bordins said:The CS4938 version produces warmer & denser sonics, more textured midrange, and deeper bass, while AD1852 is very good in vocal, more airy and wider soundstage.
It is a matter of personal taste.
Bordins,
I substantially agree with your conclusions, save for the caveat that unless the coupling caps between the dac and opamps are shorted (4 47uf electros) the bass from the CS4398 is extremely constrained. (I'm not claiming this is actually measureable, but that subjectively, this is how I and others percieve it). If one isn't up to the minor mod of shorting those caps, go with the stock, less expensive AD1854 dac daughtercard, which is quite good in its own right.
The 3 opamps on the dac board are dip socketed, as are the 2 opamps on the stock headphone/preamp board. Which is a good thing, as IMO, both the stock opamps OPA2604 and NJM5532, and the upgrades provided by Eddie Wu, LT1057 and mysterious DIY2000, aren't very good for this application. Roll your own and make your own choices. The stock headphone amp isn't IMO worth the effort, and I've not heard the upgrade discrete headphone board.
YMMV
I made some small changes to my Zhaolu V2.5A dac.
1. I changed the opamps in the filter board to OPA2134.
2. I shorted out the ( red ) input electrolytic caps with short wires soldered from the top of the board.
The filter board is the top right board in the picture .
The sound has improved quite a lot. It sounds really great . Very good lows and it's very punchy and treble is also very good.
Note that the LT1057 is also a good op amp but I prefer the OPA2134. The OPA2604 is not in the same class .
Anyone else made any mods to the V2.5A ?
Cheers.
1. I changed the opamps in the filter board to OPA2134.
2. I shorted out the ( red ) input electrolytic caps with short wires soldered from the top of the board.
The filter board is the top right board in the picture .
The sound has improved quite a lot. It sounds really great . Very good lows and it's very punchy and treble is also very good.
Note that the LT1057 is also a good op amp but I prefer the OPA2134. The OPA2604 is not in the same class .
Anyone else made any mods to the V2.5A ?
Cheers.
Attachments
Ashok,
My own Zhaolu is a 2.0 so my comments aren't exactly translatable to the 2.5, as the 2.0 has an extra opamp in the output of each channel.
For the 'side' opamps, roughly equivalent to 2.5's complement, I use OPA2107. IMO, this chip is the ultimate in BB sound, unless you go to the effort of OPA627 on a Brown Dog single to dual adapter board. The 2107 has the BB 'warmth', but improves on the 2134's resolution and extention.
YMMV
My own Zhaolu is a 2.0 so my comments aren't exactly translatable to the 2.5, as the 2.0 has an extra opamp in the output of each channel.
For the 'side' opamps, roughly equivalent to 2.5's complement, I use OPA2107. IMO, this chip is the ultimate in BB sound, unless you go to the effort of OPA627 on a Brown Dog single to dual adapter board. The 2107 has the BB 'warmth', but improves on the 2134's resolution and extention.
YMMV
Hi Pmkap,
Thanks for that suggestion. I was just about to order some chips. I'll get a few of the 2107's if they are available now.
I forgot to add that the off set voltage at the output of the last opamp has gone up from less than 1mV to -55mV (L) and -50mV (R) .
For me there is no problem because it is direct coupled to a tube stage and then capacitor coupled to the power amp.
For people with a direct dc input power amp they will have to use a capacitor or bring down the offset by passive or active means.
I really look forward to to trying out the 2107 . Currently the sound I get is really good. I do have a few OPA627's but have never used them.
Cheers,
Ashok.
Thanks for that suggestion. I was just about to order some chips. I'll get a few of the 2107's if they are available now.
I forgot to add that the off set voltage at the output of the last opamp has gone up from less than 1mV to -55mV (L) and -50mV (R) .
For me there is no problem because it is direct coupled to a tube stage and then capacitor coupled to the power amp.
For people with a direct dc input power amp they will have to use a capacitor or bring down the offset by passive or active means.
I really look forward to to trying out the 2107 . Currently the sound I get is really good. I do have a few OPA627's but have never used them.
Cheers,
Ashok.
Ashok,
You may simply mod your D2.5...futher...
1. Replace the two big Caps in the AC Filter circuit with something better i.e. Vishay...same value will be fine.
2. Also the blue cap in the AC filter circuit with better film cap i.e. Siemens
3. Replace Output RCA (I used Vampire-Gold Plated OFC) and use nice wire to connect i.e. Audio Consulting silver wire (Twisted for each signal path).
4. Replace digital input RCA (I used Cryo Vampire-Gold Plated OFC) and use nice wire to connect i.e. Audio Consulting silver wire (one wire per signal)
5. A better op-Amp such as OPA627 (be aware that the original one OPA2134 is dual...for this specific op-Amp you will need 2 per one DIP socket, hence, you would need an adapter).
You will experience improvement...with each of the above. Do all mods, you will get significant improvement...like you are getting a new DAC.
RR.
You may simply mod your D2.5...futher...
1. Replace the two big Caps in the AC Filter circuit with something better i.e. Vishay...same value will be fine.
2. Also the blue cap in the AC filter circuit with better film cap i.e. Siemens
3. Replace Output RCA (I used Vampire-Gold Plated OFC) and use nice wire to connect i.e. Audio Consulting silver wire (Twisted for each signal path).
