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LynxTwo modding - please help

post #1 of 13
1/15/10 at 4:24pm
Thread Starter 
Dear forumers,

this is my very first post. Hi everybody.
I am not very technical and I already ask for help
It is my intention to mod my LynxTwo-B card.
I would like to change the three DACs - CS 4396 - and op-amps - BB2227 - onboard.

For a better D/A my only choice is pin compatible CS43122. It's not very easy to find but I should manage somehow.

For best op-amps, given my inexperience, I asked for help to fellow forumer - Majkel. He kindly suggested OPA228P or, eventually, OPA227P.
Do you agree that it is the best op-amp for me?
What are the sonic properties of such op-amps?
I noticed that there are various types of OPA228.
Would I need the "P" type? Is it the right size?

Anyway, I would need two of these chips for each one I intend to replace. Therefore, I would also need 2to1 adapters.
Looking on eBay, do you think that either one of these would be good?:
DIP8 8 Pin Gold-Plated Socket,For DIP-8 OP-AMP IC, x10 - eBay (item 250490857879 end time Jan-27-10 19:11:09 PST)
Lot of 12x Adapters Two Single to One Dual Op-Amp - eBay (item 370229599635 end time Feb-09-10 06:56:29 PST)

If you can suggest a place where I can order the whole package, it would be great.

I am attaching a photo of the card for your review.

Thanks a lot for all your suggestions.

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post #2 of 13
1/17/10 at 10:06pm
Do you have a higher resolution photo? Previous images suggested that the Lynx cards used OP275s.... though they may have changed them.
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post #3 of 13
1/18/10 at 3:57am
Thread Starter 
12Bass,

Thx for your reply.
This is the best I can do and the op amp is BB2227.
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post #4 of 13
1/18/10 at 1:46pm
Thread Starter 
12Bass,

During a further card inspection, there are also OP275G. They are the 12 black chips on left of the card (look at 1st pic).
We were both right!

I mentioned BB2227 op amps because I read that in the past Jim Williams from Audioupgrades used to change only those on the DAC side.

If you can help me to finalize the choice of op amps or of the 2to1 adapter, it would be great.
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post #5 of 13
1/19/10 at 3:26am
FWIW, the OPA2211A is my current favorite for bipolar dual op amps.... or 2 x OPA211 if possible (better clarity and separation). Found I prefer the OPA2211A to LM4562 in the output of my Echo Gina24.
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post #6 of 13
1/19/10 at 5:30am
Hi, the OPA228P won't fit. BTW, I wrote to you that it might get instable so in that case you'd need a pair of OPA227U, as these have better SOIC form for 2 to 1 adapter. However, I wouldn't complicate things that much and what I would do is replacing the OPA2227 with LME49860MA and finding which of the OP275 chips is for left and right channel, as I assume this is all you want benefit from, and place LME49725MA instead of it. You don't have to mess around with adapters then and the improvement should be obvious as OPA2227 is pretty dull sounding and the OP275 is something disputably better than a generic NE5532.
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post #7 of 13
1/19/10 at 5:58am
Thread Starter 
Hi Majkel,

Thanks.
I thought it was better to show you a picture of the card
As you say, I do prefer not to mess around with adapter.

You are saying to replace BB2227 -> LME49860MA OK :

My card has 6ch An out, that's why I suppose it has 12 OP275.
Do I have to replace OP275 all of them with LME49725MA or can I do without and leave them as they are? Afterall I only use the D/A section of this card...

Thanks again
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post #8 of 13
1/19/10 at 6:52am
LME49860 sounds very similar to LM4562/LME49720, and not as open or musical as the OPA211 family, in my experience. Haven't used OPA227/8 series, so hard to say how they might compare. Found the OP275 a bit odd sounding... a bit compressed/distorted somehow, and bettered by modern op amps.

BTW, are you just wanting to modify the main stereo outputs, or more than that???
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post #9 of 13
1/19/10 at 7:29am
Thread Starter 
I use this card for musical digital playback.
So I would like to modify/better only the D/A section.

Therefore, am I talking about only the onboard three DACs (CS 4396) and op amps (BB2227)?
Do the OP275Gs get in the equation as well?
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post #10 of 13
1/19/10 at 9:00am
i'm unsure why someone would replace OPA2227 with 2 x OPA227 seems like a lot of trouble for almost nothing to me since they are just single versions of the same chip. OPA228 is an improvement, but I think there are better options. I would second changing to 2 x OPA211 or OPA2211. do you know how much supply current you have? since its bus powered it may not be heaps.

maybe you dont want to mess with adapters, but you really do have more choice if you will, I would recommend OPA827 and AD797 over everything mentioned. with the national chips coming in after the OPA2211

its possible that the OP275 are being used as line drivers/buffers for driving long cables and providing a nice low output impedance for the studio environment, in which case you may even get more improvement from changing them.

I dont know much about the lynx, so I could be totally off the mark with that one, plus its hard to see

then you could add a dedicated power supply
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post #11 of 13
1/19/10 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
qusp,

I would love adding a dedicated supply if you can tell me how
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post #12 of 13
2/22/10 at 1:26pm
Thread Starter 

Mod report

This is a report about the mod of my LynxTwo-B after one week of listening.

I employ it in a cMP2-like PC transport, directly connected to 2 power amps for a pair of Magnepan 3.6 loudspeakers.

I changed onboard DACs 3xCS4396 -> 3xCS43122
I changed onboard OPAs 3xBB2227 -> 3xOPA2211A

I was quite tense, fearing that my mod could have spoiled this audio card. Luckly it was fine.

My initial response was that I could hear two changes, although small:
- a bit more presence at both extreme;
- more air in between instruments.

After a week of music listening, ranging from acoustic to jazz, from classic to rock, perhaps the 1st point was just psycoacustic or at least I could not distinguish it anylonger.

I can confirm, however, the 2nd point. The audio is slightly crisper and more transparent. There is no fatigue and, most importantly, it is very musical.

Alltogether I am very satisfied about this mod.
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post #13 of 13
2/24/10 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 

Same mod performed on the Aurora too!

What OP for LynxTwo - Gearslutz.com

At the above thread there is a confirmation of my mod done on an Aurora converter:

"...listening to music it's a surprisngly audible improvement. Better transients, a more dynamic, energetic sound, the unmodified channels sound somewhat dirty, a little harsh and constricted and lack the low end energy and high end speed."

"...looking at two perfectly equal I/O configurations (but for the mod) on a spectrum analyzer the modified channel had the harmonic distortion starting a few db lower. All without clipping, of course. More important however is how bass and fast transients behave. All of a sudden it really becomes a much better converter."
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