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| Computer Audio Discussion of computers as source components, sound cards, USB DACs, media servers, etc. |
03-09-2007, 09:20 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
Posts: 4,422
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cotdt
Yes I've modded an Audigy 2 before and it would be exactly the same. Definately try it and tell us how it goes!
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Oooh fun. I have an Audigy 2 ZS as well. Maybe I could mod that? Maybe not. I have no DIY skillz at all. I have used a soldering iron before, but only at school for little projects. How easy is it to perform these mods?
__________________
Headphones|Have: Audio Technica AD700, Altec Lansing iM716, Koss KSC-75, Grado HF2
Headphones|Had: Sennheiser HD580, Alessandro MS1, Westone UM1, AKG K270 Playback, AKG K701, Beyerdynamic DT880, Etymotic ER6i, AKG K141 Silver, Stax Lambda Pro, Stax Lambda
Sources: Audigy 2 ZS, Beresford TC-7510 Mk III, Rockboxed iRiver H120, Samsung YP-Z5, NAD T744, Stax SRD-7 MK2
Ampage: Little Dot MK II
Music: Gomez, Radiohead, Muse, Wilco, Postal Service, Nine Inch Nails, Pink Floyd, Explosions In the Sky, Cloud Cult, Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, Menomena, Amon Tobin, Fat Freddies Drop, Pendulum, Grizzly Bear
New Zealand head-fi meet kgo!
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03-09-2007, 09:28 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 2,240
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fraseyboy
Oooh fun. I have an Audigy 2 ZS as well. Maybe I could mod that? Maybe not. I have no DIY skillz at all. I have used a soldering iron before, but only at school for little projects. How easy is it to perform these mods?
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in my experience soldering things is much, much easier then desoldering things. make yourself a little amp or something like that to give yourself some practice. Too much heat will ruin components.
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03-09-2007, 09:35 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 489
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I'm definately up for a group buy on the Paper/blackgates. Ordered 2 samples of the opamp from National- should be here soon
I'm excited about the possibility of turning my elite pro into a seriously good source. I can Imagine after the initial mods(if all goes well) I'd recap the entire board...
__________________
Team AKG
Team College
Dorm Rig: X-Fi Elite Pro(modded) bitperfect out to--> DIY Maxed Pimeta w/ TREAD/ SOHA-->AKG K501(recabled)
Onkyo c390(thanks asr!)/Modded Sony SCD-595-->5687 Tube Preamp --> Firstwatt F2 clone-->Tekton Design 4.1's
Portable: AlienDAC--> Cmoy-->ETY ER4-S
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03-09-2007, 09:53 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Diego/Los Angeles
Posts: 3,189
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gates_2
I'm definately up for a group buy on the Paper/blackgates. Ordered 2 samples of the opamp from National- should be here soon
I'm excited about the possibility of turning my elite pro into a seriously good source. I can Imagine after the initial mods(if all goes well) I'd recap the entire board...
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Good idea. Contact jude and he might be able to put one up, since Partsconnexion is a sponsor of head-fi. One sheet of the shielding paper is enough to do 3 cards.
The Elite Pro should be seriously good. You'll be the first to have a modded one as far as I know.
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03-10-2007, 12:44 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Maryland USA-All over Jamaica whenever possible.
Posts: 191
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It's killing me I can't wait to hear it.
__________________
Headphones-Ultrasone 2500's
AMP- SOHA dual OPA627-BUF634 output stage
X-fi with Blackgate NX 2200uF and 4x LM4562 and EFI shielding
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03-10-2007, 01:51 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Western NY
Posts: 2,240
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I too would be up for a group buy 
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03-10-2007, 02:39 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 141
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Just to clarify, this mod involes ONE op-amp change and ONE capacitor change, right?
__________________
Home: X-fi XtremeMusic -> Number Cruncher 203.2 -> Corda HEADFIVE #330/Darkvoice 336i -> K701 (6542)
Portable: iPod Classic 120GB -> PX100/ATH-ES7/Super.fi 5Pro/SR-60/ATH-SQ5/UM2
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03-10-2007, 02:54 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Diego/Los Angeles
Posts: 3,189
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Norman
Just to clarify, this mod involes ONE op-amp change and ONE capacitor change, right?
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yes, if you're going to use stereo. for 7.1 surround sound you'll need to change 4 opamps.
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03-10-2007, 04:59 AM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 141
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oops.. I just ordered 3 op amps from National Semiconductor.. oh well
Thanks man~ 
__________________
Home: X-fi XtremeMusic -> Number Cruncher 203.2 -> Corda HEADFIVE #330/Darkvoice 336i -> K701 (6542)
Portable: iPod Classic 120GB -> PX100/ATH-ES7/Super.fi 5Pro/SR-60/ATH-SQ5/UM2
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03-10-2007, 06:22 PM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1,607
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uhh, no test using rmaa? wow how depressing.
