I don't think the Caddock MS223 wll fit that well due to size, and 3W isn't necessary. I don't think the Caddock TF020 will fit all that great either. I had some longer resistors attached to the bottom so the leads wouldn't touch the resistors next to them. I think so far the MK132, Vishay S102, nude Vishay TX2353, and Vishay-Dale resisters have been fitted well.
Edit: Well they'd all fit with extraneous leads, but it doesn't seem like a good idea uninsulated like that. My bad.
Edit: Well they'd all fit with extraneous leads, but it doesn't seem like a good idea uninsulated like that. My bad.
Nude Vishays fit okay, but i wouldn't say it was like a glove. The leads are definitely wider than the hole's on the pcb so they stick out rather than being flush like the stock resistors. They do seem to sound good.
Okay I need some help. I've just performed a mod on my Dac-Ah which replaces the active output stage to a passive one using a pair of 2.2uF Jupiter caps going directly from 2 resistors which come right after the DAC chips to the RCA Jacks. The sound is great but here's my question: do I need input caps on the Trends anymore? I'm not sure if the caps at the output of the DAC is doing the same thing as the caps on the input of the Trends. If I could eliminate one set I'd like to.
Thanks!
Thanks!
recca said:
Excellent question! If I could just eliminate the Trend's input caps and use my dac's (Mhdt Constantine NOS) output caps to perform the same duty, I would upgrade my DAC's to V-caps OIMP.
Who will be the first to use V-caps with their Trend?
recca said:
Yes, of course you can. But you will not have any hardware volume control. You will have to control the volume via software.
There are some ways to add a volume pot to the DAC, but it may not sound great, at least I have not been able to make it sound good. Would like to see and hear some that work.
Ok, that's a good point Mike. I was going to add a TKD volume pot on the DAC right after the caps. Is that not a good solution? It seems to me the signal chain is the same, its just putting the pot at a different place. Alternatively I could put the pot before the caps at the DAC.
recca said:
Not sure if it's relevant to this but when I put a pot between the DAC and the caps (on a TA2020) then I got a wierd DC offset every time I rotated the volume... then it settled.. very unerving!
If the pot comes after the caps then you have a bigger problem. You need to block the Bias voltage on the chip from getting to ground so you can't have a pot directly before the input resistors.
I've experimented with an array of alternatives but you must have DC blocking after the DAC (if it has DC present on the output) and before the TA2024.....
Hope this helps....
Michael.. I got your PM and replied.,,,
In my system I have an active preamp after the dac. Could I just eliminate the input caps too?😕
The T-Amp input cap issue has been covered ad-infinitum, but here is infinity + 1.
You HAVE to have DC block caps on the Tripath inputs (unless you use the odd and tricky grounding scheme).
Those caps keep the DC IN, not out.
However, if you have an preamp for example, that has DC blocking caps at its outputs, those would effectively work. As long as there is NO DC path to ground between those caps and the input resistors in the T-Amp. No volume controls, no attenuators, no filters, nothing.
If you are running a DAC straight into the amp, you need some sort of volume control. You can't put it after the caps, so where does it go? As Lee says, it can be hard to do right. DC offsets are the problem.
You HAVE to have DC block caps on the Tripath inputs (unless you use the odd and tricky grounding scheme).
Those caps keep the DC IN, not out.
However, if you have an preamp for example, that has DC blocking caps at its outputs, those would effectively work. As long as there is NO DC path to ground between those caps and the input resistors in the T-Amp. No volume controls, no attenuators, no filters, nothing.
If you are running a DAC straight into the amp, you need some sort of volume control. You can't put it after the caps, so where does it go? As Lee says, it can be hard to do right. DC offsets are the problem.
Well, I blew it up today. Didn't realize the amp was on when I attached the positive terminal to my battery and it popped both PSU caps and fried the tripath chip. 
It was all starting to come together too....
It was all starting to come together too....
recca said:Well, I blew it up today. Didn't realize the amp was on when I attached the positive terminal to my battery and it popped both PSU caps and fried the tripath chip.
It was all starting to come together too....
What a bummer! Was that the Audiomagus PSU ? Now what? The PSU caps are probably not that expensive and I imagine you can get a replacement chip but I certainly, with my soldering skills, would not to try soldering to that little chip.
My condolences,
Raj
PIO Shrinking Soundstage
I am testing various coupling caps and your post was intriguing to me. In my testing between the Obbligato PIO and Blackgate caps I noticed the same phenomena you mention. Yes, the Obbligato PIOs yielded a smaller soundstage.
