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Post by gladium on Feb 28, 2006 1:05:22 GMT
Hi
I'm new to upgrades but want to upgrade some of my MF X-series gear, namely X-PSU, X-PRE, and X-Cans V2 and have been reading all I can. I will be doing (having it done) over a period of time and am working out what I will have done and what I need. My specific question at the moment is on the upgrade to X-Cans V1 where the OP Amp was changed from the Phillips 5532s - I am wondering is the same OP Amp in the Version 2. A company in Australia called Burson Audio make OP Amps and I thought about the possibility of using one of theirs even though they are fairly expensive (but thought I'd support the local product); also some of the products you recommend are not available in Australia even through RS Components. Any other ideas on further upgrades to the X-Series would be most appreciated. Thank you David.
PS What OP Amp is in the X-Pre?
Thank you again,
David
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thegreatroberto
100+
The Great Roberto "himself" The real deal on a stick!
Posts: 157
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Post by thegreatroberto on Feb 28, 2006 18:23:03 GMT
Well me ol' mate.
Don't think the X-CanV2 uses op-amps...........but don't take my word for it .There's a load more clever people here than me !
Tweaking these things (X-bits) mainly centres around the caps in the PSU.i.e. bigger and better.Bigger to give less DC ripple,better to give lower ESR and allow more forward current when req'd.The panasonic FC and FM are favourite here (in PSU space)
Other caps on the lower board will benifit from a change as well.............Not sure what makes are favoured here,as these caps act more as filters than DC ripple reduction.
Also change the pot.And of course the tubes...............
As for the X-psu,iy's little more than a transformer,switch and a LED.Upgrades will be limited to a blue LED !
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Fergus
100+
Done a David Ike and is now known as Godkin 
Posts: 197
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Post by Fergus on Feb 28, 2006 20:11:56 GMT
 Hi Gladium, I'll give way to THE GREAT ROBERTO and those other "clever people" when they say that the X-CAN V2 has no OP-AMPS. However, you can make substantial upgrades to all versions of the X-CANS by replacing the pot (the V3 version already has an ALPS pot), tubes and caps. PANASONIC FCs are superb, as are the PANASONIC FMs. You can also bypass these with ployprops and polyesters. If RS don't sell them, try FARNELL-IN-ONE, they have an Australian site: for example, 1000uF/35v FCs - $2.05. All the best, Fergus
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Post by gladium on Mar 1, 2006 15:27:10 GMT
Hi The Greatroberto and Fergus,
Thank you for the information. I have already replaced the tubes with a matched pair Siemens E188cc with gold pins in both the X-Cans and X-Pre - I have halo-dampers on these. I sure they will go to wards reaching their full potential with the replacement of caps in the PSU. I have tried to get the Panasonic FM's but no luck in Australia however the FC's are available. Which ones do you recommend, I am prepared to hunt further if the FM's are better. Also, I take it the PSU section of the X-Pre is the same as the X-Cans and therefore will benefit from Cap replacement. Also any other ideas on upgrades for the X-Pre? Looking forward to some more great information,
Thank you,
David
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Fergus
100+
Done a David Ike and is now known as Godkin
Posts: 197
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Post by Fergus on Mar 1, 2006 17:02:31 GMT
Hi David, Great to see you got rid of the "shitty" stock tubes. The SIEMENS E188CC/7308 (gold pin) is a excellent valve with "great sound, good dynamics" and outstanding clarity; plus you've fitted "halo-dampers", thus eliminating the chance of any "mircophonic vibrations." The only place that sells PANASONIC FMs in the UK is RS COMPONENTS. The FMs are "very highly regarded in audio DIY circles" and have an even lower ESR than the FCs." Sonically, the FMs and FCs are pretty similar, although PINK FLOYD says that the FMs possess a "tad more sparkle and dynamics." PANASONIC also produce what they call an "AUDIO TYPE A SERIES X-PRO 105 cap (part no: ECAxxCTxxx and ECAxxDTxxx), which is specifically designed with large capacitances for power supplies. Where you can buy these "beauties" is another question. If you can't source the FMs, go ahead and buy the FCs. Anything will be better than the dismal performance of JAMICONS SKs. Personally, I've replaced all the caps in my X-CAN V3 (apart from the output stage) with FCs and the amp now sounds absolutely glorious. In the near future, too, I'm going to upgrade my X-DAC V3 and X-10 V3, again using FCs. This leads me on to my next point: always check the "X" component before ordering parts. Check the PSU on the X-PRE to see if it differs from the X-CAN. All the PSUs in my X-CAN, X-DAC and X-10 are completely different. However, one thing remains the same - the use "en masse" of JAMICON capacitors. Good luck, Fergus
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thegreatroberto
100+
The Great Roberto "himself" The real deal on a stick!
