Squeezebox Touch -- Modifications

Hi Klaus

The Beta works for me. Haven't done any extended listening, but another the music is detailed and crisp. For the record, I'm using Vortexbox server and wired (Cat6) Netgear DG834 into a modified Chinese/Lampo 1865 DAC to Dynavector HX1.2 and Yamaha NS1000Xs.
Thanks again

Nick
 
Hi Klaus!

Until now I tried out every mod excluded the newest one. I'am sorry but I have to bring the network cable thing into discussion. Since I knew from before that every cable makes a difference its also with them. Even the cable before the d-link hub has an influence which is at minimum as great as one of the mods. My cables have been the mercados cat6 from sommercable, which have been a lot better than the recommended dracas. With the dracas the sound became fuzzy, less bass (positive: bass was clearer) too unstable. Than I decided to try cables which have been recommended by the german magazin "stereo". They are called meicord and indeed they sound even better than my sommercable. Bass is deeper and clearer, stage gets even more stable. I've 1m between hub and SBT and 7,5m between Hub and NAS where the Server is running. The cables are unshielded and thats absolute no problem. The special thing about this cable is, that they invented a plug which keeps the twisted order of the cores as long as possible, so the wave resistance constant. The MeiCords a quite expensive, but I will keep them. But Iam not sure if I really bought the (Amazon has a lot of them) draca cables which you recommended since my version is a shielded one......

Thanks, Stefan
 
Hi Klaus!

Until now I tried out every mod excluded the newest one. I'am sorry but I have to bring the network cable thing into discussion. Since I knew from before that every cable makes a difference its also with them. Even the cable before the d-link hub has an influence which is at minimum as great as one of the mods. My cables have been the mercados cat6 from sommercable, which have been a lot better than the recommended dracas. With the dracas the sound became fuzzy, less bass (positive: bass was clearer) too unstable. Than I decided to try cables which have been recommended by the german magazin "stereo". They are called meicord and indeed they sound even better than my sommercable. Bass is deeper and clearer, stage gets even more stable. I've 1m between hub and SBT and 7,5m between Hub and NAS where the Server is running. The cables are unshielded and thats absolute no problem. The special thing about this cable is, that they invented a plug which keeps the twisted order of the cores as long as possible, so the wave resistance constant. The MeiCords a quite expensive, but I will keep them. But Iam not sure if I really bought the (Amazon has a lot of them) draca cables which you recommended since my version is a shielded one......

Thanks, Stefan

Great geedback. We need to figure out why the network has such an impact.

I'll leave a note on the blog.
 
Hi Klaus!
In the first place I think it is because of reflections when the wave resistance is not allwright. Also my sommercables are thicker and hence the bass is (too) strong (a bit to slow). This is also known from LS cables. But:
I talked once to Mr. Brinkmann who is a wellknown german developer of amplifiers and turntables and he told me that he could hear even a difference when he modified the rectifier for the motor of his turntable with tubes. And the very strange thing was that the turntable was a belt drive. So no electrical contact! So somehow he gave up to understand it and just stated: the electrons know somehow what happens to them....

So I don't know if we can find out, but if more guys (or girls - mine just started dancing when she heard Oscar Peterson with the last mod) test it and verify this - maybe....

Regards, Stefan
 
Hi folks.

At meicord, the cable manufacturer Stefan mentioned; I stepped over that ethernet cable test from German Stereo magazine.

In germen language:

Stereo Lan Cable review and analysis

They pretty much see the shield and the connectors as the main source for causing the undoubtable differences they experienced on soundquality
In all tests unshielded cable performed better.

BTW: A clearly audible increase in dynamics I achieved with the SBOOSTER powered D-LINK HUB.

Cheers
 
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Just did a surgery on one of my 1m isolated Draka cables which connects the
D-Link hub with the Touch.

I removed the screens roughly two inches away from the connector which runs into the Touch. You need to cut out roughly 1,5 inches of the outer isolation to be able to get the inner shields removed.


Stefan. If you own a Draka and you don't use it anymore you might want to give it a try. It's a bit tricky since all pairs are seperately isolated. It won't take more then 5 minutes though.

The result sounds promising. Something defintely changed. I need to make sure though not to fool myself.
 
I have tried the volume mod for a while with different music now. It is definitely doing something, but I think it is taking something away rather than adding. Blacker for sure, and it makes some older recordings sound more defined. Played with newer, better recordings though shows me that it is not doing what we think. It sounds to me like it is knocking some of the frequencies down. Cassandra Wilson's Belly of the Sun sounds dead and analytical with the mod.

