Firestone Products

Hi,
 
the Korora is on my shortlist of possible phono stage upgrades...
 
How are you finding it, and what have you compared it to?
 
(What is the rest of the rig you are running it in?)
 
thanks
 
David

 

leeperry said:

Hey lookee: http://www.audiophileproducts.com/digital-to-analog-converter-audio
 
New Spitfire DAC \o/
 
A friend of mine was seeking a small and efficient DAC, he just ordered it...this thing just sounds exquisite w/ the Supplier DPS and some beefy opamps. I will post a mini-review ASAP.

Click to expand...

It's on: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/528288/firestone-spitfire-mkii-16-48-usb-coax-toslink-24-96-s-pdif-dac-unboxing-first-impressions

Quote:

dlaloum said:

Hi,
 
the Korora is on my shortlist of possible phono stage upgrades...
 
How are you finding it, and what have you compared it to?
 
(What is the rest of the rig you are running it in?)
 
thanks
 
David

Click to expand...

Well I run a fairly modest vinyl rig and have only recently been dipping my toes back in the pool.
My main turntable is a Technics SL-10 with MC310 cart but I've just started setting up a Sony PS-X6. Previous Phono stages were a NAD PP2, Cambridge Audio 640P, Fisher 500-C. The Korora so far gives up greater detail with more air and is just a more pleasant listen than all but perhaps the 500-C which is pleasant and soothing to listen to but is a much more recessed and bottom heavy sound.
I just completely rewired my stack when I introduced the PS-X6 but must have grounded the Korora wrong as there's a persistent hum that wasn't there with the Sl-10.
I'm still playing and experimenting but so far what I'm hearing, I'm liking.

Hello Chaps. 
 
I am interested in doing some op amp rolling. However I am confused as to which path I should take. 
 
My current rig is as such; Iphone 4 -> Onky ND-S1 -> Spitfire DAC -> Cute Beyond -> Senn HD600. 
 
Now the sound is fine, but at times feels veiled like there is a layer of something preventing the music to sparkle.. For the headphones and equipment I have, what is the best upgrade path in temrs of Op Amps? Which ones should I get for each component? I have around GBP 150.00 to spend on the process of upgrading. I have been looking on the Burson Audio V2 as an option for the cute beyond. Has anyone successfully integrated these? 

If I were you, I'd put a dual AD797BR module(off ebay) in the Spitfire, this is one of the best DAC filtering one's can get. About the Cute, you could try the Burson V2 indeed, but only if you run it off the wallwart as the Supplier PSU is not beefy enough to feed both the board and the Burson from what Firestone told me.

Thanks for the fast reply. 
 
Just a couple of questions. Do you have a link to the seller on ebay for the AD797BR? I can only find AD797AN for some reason. 
 
Also, when you mean wallwart, do you mean connecting the cute beyond directly to the wall AC adapter?

I can see many sellers for AD797BR modules on ebay.com, make sure to buy a dual adapter with two chips(one on each side).
 
Yep, the wall AC adapter can provide 500mA, but the Firestone Supplier PSU only 250.

Will this one do? It looks like it has 2 chips on one ?
 
I ordered the adapters anyway. Would having 4 chips on the dual board mess things up
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/2units-Dual-Mono-Op-amp-module-AD797BR-replace-5532-/350414961657?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51965bfbf9#ht_2852wt_906

yep these will do fine, and this seller is very serious IME.
 
just make sure not to install them upside down and you'll be good to go.

Cheers mate. I ordered them.
 
I got two convertor boards. Does anyone here actually use the burson V2 on the cute beyond? I am very tempted to do the upgrade but don't want to lay down £95.00 to find out they don't make much of a difference.

Apologies for being the thread necromancer, but since above question was never answered and I just recently upgraded my own Cute Beyond with Burson Discrete HD Op-Amp, I thought I'd update here with some pics taken.
 

 
2 x OPA627 on Dual to Mono Adapter to be replaced with Burson V2 Dual Module.
 

 
Burson Audio - Discrete HD Op-Amp (Dual Module)
 

 
Burson HD Op-Amp installed with L bend on 8 pin DIP socket.
 

 
Tight fit, but worked out perfectly and sounds incredibly good compared to other IC Op-Amp tried.