CM6631A + ES9023 cheap board - modification...?

[chermann]

modification board 2

Hi


upper side:


as wrote above i sent you the 2mods of the 2nd board. its using more smd components, and different crystals, sligthly different traces= eg.g near the cm6631A there is a smd solder pad "RX"...? the cables are too long but its a test if it fits where the phone jack is...

 

[chermann]

buttom side board2

one pic of the buttom side of the pcb.
as i wrote its better to use a "bigger" smd 130KR resistor, 0603 is too small


for the XO decoupling its better to use 0805 smd size i guess


next time i repot about the sound comparison of board 1(3,3v and phillips caps at outl+r) and board 2 (3,6V with wima fkp2) the rest is the same..green muse and small caps...



chris

 

[FauxFrench]

Good work, Chris. Looking forward to hear if the sound is improved.

 

[chermann]

Good morning
Hi FF


next step....
my plan is to use the micro USB port (right beside the usb - b) as "separate power supply" for the ES9023! i plan to cut these traces and solder there the input of the mic5205 and use a power pack which i use for powering my Topping D50. in future linear power supply with fine clear 5V


board 2 is running in....
btw... at board 2 the C17 cap was missing - i use it from my damaged board...470nF




chris

 

[FauxFrench]

Sounds good..................
I will have to wait a while for my Nichicon gold caps.

 

[chermann]

first sound check board 2.3,6V

Hi


the board is today 16 hours run in, and yesterday about 8 hours. in between some pause about some minutes= total 2 hours if i change to the other board or to the D50.


since 4 hours i compare and i can say- WOW !.....this DAC needs just some seconds to let the first board behind. never the less i did 3 time listening x check between this 2 boards. the board 2 /3,6V is really sounding like a different/better/bigger DAC. for me unbelievable that 0,3V more power and an extra regulator do sooo much



D50:
the comparison with the topping D50 is still ongoing but i can say the unmodded D50 has no chance...yes i know this sounds really "subjective" but as i wrote page before the general sound of the ES9023 is really fine- now its fantastic for me.


what is better?
the D50 is still good in sound stage but the unpricise "s" , "th" are really markable worse then the Es9023 board 2. this gets ofter 30minutes "stressy"

additionally to this is that the board 2 can make some subsonic/holographic better--> i mean the singer or the piano has now "legs"- this give me a very impressive sound


lets made this week some test more


chris

 

[FauxFrench]

Hi
the board is today 16 hours run in, and yesterday about 8 hours. in between some pause about some minutes= total 2 hours if i change to the other board or to the D50.
since 4 hours i compare and i can say- WOW !.....this DAC needs just some seconds to let the first board behind. never the less i did 3 time listening x check between this 2 boards. the board 2 /3,6V is really sounding like a different/better/bigger DAC. for me unbelievable that 0,3V more power and an extra regulator do sooo much
D50:
the comparison with the topping D50 is still ongoing but i can say the unmodded D50 has no chance...yes i know this sounds really "subjective" but as i wrote page before the general sound of the ES9023 is really fine- now its fantastic for me.
what is better?
the D50 is still good in sound stage but the unpricise "s" , "th" are really markable worse then the Es9023 board 2. this gets ofter 30minutes "stressy"
additionally to this is that the board 2 can make some subsonic/holographic better--> i mean the singer or the piano has now "legs"- this give me a very impressive sound
lets made this week some test more
chris

Hi Chris, very interesting results.
I understand that in your (experienced) opinion a 3.6V modified CM6631+ES9023 board sounds better than a standard Topping D50 with a 32bit ES9038+ DAC. The D50 cost more than 200 Eur, the CM6631+ES9023 board around 25 Eur.
You are one of my references for sound quality evaluation. It may be good advise for other looking for a cheap DAC solution.

 

[chermann]

Hi Chris, very interesting results.
I understand that in your (experienced) opinion a 3.6V modified CM6631+ES9023 board sounds better than a standard Topping D50 with a 32bit ES9038+ DAC. The D50 cost more than 200 Eur, the CM6631+ES9023 board around 25 Eur.
You are one of my references for sound quality evaluation. It may be good advise for other looking for a cheap DAC solution.

wait.... i am not having golden ears.....i read from other threads "Markw4" ES9038q2m thread ---- that it is not really easy to avoid some filter settings at the "modern"DAC´s....sometimes i remember Jean pauls statement that a good implemented low cost DAC ship with all the correct voltage regulations and correct values is "easier" to get sounding "perfect"....
so i am pretty sure that the D50 is "compressed" in some way.... this could be the reason.

but maybe i am actually to "emotional and biased" because i did the moddings....at the weekend my brother visit me and he has to judge

chris

 

[chermann]

Sounds good..................
I will have to wait a while for my Nichicon gold caps.

better to use low esr caps like in class D /smsps....DA = high frequncy to handle

 

[FauxFrench]

We leave it to your brother to decide. This way we can blame him if we do not agree. He is probably not on this forum so he will never know.
You can always guide him with: "Are you really sure..............?".