This is kinda like changing cables, without the cost :)
 
Have the volume control disabled mod in place for a few days now. All the Touch2.0 mods in place as well.
The sound acquired a bit more prat, low bass feels more punchy. I had not been using the buffer mod because of crackling noises. Last week I added it back @ 4000, then w/ the volume control removed the dynamics both micro and macro became more dramatic. Somewhere in this last stage i read somebodies post to remove all replay gain settings and I find that using random play is now a bit too loud or a bit too soft. Find I'm listening to more full albums as once the gain is correctly adjusted, I don't need to jump up and adjust the volume again. My setups are both using integrated amps w/ passive attenuators. The need for another form of remote volume control is clear. The sound quality is too good to mess w/ the gain structure. I learned to hate using tube preamps because of the noise they add @ the price point I could afford.
 
Hi guys.


I was just wondering if anybody of you guys went back trying the analog output of the Touch in comparison to an SPDIF/externalDAC setup, after applying the Toolbox and HW/network mods.

Cheers

Hi Soudcheck,

I am very happy seeing yours asking this question, since I am extensively spending my nights with A/B listening between analog and digital out of the SBT connected to a V-DAC through Toslink... and the conclusion is that there is very little difference at a point that I am not sure that it is worth to keep the V-DAC and I would consider to resell it.

The major improvement of the analog out has been achieved by replacing the PSU by the Sbooster, following your advice... and this resulted in immediate improvements in music details, clarity and positioning of the analog out. Choirs in the Requiem of Mozart sounded amazingly detailled and the voices were very well in place, as it was before only the case with the digital out.

I feel now a very subtle difference in sound color between analog and digital out, maybe a very little warmer with the V-DAC, but not at a point that I would be able to recognise the sound produced by the digital output, without knowing to what I am listening.

This would be very usefull to compare the mod SBT analog out with the outputs of some DAC benchmarks to see how well it competes with them.

I am also curious to read your opinion about this: do you think it is still worth to connect a DAC the the modified SBT? Given also all other related issues that are raised (SPDIF/Toslink coupling, PSU, grounding,... and $$$).

Cheers,

Emmanuel
 
I am also curious to read your opinion about this: do you think it is still worth to connect a DAC the the modified SBT? Given also all other related issues that are raised (SPDIF/Toslink coupling, PSU, grounding,... and $$$).


I don't really have an opinion or experience about it. ;)

I'd assume that with all the mods in place incl. bridging of the coupling
caps the analog output will deliver a much better performance then before.
How it compares to other DACs is the question. If it's worth investing in another DAC, as the first thing to do, is another question.
 
Hi Soudcheck,

I am very happy seeing yours asking this question, since I am extensively spending my nights with A/B listening between analog and digital out of the SBT connected to a V-DAC through Toslink...

Hi,

Try to connect your V-Dac with ~2m long good coax (with Canare plugs and Belden 1694A from Digital Audio Cables at Blue Jeans Cable). IMHO coax sounds better.

Better power supply for V-Dac will also help, or if you have very few diy skills go for another DAC :

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/137976-experience-diy-dac.html

DAC Kit - what else do I need? - pink fish media

This dac + output transformers will cost the same as V-Dac, but the sound will be (IMHO) MUCH MUCH better.

I had V-Dac a year ago, it is VGVFM, but now i am using SBT with this diy dac and Jensen transformers :)
 
I have been using two Squeezebox Touch that have the Bolder Cable analog mods done.

From Bolder Cables:"The mods start out with improving power supply delivery and decoupling to the DAC chip. We then remove the electrolytic coupling capacitor from the analog signal path. This cleans up the harsh sounding high end, lowers the overall noise floor and extends the low end and enhances definition."

These Squeezebox Touch replaced SB3's in my systems, and I am using the regulated, linear power supplies originally purchased for the SB3's. I also had used various DACs w/ both the SB3 and Touch, including the MF V-DAC and others. They are no longer needed-sold.

I've been very pleased w/ sound quality and also to be off the upgrade merry go round. The native AKM 4420 should be optimum as the device was designed around it. After removal of the crappy electrolytic caps the device improved enormously. The SW mods added even greater quality.
 
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I bypassed the output caps--

post #15:

How to modify the caps at analog out? - Page 2 - Squeezebox : Community : Forums

what are the OsCons?

oops... maybe you are not talking about the touch

Sanyo OsCon capacitors (pretty low ESR) are regarded by many as the best choice for decoupling duties in digital circuits. If you sneak around a bit you'll step over e.g Lampizator mods etc.

On the analog side of the circuits many people like e.g. Blackgate or Rubycon caps. On PS rails Evox Rifa is a pretty good choice.

Just to look for those brands won't work of course. There are different types and seizes which show different levels of performance at different places.