Initially, I wasn't testing for this, but your observation was in the back of my mind. At first I thought this shrinking of the soundstage may have been due to my selection of music, but that was not the case. The PIOs had a smaller soundstage. I listened back and forth on a number of recordings over 12 hours just to make sure that I wasn't imagining this phenomena.
Although the Blackgates yielded a larger soundstage the presentation was not as life like as the PIOs. I found this larger soundstage to be more tolerable on heavy rock or mixed performances. Acoustic performances just sound better with the PIOs.
The PIOs provide more air around performers and instruments seemed to have more body. The PIOs smaller sounstage was complemented with a deeper soundstage. The BGs were two dimensional while the PIOs yielded a holographic presentation.
I will be posting my various test and findings under a separate thread, but RajaCat your observations regarding PIOs is sound (at least for this one test).
rajacat said:
I am testing various coupling caps and your post was intriguing to me. In my testing between the Obbligato PIO and Blackgate caps I noticed the same phenomena you mention. Yes, the Obbligato PIOs yielded a smaller soundstage.
Initially, I wasn't testing for this, but your observation was in the back of my mind. At first I thought this shrinking of the soundstage may have been due to my selection of music, but that was not the case. The PIOs had a smaller soundstage. I listened back and forth on a number of recordings over 12 hours just to make sure that I wasn't imagining this phenomena.
Although the Blackgates yielded a larger soundstage the presentation was not as life like as the PIOs. I found this larger soundstage to be more tolerable on heavy rock or mixed performances. Acoustic performances just sound better with the PIOs.
The PIOs provide more air around performers and instruments seemed to have more body. The PIOs smaller sounstage was complemented with a deeper soundstage. The BGs were two dimensional while the PIOs yielded a holographic presentation.
I will be posting my various test and findings under a separate thread, but RajaCat your observations regarding PIOs is sound (at least for this one test).
rajacat said:
No I was waiting for my Audiomagus battery psu and just hooked up a battery directly using the bare wire and battery posts. I know the caps are cheap so I may try to see of new caps will save it but i doubt it. There is black residue on one side of the chip where it looks like it got cooked. I guess I have to think about getting another Trends or try a KingRex. Any suggestions?
I don't understand why connecting it to the battery would cause that. Certainly I've never had it happen on any amp or DAC.
Did you maybe get the polarity reversed? That could burn it up in a hurry!
As insurance while you ae experimenting you can put a diode in one of the power leads. That will prevent reverse polarity. There are a number of amps with this built in. You can even use a diode bridge, that way it will never matter how you connect your battery - as long as you have the bridge connected right!
Did you maybe get the polarity reversed? That could burn it up in a hurry!
As insurance while you ae experimenting you can put a diode in one of the power leads. That will prevent reverse polarity. There are a number of amps with this built in. You can even use a diode bridge, that way it will never matter how you connect your battery - as long as you have the bridge connected right!
Thanks for the tip Mike. I'm actually very confused too. I've done it numerous times before and never had an issue. I'm sure I was connected with the proper polarity but all of a sudden I just heard some loud popping and saw smoke coming out of my amp. Not a good feeling. The Trends is cheap, but I really didn't think I would have to buy another one already...
Yeah, it's not THAT cheap!
Maybe you just "popped a cap." Replace them to see if the thing comes back to like.
Double and triple check the polarity.
Maybe you just "popped a cap." Replace them to see if the thing comes back to like.
Double and triple check the polarity.
You soon learn the difference of stink between capacitor, circuit board and semiconductor. Capacitors generally stink for ages and are particularly noxious.
that blak residue near the chip may be flux from soldering the heatsink pads down.
that blak residue near the chip may be flux from soldering the heatsink pads down.
I hooked up the Trends with the wrong polairty once, but it survived fortunately. I guess I got very lucky 
I have been messing around output filter lately. I replaced all the caps with Vishay MKT1817. They really attenuated the highs compared to the original, but it had less distortion overall in the sound (a/b check using left and right channels). For some reason, the distortion in the original caps sounded really pleasant though.
I then replaced the original 10 ohm resistor with some Riken. WOW. Huge difference in sound. I thought the 12 caps would make a bigger difference than 2 resistors, but apparantly not.
I settled on the Vishays over the original caps, but I could go either way.
I have been messing around output filter lately. I replaced all the caps with Vishay MKT1817. They really attenuated the highs compared to the original, but it had less distortion overall in the sound (a/b check using left and right channels). For some reason, the distortion in the original caps sounded really pleasant though.
I then replaced the original 10 ohm resistor with some Riken. WOW. Huge difference in sound. I thought the 12 caps would make a bigger difference than 2 resistors, but apparantly not.
I settled on the Vishays over the original caps, but I could go either way.
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