicated. I changed the caps at C10 & C34 as suggested in this post: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/54571-my-audiophile-lm3886-approach-378.html#post2986212
The improvement is dramatic - approaching the significance of the C9 & C13 choices.
"Coherence" is the word that comes to mind. The bass is surely more controlled and more dynamic/punchy. It sounds noticeably more musical, especially from the mids down. On jazz groups and vocals the clarity is improved, but I think I hear a bit less shimmer/sizzle in the cymbals. That may not be a bad thing. I suspect I might be hearing that "tube-like" quality so many speak about. Back several months ago I posted about listening to a $5-6,000 tube amp at a friend's house. After hearing these two mods, I'm really anxious to do a live comparison between it and the FE, but I'll hold off till I get all the "good stuff" on the board. The improvement is so dramatic that I can’t do justice to the V1.3s till those parts are installed. It is very inexpensive and has the “bang for the buck” efficiency approaching Tom Es recommendation for the Sonicaps. They are on order.
A bit of a cop-out – yes. But important enough for me to feel the need to even the playing field before I continue with the comparisons.
Stay Tuned.........
This is very strange... actually, due to the double bridge, the FE has slightly less power.
Siva's 1.3 modules have his version of the alternate compensation?
Rikens could have a role too, sounding fuller they bring more bass (and so volume/loudness)
Probably a wise choice.
Interesting.
Yes, this last version of the alternate compensation sounds very good.
But the official value of the FE compensation will remain the ones of Rev C, the alternate values are for the braves.
Dario - I only have Rinkins at R10 and the 12K. As stated, a bunch of Caddocks next.
After the tests today, I have decided to separate the V1.3s temporarily from the integrated amp and use a little volume rig using that eBay pot you like. The JC-2 and the Lighter Note may be influencing things.
I received the new Mini2496 PCB today. That will also simplify comparisons as the Lexicon has a built-in pre also.
After the tests today, I have decided to separate the V1.3s temporarily from the integrated amp and use a little volume rig using that eBay pot you like. The JC-2 and the Lighter Note may be influencing things.
I received the new Mini2496 PCB today. That will also simplify comparisons as the Lexicon has a built-in pre also.
Attachments
Can you specify which type of resistors do you have in:
R10 390R Riken
R12 3K3 ?
R13 100K ?
R7 12K Riken
Good idea
Thanks,
I would try to swap R7 with the original KOA and R13 with a carbon film or Caddock MK132 (only if you have it at hand, don't order it).
IMHO the Riken in R10 is plenty.
When I've tried Rikens in R12 it sounded fine but too much colored (too much full, a bit closed).
In R104/R204 you're still using the original KOAs?
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