 

[chermann]

According to the comparison of thes DAC´s:


the Es9023 board is on its max = 24/192k. i let my laptop do this...
with housing its about 35-40 euro



D50 "extras":--->250euros
-DSD
-display
-volume control
-alu case from one piece
-5 "different" filters
so these are extras you have to decide you need or not...


chris

 

[chermann]

We leave it to your brother to decide. This way we can blame him if we do not agree. He is probably not on this forum so he will never know.
You can always guide him with: "Are you really sure..............?".

 

[chermann]

ESS Filters

I am happy with filter 5 at D50:
linear phase fast roll off....but maybe this is the difference


something to read...

What are Digital Filters and Why Are They Requried In Today's Audio DACS? by Resonessence Labs Technical Staff Page 5 | AudioStream

 

[chermann]

3,6V for board 1

Hi


3 °C and rain....so do some modifications


enclosed my "high end" version of the MIC5205 3,6V for my first board.
i use a coax cable to compare later with the board 2.


chris

 

[FauxFrench]

Higher temperatures and some sun here but winds up to 100Km/h. The roof is still there.
Clever use of a dull day. Have you seen your brother and heard his opinion on the ES9023? Also brothers do normally not like 3 degrees and rain so they better perform as audiophile reference.

 

[chermann]

Higher temperatures and some sun here but winds up to 100Km/h. The roof is still there.
Clever use of a dull day. Have you seen your brother and heard his opinion on the ES9023? Also brothers do normally not like 3 degrees and rain so they better perform as audiophile reference.

1 brother gets ill - so no judgment


2 i had several tries to get the regulator work because of some failures myself . first time the black isolation over the pcb press something from the coax...then i made a mistake with soldering on the mic5205 power in...nevertheless i got it work after some tries....but now i have the same strange behavior: after playing a while i got some noise which getting louder and louder an then it ends with some scratches and pops. i go back to 3,3V so i check everything is fine. i played 30minutes without failure...

i replaced the MIC5205 input 4,7M tantal and after 2 hours it plays fine...i read something......but then ....this whitenoise and end with pop/scratch come again....
it seams like a temp problem...i have to build a new mic regulator


sound wise i can say the quick change on the same board between 3,3V and 3,6 is easy to follow up that the 3,6 is the better solution




chris

 

[FauxFrench]

Sorry for your brother, wish him a quick recovery.
"Scratch" is a music style and "pop" a music genre, so it sounds possible.
We await impatiently that your brother becomes fit for fight again.

 

[chermann]

 

[chermann]

Hi again


i did the last few days some compare listening sessions.



one failure i uncovered - do not low down the level of the Topping D50. i thought that i read about -4db less as the max level. this is not good...play always at full volume leveel 0.0dB.
2nd sometime the D50 is not always really on and play strange- what does this mean? the D50 has sometimes "connection" errors- he is connected but make during playing some strange streaming noises, its sound like small pop/brakes..loose the streaming packages??? i had this several times.....so i restart the D50 until i got the first seconds no interrupt.


SQ:
judgement by my brother is still not finished...he lives in a different area so next meeting is end of May....
i am still happy with my modifications- both DAC near but the "colors" of the mod ES9023 are real and give me bigger, real instruments and voices...the details of the D50 are not enough to cover the hole impression of the sound stage..its too focused on one point and the instruments and voisces are too closed together.....yes i know this is a strange statement but...believe it or not



pic --> board 2 in the housing of board 1 with copper foil finished now....
problem is that the toslink of board 2 is not existing at board 1 so you have to put away the blind plug. 2nd problem is that the micro usb is on the other side (left<->right). so for my planned separate power supply over micro usb i have to think about...


chris

 

[chermann]

1 brother gets ill - so no judgment


2 i had several tries to get the regulator work because of some failures myself . first time the black isolation over the pcb press something from the coax...then i made a mistake with soldering on the mic5205 power in...nevertheless i got it work after some tries....but now i have the same strange behavior: after playing a while i got some noise which getting louder and louder an then it ends with some scratches and pops. i go back to 3,3V so i check everything is fine. i played 30minutes without failure...

i replaced the MIC5205 input 4,7M tantal and after 2 hours it plays fine...i read something......but then ....this whitenoise and end with pop/scratch come again....
it seams like a temp problem...i have to build a new mic regulator


sound wise i can say the quick change on the same board between 3,3V and 3,6 is easy to follow up that the 3,6 is the better solution




chris

at board 1 for the update of 3,6 i found that my small board must have some problems with the components.Why? maybe too long soldered, much heat, bending,.........--> i re solder the power back to 3,3V and no problems....so i have to build a new board
chris