4. Replace digital input RCA (I used Cryo Vampire-Gold Plated OFC) and use nice wire to connect i.e. Audio Consulting silver wire (one wire per signal)
5. A better op-Amp such as OPA627 (be aware that the original one OPA2134 is dual...for this specific op-Amp you will need 2 per one DIP socket, hence, you would need an adapter).
You will experience improvement...with each of the above. Do all mods, you will get significant improvement...like you are getting a new DAC.
RR.
the biggest upgrade for this DAC is the Zapfilter Mk2. With the zapfilter this is the best DAC i've ever heard, and i'm installing it right now on my D-2.5A. Btw, general consensus says that if you're going to get it zapfiltered, the AD chip is better than the more expensive CS. I think it just happens that Zapfilter works best with the AD chip, since other zapfiltered DACs (really expensive ones) don't sound as good as a cheap zapfiltered Zhalou.
Actually, over at www.head-fi.org the Zapfiltered CS4398 seems to be regarded as the better one. I haven't heard a zapfiltered version yet but after all the hype I've read about it I'll probably have order one in the near future for my CS Zhaolu 2.0. Anyway, I think the Zhaolu stock isn't THAT great a bargain, except for modding purposes. I did remove the dc-blocking caps and changed the op-amps to OPA2107s which improved things a lot.
I'm thinking about getting a stock Zhaolu 2.5 and modding it myself. I am tending towards the less expensive AD1852 option as I am thinking about possibly adding a zaphfilter later or building something of my own to sub the analog board.
Seems like quite a bargain..
Does anyone here have both the AD and CS versions of the dac and if so what do you think? (I've read the comments in this thread and elsewhere, but would like to hear a little more detail - performance at higher sampling rates, etc..)
Seems like quite a bargain..
Does anyone here have both the AD and CS versions of the dac and if so what do you think? (I've read the comments in this thread and elsewhere, but would like to hear a little more detail - performance at higher sampling rates, etc..)
kevinkr, I read that the 1852 has punchier bass than the CS4398. The mids are 'warmer' on the 4398 and hf a shade more 'extended'(?) .
Since I like jazz and rock I'd probably prefer the 1852 . The 4398 might sound a bit light weight. But then I haven't heard both to make a conclusive statement.
I heard a P3A which has a CS4397 or 98 . It isn't as good as what I hear now. The P3A is very good but I like the V2.5A better.
Cheers.
Since I like jazz and rock I'd probably prefer the 1852 . The 4398 might sound a bit light weight. But then I haven't heard both to make a conclusive statement.
I heard a P3A which has a CS4397 or 98 . It isn't as good as what I hear now. The P3A is very good but I like the V2.5A better.
Cheers.
bordins said:There is a gentleman asking me about my ex-Marantz SA-11S1. He owns a Mark Levinson 390s and wants to switch to the SA-11S1. I suggested him look at the Zhaolu.
Don't know what his "taste" is.
Bordins,
I am just thinking about going to the Marantz SA11S1 too, but caught these thread and your comments made me curious. Does the Zhaolu DAC has balanced (XLR) outputs?
I basically like my music rather hard hitting and dynamic sounding. Must have the rethym to rock and the spatial ability to play classicals as well.
Would the Zhaolu fit my requirements?
Others are welcome to comment and opinion as well!
Thanks.
Henkel, My V2.5A rocks pretty well . Nice tight deep bass and no bloated sound in the LF. Mids are clean and treble is fine . It doesn't have shimmering cymbals but what's there is very good. Low level detail is very good even in the HF region.
I'm not a classical expert but the few classical discs I have sound quite good. Imaging is fine.
I'm not a classical expert but the few classical discs I have sound quite good. Imaging is fine.
I ordered a basic Zhaolu 2.5 Dac today with the AD1852 and cheap headphone amplifier. It's coming by air, so I hope to have it shortly after Christmas.
I have noted recommendations for the OP2107's, 2134's and others.
Anyone ever tried AD8620 in brown dog adaptors? I have a bunch of the premium grade I want to try.
What is the analog supply voltage?
I'll be using this with my media server to provide support for higher sampling rates and 24 bit media that my Ultralink II does not support.
I have noted recommendations for the OP2107's, 2134's and others.
Anyone ever tried AD8620 in brown dog adaptors? I have a bunch of the premium grade I want to try.
What is the analog supply voltage?
I'll be using this with my media server to provide support for higher sampling rates and 24 bit media that my Ultralink II does not support.
Epicurean said:
The replacement for the Zhaolu 2.5 is the City Pulse 7.2x. It has balanced outputs and the distributor said it is of higher quality sonically than the balanced Zhaolu.
There was a couple of lengthy treads on the CityPulse and the Zhaolu on www.head-fi.org in the dedicated sources section.
-David
Hi Henkel,henkel said:
I forgot to mention that I also own Revox B-225 CD player, getting one from eBay. It is one of the best CD players made on earth.
My Zhaolu D-2.0 has the sonic signature similar to the B-225's, but the Revox is better in every way due to the DAC design and implementation. If you replace the output stage of the Zhaolu to a "good-quality" discrete output, i.e. no opamps, you will find it is even closer to top-notch players such as dCS, Mark Levinson, Esoteric, etc. You may check out www.head-fi.org
Yes, Zhaolu comes with XLR output. You may check out D-2.5's spec. I suggest you get a Zhaolu first, and you will know yourself whether it fits your taste or not. If you don't like it much, you may keep it as a player of your second system or at your office. The CityPluse 7.2 would be one of your options, it does have the discrete output stage.
I believe that you would be regret once you buy the SA-11 first, like me.
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