Posts: 157
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Post by thegreatroberto on Mar 1, 2006 18:53:53 GMT
FC,FM.............who knows whic are best !
In the UK there is a huge shortage.RS have none.The drought no doubt caused by this web-site !
So, I have fitted FC's in the PSU section of my V2.Actually the 8 35V ones are 3300uF versions ! Yes they are dia 16mm by 30mm high.They are a squeeze..............this I believe is as big as you will get in teh X-can enclosure.The 2 16V ones are 2200uF FM's..............just cause I had them around.
So,3300uF will fit.....................needs a bit of jiggling,but does go.So now I have more PSU smoothing than my power amp ! I'm sure that any 1200uF -2200uF FC or FM will make a huge improvement.
Just give it a go,just make sure each cap does not exceed the dims. above
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Post by gladium on Mar 8, 2006 7:28:19 GMT
Hi All
Here's the next in the series of questions. I have read a number of times now the "Capacitors for X-Can V2 -Parts List" and have been pondering what capacitors to use. I have not made any firm decisions yet and haven't looked into non-polar caps to date. What do you think about 4 x Elna Silmic 100uF 35v electrolytic capacitors on the lower board for a start? Then 10 x 2200uF 35v from the Illinois Capacitor Company on the top board? The bit of research I have done has them to be excellent sounding for approx $3.50US each. In size they are a little larger in diameter than than the Panasonic 1200uF 35V being 16mm in diameter instead of 12.5mm but the length is the same at 30mm. What do you think about the fit and selection?Your responses are most valued, thank you David.
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Stormy
100+
Advocates putting smokers in a "Sin Bin"
Needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut.
Posts: 153
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Post by Stormy on Mar 8, 2006 8:40:13 GMT
If cost is not the issue, I'd say change the big caps first - the filter caps don't make much of a difference to the sound in my opinion. I saw a very slight reduction in hiss, but I may have ended up with some caps that were closer to 120uF (100uF +20% tolerance), so the filter frequency may have been lowered a smidge.
The big PSU caps give the X-Can (V3 at least) more clout and oomph in the bass frequencies, and I'd say that was more noticeable. Whether or not they fit, I don't know. The V3 can take 18mm diameter caps in place of the 2200uF units and 16mm for the 1000uFs, and height is obviously not an issue. Some people claim to have got 3300uF caps into a V1/V2, so I'd say it should work (possibly with a bit of "persuasion")!
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thegreatroberto
100+
The Great Roberto "himself" The real deal on a stick!
Posts: 157
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Post by thegreatroberto on Mar 8, 2006 16:38:08 GMT
Your first port of call is the caps in the top board.And yes, I've got 8 3300uF in there with a couple of smaller 2200uf,16V in the 2 16V slots.Yes it is a squeeze,but possible.As to the benefits, I'm not sure.
Don't get me wrong, it sounds much better than the stock caps.I'm sure some FM 1200uF caps would sound good.It's just that I had the 3300's in stock and no FM's ! That ammount of capacitance is more than in my 100W power amp !
The 3300 FC's are I think 16mm dia and 31mm tall.So yes it can be done.
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Post by gladium on Mar 12, 2006 5:52:28 GMT
Hi Again
Am I able to use Elna polar capacitors for the 10uF and 470uF capacitors in my X-Can V2? I know you recommend non-polar capacitors in some of the tweak articles. What do you think? Thank you as always for the helpful information.
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marcm09
100+
Audio Monster
Posts: 119
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Post by marcm09 on Mar 12, 2006 9:43:59 GMT
use NP caps if possible this is part of the gain changing from the polorised 10uf cap to the NP's.  Years ago when I used to build speaker crossovers I used to use two 5uf capacitors with + to - and - to + which acts as a non-polarised capacitor, I'm sure that standard NP capacitors are alot better but never really compared them as I was making quite complex crossovers for car audio customers who were usually young guys whom didnt have alot of spare cash but wanted a custom setup, they still sounded fab though. considering how cheap caps are now I would choose to use the NP's. They used to be alot more expensive especially the phoenix gold ones that we had in stock form the states which on reflection were way overpriced ! |
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Post by colin1958 on Jul 12, 2007 20:52:18 GMT
looking to replace my x10 v3 valves anyone any ideas were i might get a pair at a reasonable cost? i have heard of people using mullards!!!,what's the best ? i am going to purchase the x10 v3 upgrade kit from rock grotto.i think 1 of my tubes is on its way out,[hissiness & like a sound you get trying to tune into a medium wave station],can anyone help?
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