MF X-Can V2 Good For Which HPs And Modes

[XTRProf]

New capacitor "band" members about to be added and so an exit photo shoot of the old before being retrenched. Here:


Then .........





and Now ..............







Sound check?

[Deleted]

Wot !! No nice new ceramic valve socket ?

[XTRProf]

Shit! The bright hifi sound returneth! No worry, it will go off after a few days as usual.

Next member? You come back here while I listen .............

[Deleted]

Shit! The bright hifi sound returneth! No worry, it will go off after a few days as usual.

Yes, You will become accustomed to it, and no longer notice it.

[XTRProf]

Apr 23, 2012 5:58:41 GMT @sandyk said:

Wot !! No nice new ceramic valve socket ?

You wait, wait while I listen. Guarantee better than you expected surprise ...........

[XTRProf]

Apr 23, 2012 6:01:47 GMT @sandyk said:

Yes, You will become accustomed to it, and no longer notice it.

Oh, it seems more the music absorbs it up and don't agreed with that temperament. After, in further sonic orbit like journey to Neptune in soother darker more spacious silence.

[Deleted]

After, in further sonic orbit like journey to Neptune in soother darker more spacious silence.

It must be near Uranus by now ?

[XTRProf]

It can be argued that a human is ultimately the sum of his experiences.
-Benjamin Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “Emissary”


And so these arrived today ..............


Vishay-Roedenstein MKP


Maybe I'll also put them in since the other "band" members are obviously not stabalised yet.

[XTRProf]

Well, too much time and eyeing removal ........... So.............



Yes, have to remove the jumpers at the same time as new cap will be over them. Else, I have to do double work when it comes to all jumpers replacement.

After ..........

OCC Copper jumper preparation ..........

Replace jumper thru underneath the PCBA as new cap will be over the jumper 7 and could short the new MKP.

The new cap "band" member ............



So how V2 sounded after? Follow me next ............

[XTRProf]

Arrgghhhh even more highs. But piecing highs ...............

Listening past the piecing high, I can quickly grasp that the effect was a more 3D experience as the grain went even lower when going from reference track to another from classical all the way to heavy metal like Metallica. I could hear more clearly all the harmonics of instruments and voice. Because of this, I also got the impression the sound was more wholesome and louder like Live and at the same time, a more dynamic presentation. I was shock to hear my reference bass guitar twangs went lower and start and stop more quickly. At the same tome, I could feel that the bass guitar was more dimensional as in 3D in a recording space of its own. Before it was good but now scarily ghostly.

As this was a 1 uf change, I agreed with Alex that higher values cap changed will give a more sustainable recognition of the change. However, we must remember what had been changed, although not as differentiable as this latest, did contribute to the overall feel of present more 3D, more wholesome loud and dynamic and a much lower grain structure of the sound. It gives a more convincing and soothing presentation of the reference tracks that I always use for sound check.

So verdict is a very happy bunny and can sleep in hifi heaven tonight knowing obviously the piercing highs will come down more with run in or back to the thinking board.

Nighty and goodnight guys!

[Crispy]

Apr 24, 2012 16:16:12 GMT XTRProf said:

Well, too much time and eyeing removal ........... So.............



Yes, have to remove the jumpers at the same time as new cap will be over them. Else, I have to do double work when it comes to all jumpers replacement.

After ..........

OCC Copper jumper preparation ..........

Replace jumper thru underneath the PCBA as new cap will be over the jumper 7 and could short the new MKP.

The new cap "band" member ............



So how V2 sounded after? Follow me next ............

Nice work Chong.

Some interesting ideas that may work their way into my V2 when time and cash permits anything is better than putting in new kitchens

[XTRProf]

Apr 24, 2012 19:37:48 GMT Crispy said:

Some interesting ideas that may work their way into my V2 when time and cash permits anything is better than putting in new kitchens.

Actually very much cheaper than your new kitchen. If you don't do the kitchen, you wife will be coming after you in a Live soprano style that has driven Mike into nearly mental hospital.

As you can see, I'm a declared "bum bankrupt" now and RTS. Even that, I don't even feel that I'm in any deeper shit. Relatively cheap to go "highend", especially if you can find those Vishay-Roedenstein caps and OCC copper or silver wires.

What next, the great surprise Alex will be looking at in awe ...............

[Deleted]

What next, the great surprise Alex will be looking at in awe ...............

It will more likely be "W.T.F. ;D ""

[XTRProf]

Prof Frans just look closer, please .............. Not what you think, btw. Anyway, I'm very sure you will have missed my point. Guaranteed! Until then, the Truth and Noting But The Truth. It will not happpen until weekend with the V2 ran in and stablised with the last batch of new parts.

Hmm, Alex, as expected from previous post, WTF in awe (positive)?

[Deleted]

Frans just look closer, please .............. Not what you think, btw.

I think these are styroflex capacitors but they cannot be because they are not what I think.

It's very confusing ;D

[XTRProf]

Apr 27, 2012 9:48:58 GMT @solderdude said:

Frans just look closer, please .............. Not what you think, btw.

I think these are styroflex capacitors but they cannot be because they are not what I think.

It's very confusing ;D

Yippee, it's weekend and the Truth and Nothing But The Truth will be out. Guaranteed! Or it will be Placebo ..............

Hmm, where is my soldering iron .................

[XTRProf]

This is just a trial as I'm not sure how to hear oscillation. However, it should not bear too much to cause instability from 3.3pf to 10pf. Wait for the final version.

So how it sounded? Jump onto the carousel with me next .............

