[babs]

I use 1.3.3 FLAC mode , IIR off and CPU default for some time now
I hear some improvement versus Ibasso1.5.0
But hardware Mods SQ improvements is much, much more evident than software Mods in my opinions

 

[CoiL]

Hmmm... interesting. Did You test SU FW before or after mods? Imo there was quite big jump in SQ from 1.5.0 to SU 1.3.3.
Maybe with HW mods it isn`t so evident anymore? 
 
Thought about changing capacitors only because I have no proper tools for more difficult chip soldering but as much as I did research then original Jovial 220uF 10V capacitors should be quite good. Thought about trying Nichicon KW 220uF 10V , ELNA Starget 220uF 10V or Panasonic FM 220uF 10V. Would like to try ELNA SilmicII first but they don`t offer suitable size, otherwise I predict that outcome with NDFFFinal FW + SilmicII would be awesome!

 

[ptjw99]

thanks for your reply babs!
 
I will be replacing the Jovial caps with Nichicon KW 220uf 10V in a few days but only because I've read about performance issue with the TK Jovials in a forum posting on AudioKarma:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=495059
 
they are the same dimensions (6.3mm x 11mm) as the 100uf FG ones you used so they will fit inside with no problems, while the KZ/FG ones with the same values are too big to fit.
 
I don't think it will change the sound drastically but i hope to be surprised. The caps on the LO are already Nichicon FW caps so I don't find a need to replace those and also since i use the HO 95% of the time anyway as well. 220uf x 2 = 440uf will give a frequency response cutoff of 5Hz so i'll be sticking with the original values.

 

[CoiL]

Thanks for that link ptjw99 ...didn`t read that about jovials.

 

[babs]

Hope you will be surprised by the difference
But don't go to any conclusion before caps break-in; at least 24H, with the cans plugged (or dummy load)
Break-in is a reality, in particular with electrolytics capacitors
 
Andre

 

[CoiL]

Yeah, I know about capacitor burn-in. Changed my Aune T1 capacitors to ELNA SilmicII and despite it improved noticeably from the first moment it took few days playtime to properly settle in and open up the sound.
 
babs, You have any experience with ELNA Starget caps? Probably will do test board like You did and find out which I like best.

 

[ptjw99]

the Nichicon KW caps finally arrived, they each cost $0.60 Singapore cents ($0.46USD according to XE.com) each so it was really cheap to do replace the current Jovial caps:
 

 
I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the PCB out of the chassis, perhaps someone could enlighten me because I took out the screws at the top near the SD card slot including the one under the sticker but I was unable to pry it out.. felt like I was going to break something if I used more force but it still wouldn't budge. I cut off the legs from the current Jovial caps and soldered the Nichicon ones directly onto the old stumps.. a really ugly

 but functional job and it was the best I could do without access to the lower side.
 

 
if you're going to do this, you have to make sure the caps are all flat against the PCB otherwise the back case wouldn't fit back on..there is about 1 or 2mm of tolerance to work with. (capacitors are 6.3mm wide x 11mm tall)
 

 
all that bit of trouble was worth it in the end, because I always suspected my current unit had a channel imbalance in which the right channel was stronger in certain frequencies than the left. I could confirm this by simply flipping my HD-25s around and the left channel (previously right) would be stronger sounding. This immediately disappeared after this capacitor mod, perhaps one of the Jovials on the left channel went bad? I'm listening to "Get Lucky" as I'm typing this and it feels like the left channel is unnaturally loud probably only because I got so used to the left channel being somewhat muted.. awesome!
 
I can't say whether there is any difference in quality of the audio... I'm not one to go into such intricate details about such things, but the fact that it fixed my channel imbalance made my day!

 10/10 would replace caps again (if I think they go bad)!

 

[babs]

There is no need to remove the PCB to change these caps
Just heat the two capacitor pins simultaneously with a soldering iron, and when the solder melt, pry the cap
after that, remove the remaining solder in the holes with a desoldering pump
 
Good job, anyway!!

 

[MrLazyAnt]

Hi,
 
Never done any DIY, but after a botched fix at a local store recently I have purchased a new DX50.
 
That being said, I would like to be able to fix my old one, and possibly improve it (without the anxiety of being stuck without a decent DAP), so I would like to ask: if movement of the jack causes one or both channels to go dead, is there any possible cause other than a problem with the jack itself?
 
Thank you

 

[ptjw99]

That being said, I would like to be able to fix my old one, and possibly improve it (without the anxiety of being stuck without a decent DAP), so I would like to ask: if movement of the jack causes one or both channels to go dead, is there any possible cause other than a problem with the jack itself?

yes I had the same problem last week which led me to open up my player (warranty was over) to take a look, which led me to see the capacitors and led me to replace them.. I had one channel cut out everytime I bent my jack a certain angle and opening it up revealed that the solder on one leg on the 3.5mm socket had cracked.. simply adding a bit of solder back to the leg repaired the connection and I had no more issues with sound cutting in and out every time I moved the jack a little.

 

[MrLazyAnt]

yes I had the same problem last week which led me to open up my player (warranty was over) to take a look, which led me to see the capacitors and led me to replace them.. I had one channel cut out everytime I bent my jack a certain angle and opening it up revealed that the solder on one leg on the 3.5mm socket had cracked.. simply adding a bit of solder back to the leg repaired the connection and I had no more issues with sound cutting in and out every time I moved the jack a little.

I'm not sure I understood. Did you replace the capacitors or just add some solder to the 3.5mm jack?

 

[ptjw99]

I'm not sure I understood. Did you replace the capacitors or just add some solder to the 3.5mm jack?

I did both.. I opened up my player originally to find the source of the intermittent channel and found that the solder on the socket had cracked.. but doing that also led me to see that there were the electrolytic caps just above the socket which I decided to replace.

 

[CoiL]

Bought (some haven`t arrived yet) all those caps and going to compare them when I have burnt them in and made capacitor test-board:
 
* Nichicon FG 220uF 10V (not sure these are going to fit by size but asked seller for replacement with 100uF like babs had)
* Nichicon FW 220uF 10V 
* Nichicon KW 220uF 10V 
* Panasonic FM 220uF 10V
* Panasonic FC 220uF 10V 
* Panasonic FR 220uF 10V
* VISHAY BC 220uF 10V
 
There are few newer firmwares that I haven`t tried yet but going to test probably with Sound Unlocked 1.3.3 @ FLAC / irr OFF / CPU default.
 
What I`m interested in, is firstly tinybit smoothed highs and secondly improvement in soundstage size, separation.

 

[MrLazyAnt]

  Bought (some haven`t arrived yet) all those caps and going to compare them when I have burnt them in and made capacitor test-board:
 
* Nichicon FG 220uF 10V
* Nichicon FW 220uF 10V 
* Nichicon KW 220uF 10V 
* Panasonic FM 220uF 10V
* Panasonic FC 220uF 10V 
* Panasonic FR 220uF 10V
* VISHAY BC 220uF 10V
 
There are few newer firmwares that I haven`t tried yet but going to test probably with Sound Unlocked 1.3.3 @ FLAC / irr OFF / CPU default.
 
What I`m interested in, is firstly tinybit smoothed highs and secondly improvement in soundstage size, separation.

Oooooh, if you post a thing like babs did citing the pros and cons of each that would be AMAZING!
 
Also, where did you buy them? Thank you =)

 

[CoiL]

Bought from different places. Panasonic`s and VISHAY are widely available and bought from local seller. Nichicon`s I had to buy from eBay.