Puffin, this is what I thought might be happening, time and ever improving technology has meant that the DACM is now getting past it. I would admit that is was a very good excersise in modding and gave me the confidence to move onto my amp. As if you do blow anything up, the damage will limited and won't cost mega bucks.
Dacmagic 2i Mods
Does anyone know if you can use the TDA1541A in the Dacmagic 2i
This was my favourite musical DAC in my Arcam days. I now have TEAC T1 transport with Dacmagic 2i - I miss the MUSICALITY of the TDA1541A and I have 2 of them lying around in my bit box, but I'm no good at DIY so don't want to mess up. If its OK I will find a friend to do it for me. Thanks.
Does anyone know if you can use the TDA1541A in the Dacmagic 2i
This was my favourite musical DAC in my Arcam days. I now have TEAC T1 transport with Dacmagic 2i - I miss the MUSICALITY of the TDA1541A and I have 2 of them lying around in my bit box, but I'm no good at DIY so don't want to mess up. If its OK I will find a friend to do it for me. Thanks.
I have no idea 
Just wanted to share this:
http://www.lampizator.eu/lampizator...MAGIC Cambridge tubed DAC player TDA1305.html
Now to find someone who could make this mod for me
Just wanted to share this:
http://www.lampizator.eu/lampizator...MAGIC Cambridge tubed DAC player TDA1305.html
Now to find someone who could make this mod for me
Hello !
Dacmagic 2i Mods Post #43
Does anyone know if you can use the TDA1541A in the Dacmagic 2i
This was my favourite musical DAC in my Arcam days. I now have TEAC T1 transport with Dacmagic 2i - I miss the MUSICALITY of the TDA1541A and I have 2 of them lying around in my bit box, but I'm no good at DIY so don't want to mess up. If its OK I will find a friend to do it for me. Thanks. [ /I]
I have been lucky 2 years ago, founded a Cambridge DAC3 (Not Dacmagic3 !!!) on Ebay (I was expecting a similar DAC) ....and was a bit surprised when opening it : inside 4 boards , each with a TDA1541A, similar to the CD2...
Maybe your chance ?
R.C.
Dacmagic 2i Mods Post #43
Does anyone know if you can use the TDA1541A in the Dacmagic 2i
This was my favourite musical DAC in my Arcam days. I now have TEAC T1 transport with Dacmagic 2i - I miss the MUSICALITY of the TDA1541A and I have 2 of them lying around in my bit box, but I'm no good at DIY so don't want to mess up. If its OK I will find a friend to do it for me. Thanks. [ /I]
I have been lucky 2 years ago, founded a Cambridge DAC3 (Not Dacmagic3 !!!) on Ebay (I was expecting a similar DAC) ....and was a bit surprised when opening it : inside 4 boards , each with a TDA1541A, similar to the CD2...
Maybe your chance ?
R.C.
I happen to have a couple DAC Magic 2 mk2 just now and so had a look around these forums.
Just in case anyone else is reading this thread, I felt like pointing out that the AD712 is a DUAL op-amp and the 627 is a SINGLE op-amp and so are not pin for pin compatible.
Other helpful threads:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digi...audio-dac-3-schematic-needed.html#post1981399
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digi...e-discmagic-dacmagic-2-schematics-wanted.html
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Thanks Richard, is that what you did? Did you overcome the noise issue you were having?
In one of them, that already had larger transformers, I fitted the 11DQ10 and fed from the PC via an Edirol USB to SPDIF converter it sounded not too bad compared to how I remembered the other one sounding when I had it a few years ago. I can't vouch for any change made by the diodes though as I didn't pay much attention to the DACs sound before I changed them. It was given to me as non working and had a melted transformer. The previous repair man who changed the Tx's had evidently not noticed the problem with the 100nF caps one of which then melted one of his new Tx's. I had a spare 20VA, or so, toroid so I fitted that to the +5V supplies and moved that one over to replace the melted ±15V one. As the new Tx's had none, it had also been fitted with somewhat larger internal mains cable, twin core 0.75mm². All the electrolytic caps on that board look brand new OE. I changed the Tx 100nF's, threw the diodes in, gave it a listen, was pleasantly surprised.