__________________
(\_/)
(O.o)
(> < )
faster world domination
pewpewpewpewpewpewpew,
riding towards insanity
one jabberwocky at a time
team because it feels good
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03-10-2007, 09:05 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Maryland USA-All over Jamaica whenever possible.
Posts: 191
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Norman
Just to clarify, this mod involes ONE op-amp change and ONE capacitor change, right?
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My signature was wrong and I think it confused him. We initally ordered too many Blackgates. He is just sending me the extras when he sends my card back. cotdt is going to recap the whole card now. I hope he takes some more pics. This is a very informative thread. There are a ton of us who have these cards and can benefit from it.
__________________
Headphones-Ultrasone 2500's
AMP- SOHA dual OPA627-BUF634 output stage
X-fi with Blackgate NX 2200uF and 4x LM4562 and EFI shielding
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03-11-2007, 11:03 AM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cotdt
yes, if you're going to use stereo. for 7.1 surround sound you'll need to change 4 opamps.
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I only have 3 LM opamps. As I am using 5.1 speakers, do you know which of the 3 surround op-amps should I replace?
Many thanks for this extremely interesting guide. I can't wait to start modding my x-fi!
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03-11-2007, 11:48 AM
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Headphoneus Supremus
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Singapore
Posts: 2,000
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cotdt
really? mine's don't seem to that warm at all... only slightly warmer than ambient. I'm quite sure that it's safe to cover the back.
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Probably not all cards though, the heatsink was introduced later on for a reason 
__________________
Speaker E-MU 1212m, Pioneer PD-204 & Rotel RT-850A → Denon AVC-3530 → Mission 761i | Mission 760i
Semi-Portable MacBook → Westone UM2
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03-11-2007, 11:56 AM
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Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 52
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WOW amazing awsome job on this detail review that you did. I love your review as an ex-X-Fi xtreme music owner. I currently use the Auzentech Meridian(or also known as Purity) 7.1 SC. This cards offers easy upgradable op-amps, a total of 4 - front, side surround, centre subwoofer, and back surround. The upgradable op-amps on them aren't required solder them in, it's just as easy, quickly and safely take them out with any mini sized flat (-) headed screw driver or with the proper chip remover tool recommanded from Auzen's support page.
Same with the OP, I also purchased my LM4562 from National Semiconductor but on their site I was redirected to Digi-Key. There is also DigiKey.ca so shipping from their warehouse in Ontario to BC only takes 2 days! Fast shipping.
The LM4562NA-POBD I use on the Meridian is 8-DIP size whereas on X-Fi it's SOIC.
Here's the long story short, I originally started with stock opamps on the Meridian which they're already preety decent. Then shortly after I switch the stock ones to Burr Brown OPA2134PA (recommanded from Auzen's support page) and sadly I hardly notice any difference despite many rave user reviews on them. Gladly I found the LM4562 in the forums and after the quick mod with them, I'm glad I was able to tell the difference right away. The sound is even cleaner, especially all instruments and each music notes are well seperated and defined. In the bass compartment, it's relatively better defined as well but not by a whole lot. Overall I'd say LM4562 op-amps are truely great and it's definetely a better upgrade over your stock SC's op-amps (NO placeable effect intended)
I've being wondering ever since the beginning I started doing op-amp mod and that's how will I be able to tell one of the op-amps goes faulty? As I mentioned earlier, there is one op-amp for each channel and a total of 4 opamps (front, side surround, centre subwoofer and rear surround) The front is also used for headphones, stated in the manual. So that's like I'm only using one of the 4 opamps (front output) is that right? And how will I know that the opamps are still performing at its optimal state?? Any comments are appreciated  
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My Feedback from Revscene.net -| Tiramisu |- (88-0-0) 8 STAR MEMBER
(2001) Sony MDR-E888SP
(2005-2006) Sony MDR-EX51/71
(2007) SonyEricsson HPM-70 | Sony MDR-EX81SL | Sennheiser CX300 / HD555 / PX-100White | Panasonic RP-HT770S
Bose In-Ear / On-Ear / Around-Ear Triport | Audio Technica ATH-PRO700WH (White Ltd Ed.) / ATH-A900
(2008) Beyerdynamic DTX-900 (Current)
(2009) Sony MDR-XD400 (Current)
Source: Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 Limited Edition Sound Card - CMI-8788 Chipset (Upgraded OPAMP: LM4562NA) Vista Ultimate 64bit SP1
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03-11-2007, 02:28 PM
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100+ Head-Fi'er
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 207
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anything like this for the m-audio audiophile cards?
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M-Audio Firewire Solo > DV332 > DT 990 '03
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