[XTRProf]

In one word AWESOME, man! I have to take back my words from Alex that low capacitance will not be too discernable. It's that hearable a difference to make me do that. Sorry, Prof Frans and nothing about your technical prowlness.

I need to rephrase discernable depending on where is the low value capacitor location on the circuit topology. Now all the capacitors on the audio PCBA had been changed to higher grade capacitors and overall, I will say the 0.47uf followed by the 1uf and top of the table 10pf gave the most differences in a positive way after going thru 4 CDs full with my reference tracks, that had already been played to death in auditioning, from classical all the way to heavy metal leaving out death metal and rap. It may be because the 10pf is not the original value of 3.3pf and also it's the last to be changed and can make things easier to hear the differences as after all, all the grains and veils had been lifted quite a bit from previous before the change. For the 10pf, this is not the final version that will be there. So check on me again when I have finalised that after living with the changes for sometime.

So just what are the AWESOME changes? First, the grain had been removed to very low level making the music naturally more clear but with unnatural sibilance going further south. Because of that, it gave the impression of the music is louder, more dynamic and more forward resulting in some depth reduction. This cause the feeling of more interspace to be heard between instruments as if we could now see the air around and between instruments in a more 3D fashion as well as the atmosphere of the recordng environment even more too. Furthermore, impression I could hear more of all the harmonics of the different musical instruments in the mix surfaced even more than previous. This gave the overall sound a more wholesome feel to it, more real as in Live and more soothing and really nice to listen to as the music was clear without unnatural brightness that could give listening fatigue over a long period. Yeah, even over a Grado which has that tingling sound.

So I like it very much unitl this stage. Soothingly clear in a nice way! It surprising sounded speaker like now instead of a HP although the music in head still exist.

That's all folks. Next to change all jumpers to OCC copper on the audio PCBA.

[XTRProf]

Have lots of time to tinker and so as promised of a not what Frans think of the picture with the polystyrene caps, I did the Mad Scientist ...............





thingy to test for myself, Err, subjectively, will it explode or not. Nope, no explosion but implosion to more of the hifi sound of the ceramic. Arrghh, I exploding mad over this .................

Anyway ...............

[XTRProf]

So marched on to .............


Now you see them .........

Now you don't ..............


Now you see them again and that was the magic of the OCC in. Can't you see the slightly thicker gauge 20 tinned OCC copper?



as highlighted 1 post away.

The sound? Ok, in one word, transparentler ............ All oldie copper had been retrenched.

[PinkFloyd]

May 3, 2012 13:51:36 GMT XTRProf said:

So marched on to .............


Now you see them .........

Now you don't ..............


Now you see them again and that was the magic of the OCC in. Can't you see the slightly thicker gauge 20 tinned OCC copper?



as highlighted 1 post away.

The sound? Ok, in one word, transparentler ............ All oldie copper had been retrenched.

You've still got those tired Jamicon caps in situ, you are going nowhere fast with those..... they are a MUST replace.... PM me your details again Chong I've got my "batch" of Panasonics in (at last) seems they were delayed by the Tsunami.... anyhoo, there's a kit on it's way to you, just need your address....

[Deleted]

You've still got those tired Jamicon caps in situ, you are going nowhere fast with those..... they are a MUST replace....

Chong

The Jamicons were about the first thing to go in my X-DAC V3 .

Alex

[XTRProf]

May 3, 2012 20:56:48 GMT PinkFloyd said:

You've still got those tired Jamicon caps in situ, you are going nowhere fast with those..... they are a MUST replace.... PM me your details again Chong I've got my "batch" of Panasonics in (at last) seems they were delayed by the Tsunami.... anyhoo, there's a kit on it's way to you, just need your address....

Oh, I'm doing things one thing at time to "learn" about the sound after each stabilisation. Now only those small value caps and next will be the bigger things.

You've got PM.

[XTRProf]

May 3, 2012 21:53:31 GMT @juke said:

Surely Frans was only joining in 'banter' that Chong started with me. I took it in good part and I'm sure Chong did to.

How can anyone, especially an Admin, stay if he gets publicly humiliated by the Owner?

Yes, that's exactly what I look at it as I always look things from a joker Half Full versus Half Empty.

Hey Prof Frans, don't go away. I know your punters and you know mine of you. Frans, come on, chill out and not ship out! It's TGIF again eventhough I'm still out from the working world! So you can't be that serious, right?

Btw, all writing here at RG. Can we all stop all those "belittering" of each other as I'm very sure that is not very comfortable for many here whether righter or wronger. Take those differences to the underground and not on the surface. We are a forum different from others but sometimes that can have it's limit too. Like Pinkie had written, don't make an A hole of this place we are given the privilege to. Punting in the fun and hilarious fashion lke me the joker, it's A-Ok. Btw, I'm not pointing at anyone but just spelling The Truth And Nothing But The Truth. So God really need to help us now.

[XTRProf]

May 3, 2012 18:24:18 GMT @solderdude said:

Did you use special silver solder and redone all solderings ?
Have you replaced the copper PCB traces as well, they are not OFC you know ?
Also the legs of the parts themselves, did you replace their tinned copper legs for OFC as well ?
OMG you haven't changed the internal wiring for OFC yet.

Have you heard or seen the phrase "Little Things Make A Mountain"? Yup, it's the some of the whole but only that this is not 1+1=2 but 3 or 4. Why? The synergy between components exponential multiplier effect ............. Nothing to do with specs as specs only make sure things work. Just like a guitarist just passing out from a music course with a certificate to play the guitar and one, can be without certificate, with many years in concerts.