[thubble]

It's been nearly 24 hours of constant usage, and while the bass and treble are even better, the mids still aren't up to the RME Digi96. There's not enough smoothness or instrument separation, and parts that were clearly audible with the Digi96 are now hidden. I tried using a "real" digital cable (took some 75 ohm coax I had lying around, and soldered some gold-plated RCA jacks on the ends) and I still couldn't tell the difference switching between this and the optical input.

I still think a large part of the problem is inadequate power (I have to turn the amp up to 1:00 as opposed to 10:00 with the RME). Any suggestions for which bigger power supply to get?

 

[hortiholic]

I was on the web researching this just last night, thubble. Didn't make much progress! Is it voltage or current that is most important?

Russell

Quote:

Originally Posted by thubble /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still think a large part of the problem is inadequate power (I have to turn the amp up to 1:00 as opposed to 10:00 with the RME). Any suggestions for which bigger power supply to get?

 

[thubble]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hortiholic /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was on the web researching this just last night, thubble. Didn't make much progress! Is it voltage or current that is most important? Russell

Current. (The voltage has to be an exact value, 12V). Stanley said that future models would include a 60W (5A) power supply; the current models only include a 20W (1.7A) supply. Radio Shack only sells supplies up to 1.5A. I've heard good things about Elpac supplies, but they're pricey ($70+ US) and I can't find them locally.

 

[hortiholic]

Here are some sites I've found today that sell 12V power supplies of greater than 1.7 amps:

http://www.montek.com/cart/catalog/A...p-1-c-452.html

http://www.mivs.com/products/powersupply/wp572412.htm

http://www.powerstream.com/ac-1225.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/12Vac-2-4A-Plug-...QQcmdZViewItem

Also, I've been trying to figure out if the connector from the power supply to the dac is 2.1 or 2.5 mm. It LOOKS to be 2.5, but I'm not certain. Do any of you know?

Russell

 

[nelda]

good.
let's concentrate on things that matter most, upgrading/modding this thing.
keep it coming!

 

[hortiholic]

Just ordered a 12V, 4.1 amp, 50W AC/DC power supply from Powerstream in Utah (http://www.powerstream.com/ac-1225.htm), for $31.50 including shipping. This appears to be a good price for a 12V psu of this power. The psu has a 2.1 mm connector and I believe the 7150 has a 2.5 mm receptacle, so I also ordered a 2.5 mm adapter. I'll let everyone know if it makes a difference.

Russell

 

[Herandu]

From what I gather we'll have the option of the 1.7A as standard, or the 5A (60Watts) as standard or an upgrade. It will have the same connector size as the MKI and MKII so that those owners can also use it. Mind you, I did see a 80Watt unit as well, but dare not ask what that is for.

As far as mods are concerned:

More low down bass and better treble: 4700uF

Better headphone oomph:1000uF. That tall green one. Don't try any other mod you see! I am still experimenting.

More stable jitter control: 10uF across C9 and C11

I am not asking anyone to follow my example, but you can at least see that I have done.

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nelda /img/forum/go_quote.gif good. let's concentrate on things that matter most, upgrading/modding this thing. keep it coming!

Are you the guy from the land of the hobbit? I noticed the Middle Earth bit in your location. Stanley mentioned a possible beta-tester of the MKIII who is from that part of the world. Sorry for going off topic for a 2nd?

 

[thubble]

I just tried the headphone-out of the TC-7510, and WOW! The midrange is just as smooth as the Digi96's analog output, but with more detail. In fact, the Digi96, which seemed awesome before, now seems "muddy" by comparison. This is likely because the Digi96 uses JRC4580 opamps on the output, which "blur" the sound quite a bit. I was confusing this "blurring" with smoothness.

I have only 2 minor complaints about the headphone-out:
- There is a significant hiss, probably because I'm using low-impedance 'phones (32 ohm MS1's)
- The bass isn't as tight or impactful as with the Headfive.

Unfortunately when I run from the analog-out to the Headfive, the bass and treble improve and the smooth midrange is still there, but a lot of the midrange is "hidden" (i.e., background parts that I hear clearly out of the headphone-out are barely audible). I suspect this is because the analog-out just doesn't have enough power. I can crank up the Headfive amp to restore volume, but it can't restore the missing detail. I know this isn't a problem with the Headfive, as it's fine when using the Digi96 analog out.

In any case, I'll keep using the TC-7510 headphone out for the time being, as it's the best setup I've found and the hiss is only really noticeable on silent parts.

 

[jandl100]

Hi thubble - bear with the 7510 midrange for a while longer - it takes at least 50 hours play time to really start to open up - in fact, some users say it takes a couple hundred hours to get near its best.

 

[nelda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you the guy from the land of the hobbit? I noticed the Middle Earth bit in your location. Stanley mentioned a possible beta-tester of the MKIII who is from that part of the world. Sorry for going off topic for a 2nd?

indeed. but no, i don't think i qualify as beta-tester. although he did promise to take my mk2 and replace it with mk3 when the latter out.

 

[hortiholic]

This has certainly been my experience. I'd guess I'm well past the 200 hour mark now, and my 7510 continues to mellow. It produces a very satisfying sound.

Russell

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandl100 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi thubble - bear with the 7510 midrange for a while longer - it takes at least 50 hours play time to really start to open up - in fact, some users say it takes a couple hundred hours to get near its best.

 

[Gone4T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hortiholic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here are some sites I've found today that sell 12V power supplies of greater than 1.7 amps: Also, I've been trying to figure out if the connector from the power supply to the dac is 2.1 or 2.5 mm. It LOOKS to be 2.5, but I'm not certain. Do any of you know?

The Beresford 7510 power plug measures 3.5 mm O.D. and 1.25 mm I.D., I don't know why they use such a 'dinky' plug

although there must be a reason.

The good thing is this is the same as the 'black tipped' plug sometimes supplied with variable voltage power supplies for digi cameras etc.

 

[thubble]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gone4T /img/forum/go_quote.gif The good thing is this is the same as the 'black tipped' plug sometimes supplied with variable voltage power supplies for digi cameras etc.

I've done some checking, and I could almost buy another TC-7510 for the price of one of those.

Someone mentioned a while ago that they found a 3.8-amp 12v supply, but searching the net all I can find with those specs are batteries.

 

[Gone4T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thubble /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've done some checking, and I could almost buy another TC-7510 for the price of one of those.

There's plenty here on ebay for a couple of quid, all that is needed are the plugs, the 7510 input plug is the same as the 'black tipped' 3.5mm OD and 1.25mm ID camera plug but I've just found a 'black tipped' camera plug with an OD of 3.0mm so be careful.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MakeTrack=true


Quote:

Someone mentioned a while ago that they found a 3.8-amp 12v supply, but searching the net all I can find with those specs are batteries.

I'm using one of these with a figure 8 input - 120/240 AC - 50/60 Hz 1.5A
Output : 12 volts DC at 3.8 amps.
Model : SDA5512 - Made in China.
I'll take a photo in a few days, I'm sure there will be plenty around.