The other one appears to have the UA9637ACP fault. As well as a bulging and leaking 3300µF cap.
What I might do is move the OE caps to the failed one and sell that as original spec and throw some 'better' parts into the larger Tx'd and 11DQ10'd one and try and sell that as upgraded, though I'm not sure I'll get my money back.
A common fault with both of these DAC Magics was failed 100nF caps across the Tx secondaries, some had failed close circuit and melted the Tx secondaries, hence the replacement with (larger) Tx's. One failed open circuit and cracked and the top half had fallen off. Some had turned into 20K resistors and gone darker in colour. I changed them all on both DACs for 'blue dipped' X7R's.
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Very old thread now, but for those people still using and modifying these DACs...
I just heard how bad sounding those low cost PCB mounted RCA sockets on this DACMagic2 are.
I soldered the interconnect wires direct to each op-amps 100 Ohm output resistor / PCB joint. A bright sibilant glare and mush is removed.
It was easier as I used un-screened solid core 0.68mm silver wire. And the earth wires I soldered to the PCB at each XLR socket earth wire joint.
I just heard how bad sounding those low cost PCB mounted RCA sockets on this DACMagic2 are.
I soldered the interconnect wires direct to each op-amps 100 Ohm output resistor / PCB joint. A bright sibilant glare and mush is removed.
It was easier as I used un-screened solid core 0.68mm silver wire. And the earth wires I soldered to the PCB at each XLR socket earth wire joint.
Very old thread indeed, but not dead!
The design of this DAC is now well over 20 years old, almost vintage. Gotten curious because of the raving reviews in the past, I recently bought a DAC(Magic) 3 with the intention of modding it. It was stock, with slightly bulging caps, but still functional. Sound quality was not impressive though.
The datasheet for the TDA1305 mentions that the output is capable of driving a line output directly. So I bypassed the analog buffer stage completely: fitted a WIMA MKP cap to the DAC ouputs and... did not believe my ears, such an incredible improvement! Without further mods, it betters my highly modded Sony CDP X33ES (slightly).
Surprised that this easy upgrade has not been mentioned before, given it is so easy to try and completely bypasses the opamps. I may also try going for an output transformer later.
I am now converting it to a media server using a Raspberry Pi + Hifiberry DigiPro+ via I2S connection. This bypasses the jittery 1315. Managed to blow up the UA 9736 in the process, but sounds quite good already!
Any new insights in further mods appreciated. Or am I the only one still using it?
The design of this DAC is now well over 20 years old, almost vintage. Gotten curious because of the raving reviews in the past, I recently bought a DAC(Magic) 3 with the intention of modding it. It was stock, with slightly bulging caps, but still functional. Sound quality was not impressive though.
The datasheet for the TDA1305 mentions that the output is capable of driving a line output directly. So I bypassed the analog buffer stage completely: fitted a WIMA MKP cap to the DAC ouputs and... did not believe my ears, such an incredible improvement! Without further mods, it betters my highly modded Sony CDP X33ES (slightly).
Surprised that this easy upgrade has not been mentioned before, given it is so easy to try and completely bypasses the opamps. I may also try going for an output transformer later.
I am now converting it to a media server using a Raspberry Pi + Hifiberry DigiPro+ via I2S connection. This bypasses the jittery 1315. Managed to blow up the UA 9736 in the process, but sounds quite good already!
Any new insights in further mods appreciated. Or am I the only one still using it?
Passive output stage
I have used a pair of output transformers directly after the DAC chip on my E-Mu0404 USB, with very good results.
Yes Puffin, I guess so. Althoug the I/V conversion is done actively inside the DAC chip already.
How are your experiences?
I have used a pair of output transformers directly after the DAC chip on my E-Mu0404 USB, with very good results.
I did it to a LiTe Dac Ah with some nice poly output caps and a cheapo board I got from ebay some years ago. I was going to try some output transformers but didn't have the money at the time. I didn't think that the mods were necessarily better, but different. I might give it another go on the DM.
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