[DBX1]

Thanks so much Foxer for the useful information.

The information you provided helps lay the groundwork for future projects whenever I plan on upgrading caps on a variety of equipment I own.

 

[Foxer]

no prob. 

 

[mihaiil]

Hello guys, and thank you again for the thread ramachandra! Could you please help me to find right TCXO? I am very limited and I can only purchase from the catalogue of 'farnell'. Could you take a look and tell me if there is any oscillator that will do the job? Thanks!
Here is the link to the catalogue:
https://store.comet.bg/en/CatalogueFarnell/058/Crystals+Oscillators+Resonators/001/Oscillators/002/Temperature+Compensated+%28TCXO%29/#eyJpcHAiOiIxMDAifQ%3D%3D

 

[Foxer]

I'm also interested in this answer! 
 
P.S. @ramachandra you don't even know how right you were when you said my PIONEER will be next, & i just don't know it yet  )
Replaced it with a Harman Kardon Avr8500 a few weeks ago... the sound is incomparable!! Thank you for pushing me into this direction 

 

[ramachandra]

@mihaiil
 
No 24.576MHz on the list, you need to try elsewhere. I found this recently on eBay, and one is on the way.
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/291550656712?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Usually I paid 15-22€ for a TCXO so this is a good price. I was told the 0.1PPM is the ideal choice for the card from the technical point. Perhaps has no advantage compared to 1PPM for the listeners, but good for the consciousness. The original clock is around 50PPM as I remember.
 
 
@Foxer
 
In those days I meant using the sodering iron, but the main thing you got a better amp and the result.
(I myself would go for an ultra minimalist audiophile amp, inside from the best components for audio. On/off switch, volume control only, if the source has some kind of tone control. Of course, this may not satisfy most people.)

 

[mihaiil]

Thank you for the answer ramachandra. It seems I can purchase from 'Mouser' too. What do you think about these two, will they do the job?
$24 (~22Eur) - 0.28ppm it has more than 4 pins(10 to be precise), but I think it will work or not?(datasheet is available on the same page)
http://www.mouser.bg/ProductDetail/AVX/KT7050A24576KAW33TAD/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt8oz%2fHeiymAETbjaLuIDbPuRxrOVbWbuA%3d
 
The other one is just below $10...hmm... same 0.28ppm:
http://www.mouser.bg/ProductDetail/TXC-Corporation/7N-24576MBP-T/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt8oz%2fHeiymAJuQj90JDo52N2ODboT2%2fbZ8uzpgjiOoSw%3d%3d

 

[Foxer]

@ramachandra
I too was a bit skeptical about the "overly complicated" design of the avr8500; but when i studied the service manual, i had the pleasant surprise to find that it also has a direct analog input (for all 5 channels) that COMPLETELY bypasses all the DSP, and shoots the signal straight into the amplifier. Doesn't even have tone control ) And this is the input that i'm using.
And the best part is that i only paid equivalent to $350usd, it being in pristine condition, including manual and both remotes!

It was the best deal I could find.

 

[ramachandra]

"COMPLETELY bypasses all the DSP" Then it was the right choice indeed. You won't get the same pure sound from your old amp just by swapping components, too much stuff on the signal path. Even a cheap pot alone butcher the sound, nothing to say about the rest what is usually stuffed in an amplifier.
 
The datasheets contain no reference circuits to see what is the minimum requirement to make this components work. The 10$ TCXO only have 5 pins connected from the 10 and if you lucky it will work from 3. The wave form is Sine wave not square and probably not an issue because the first TCXO I had seen on an ASUS card was similar SMD type. I'm afraid you need to ask somebody competent or experiment.

 

[mihaiil]

Well, I asked some audio gurus and it seems that they don't know the answer too. But they told me some interesting things like that I need to build a PSU that will feed the oscillator with very stable voltage like this one: http://tentlabs.com/Components/XO/index.html
And since the oscillator makes mechanical moves inside it's shell, it is a very important to isolate it from environment vibrations as much as I can like this one:
https://s17.postimg.org/kqk1gtyjx/P1163687.jpg
And that's how the big boys from Hewlett Packard do it: 
https://s22.postimg.org/6ym165t2p/Xtal.jpg
They told me that these mods will give more improvement than changing the oscillator. I'm going to experiment with the cheaper one that I posted earlier and give it a try if it will run. If that oscillator doesn't work, I'm going to buy one from ebay.
 
Also they told me the output cable of the oscillator must be special purpose cable for transferring Mhz, but I don't know which exactly, maybe some Cat5, Cat6 cable...

 

[mihaiil]

UPDATE: I also recommend to not removing the 'mute' transistors on the front L/R channel. It gives more clear sound indeed, but the bass suffer so much. It become so dry and without punch. I tried to like the sound that way, but that didn't happen, so I put back the SOT-23 transistors. 

 

[here7423]

HI RAMA,thanks for you provided these info, I have't yet replace the crystal on my card, want to try the SMD type too, ASUS card used the EPSON's crystal,may be can find the same,but hesitating now, by activating the HPET in PC's BIOS, sense caught different, should be similar with the TCXO I think. Which effects are more obvious? MB or sound card, really want to know, so there is a chance look forward to.

 

[washere]

Hello every1, i know its a old thread but i dont want to make an another thread for xfi cards. I was having problem with my xifi fatal1ty champion so i checked it 3 months ago i guess. I found that ams was dead so i changed it and connect it to bech psu it was ok then i connected to my pc it was ok then light go on then dim slowly. I took off it and used my freeze spray to find short and it was 4382-kqz so i ordered it and it just came. While remove the old one i damaged the pin 34 path which is "aoutb2+". Can anyone help to me to where the 34pin goes?

Thank you so much.

 

[Foxer]

Hello every1, i know its a old thread but i dont want to make an another thread for xfi cards. I was having problem with my xifi fatal1ty champion so i checked it 3 months ago i guess. I found that ams was dead so i changed it and connect it to bech psu it was ok then i connected to my pc it was ok then light go on then dim slowly. I took off it and used my freeze spray to find short and it was 4382-kqz so i ordered it and it just came. While remove the old one i damaged the pin 34 path which is "aoutb2+". Can anyone help to me to where the 34pin goes?

Thank you so much.

I may be able to help you, if the layout in the damaged area is the same as the Elite Pro.

Just upload a clear picture with the problem area, and draw on it, for which pin you want me to find the rest of the trace.

 

[csharp]

Does anyone know if it's possible to mod an X-Fi (XtremeMusic or Titanium - have both) to add XLR/balanced microphone input? Found no pins to support it OOTB, and I also wonder why Creative doesn't seem to care, but only for a limited set of external cards.

PS: The PCI X-Fi has both the -12V & +12V wired from the bus (JTAG section), so it could be used for a differential-powered op-amp.

PPS: Although I haven't yet measured, it is possible that these supply voltages are already used for the mic-input jack op-amp, which is an M33078 from TI; maybe it's even possible to rewire the M33078 itself to achieve balanced input. Thoughts, anyone?

 

[washere]

I may be able to help you, if the layout in the damaged area is the same as the Elite Pro.

Just upload a clear picture with the problem area, and draw on it, for which pin you want me to find the rest of the trace.

Wow, thank you so much.I need to know where the pin34 goes. And this is what i made.