DX200/220 Amp8, MAX and other EX modifications
- Thread starter Whitigir
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It looks ugly. But while I do not know where to hide Cerafine 3300 mF. But mostly I don't care what it looks like. Sound is important to me and what would not much interfere.
in deep pocket is placed. But I often wear it in my shoulder or waist bag.
edwardsean
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@GrigoryV, this is nuts, but just as you were posting, I was thinking of something of something similar. I'm also thinking of drilling holes into the case to fit Elna capacitors. So far, I want to try putting one Silmic and one Cerafine into amp8.
How hard was it to drill the holes?
Where did you put the Cerafine 3300uF?
How does it sound?
edwardsean
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For anyone tackling the DX220EX mod, here are just a few pitfalls to watch out for. This is what I learned along the way that I wish I knew from the start:
1) Getting the 220 open is somewhat different than the 200, and there is one "trick" that is kinda important.
When you pull off the back of the 220 with a sucker don't use the handle to pull. The sucker is designed with a handle so it seems intuitive to use it. However, if you pull from there, your elbow acts as the pivot. So the excursion is too big, and if you're not careful you'll yank out the battery contact and the wifi pin, possibly damaging them.
Once the sucker is attached, grab the sucker with your thumb and middle finger on either side. Gently work it up using your wrist as the pivot so the excursion is small and you have full control. Once there is a gap along the edge you can just work that with a plastic spudger. This way you will leave plenty of slack for the battery cable and wifi wire. You can then reach in with tweezers to safely disconnect both.
2) The ribbon connectors are simpler and easier by far than the DX200. There are only two, but one thing that you might miss is that the small ribbon connector attached to the volume knob now has a locking mechanism. There is a little black plastic lever that is behind the pins in the white plastic housing. You need to pull this up to release the ribbon. I thought it might have a lock when the ribbon wouldn't come out, but I thought the black piece was part of the housing so it was a frustrating struggle to get the ribbon out. Once you release the lock it's a snap.
3) The TDK sheeting that is part 2 of the mod is effective in suppressing noise, but this is a case of there being "no such thing as a free lunch." It also dampens energy especially in the brightness region around 4-7KHz. If your phones are already bright, thin, or glaring, like dynamics can be, this nicely smooths out the FR. In this case, along with blacker background, the TDK sheets are a double benefit.
However, planars can already sound overly smooth and warm, and my LCDi4s, in particular, are critiqued for being dull in almost exactly that frequency range (2-6KHz). Along with my other processing (convolution), the TDK sheets made things smooth to the point of sounding muffled.
The sheeting draws back the soundstage and can give a nice effect of depth, but it is not an actual expansion of soundstage but a veiling of tone. Your brain interprets clarity as an aural cue of proximity. Psychoacoustically, the more the sound is dampened the further away the sonic components seem. Having the musical background recede is a nice effect but the sheeting tends to pull back everything including elements that should pop out of the black.
Paul at iBasso let me know that the R&D team experimented with noise suppression sheeting and found similar mixed results.
Luckily, the sheeting is something that can be calibrated, i.e., you don't have to cover everything. You can adjust how many noise-generating components you want to cover in the internals. As with the DX200 the amount of sheeting you use can be a method of "tuning" the EX to fit your system. However, I personally think that, in contrast to the DX200, the out-of-the-box smoothness/musicality of the DX220 doesn't require as much coverage. I ended up removing all of it, but again, this is completely system dependent.
The best way to do this "tuning" is to apply the sheeting, listen, and add and remove to taste. This will require you to open up your unit multiple times. This is not a problem, but I would recommend removing only the battery cable and leaving the wifi wire attached to the pin. The pin is delicate and repeated stress can break it off and you can say goodbye to streaming audio. This happened to me on the DX200 mod which is why it didn't happen to me on the DX220 mod. Once, the battery lead is free, just use anything handy to prop up the back of the case at 90 degrees leaving the wifi connected. If you reattach the sucker and put something under it, it's pretty stable and you have two hands free to work.
4) During the desoldering process, whether you are using hot air or an iron, watch out that the tiny little suckers (0603 and smaller components) don't slip away. If you are using hot air, as Vince has said, you need to keep these small parts down so they don't blow away. They can readily desolder before the component your after because of their small mass.
If you are using low temp solder, you need to have a tip thin enough to heat up your target part without touching adjacent parts. You also need to practice gaining control of exactly how much low temp solder you are applying. I found the best method for myself was to not apply the low temp directly onto the component. It was too easy for too much to glob on and flow to nearby parts. If you gently brush the low temp with your iron you can wick off small bits and apply that precisely to where it needs to be. Too little of it and it will take too long to heat up the contacts, but always better than too much. The stuff is easy to clean up as it pools together in a mass in the flux. But, if your little 0603 component is swimming in it for any length of time, it'll come free of the board.
For me, I sucked one of these particle-sized parts up into my desoldering pump, and a project that should've taken up a nice evening at the most, stretched into days trying to track down what the heck I just lost.
I know this largely goes without saying for people experienced enough to attempt the EX mod in the first place, but these few notes are mostly for people, in my position, who are still learning their way.
Amazing, what you are willing to learn how to do when you are motivated enough to do it. And the EX is just such a motivation.
1) Getting the 220 open is somewhat different than the 200, and there is one "trick" that is kinda important.
When you pull off the back of the 220 with a sucker don't use the handle to pull. The sucker is designed with a handle so it seems intuitive to use it. However, if you pull from there, your elbow acts as the pivot. So the excursion is too big, and if you're not careful you'll yank out the battery contact and the wifi pin, possibly damaging them.
Once the sucker is attached, grab the sucker with your thumb and middle finger on either side. Gently work it up using your wrist as the pivot so the excursion is small and you have full control. Once there is a gap along the edge you can just work that with a plastic spudger. This way you will leave plenty of slack for the battery cable and wifi wire. You can then reach in with tweezers to safely disconnect both.
2) The ribbon connectors are simpler and easier by far than the DX200. There are only two, but one thing that you might miss is that the small ribbon connector attached to the volume knob now has a locking mechanism. There is a little black plastic lever that is behind the pins in the white plastic housing. You need to pull this up to release the ribbon. I thought it might have a lock when the ribbon wouldn't come out, but I thought the black piece was part of the housing so it was a frustrating struggle to get the ribbon out. Once you release the lock it's a snap.
3) The TDK sheeting that is part 2 of the mod is effective in suppressing noise, but this is a case of there being "no such thing as a free lunch." It also dampens energy especially in the brightness region around 4-7KHz. If your phones are already bright, thin, or glaring, like dynamics can be, this nicely smooths out the FR. In this case, along with blacker background, the TDK sheets are a double benefit.
However, planars can already sound overly smooth and warm, and my LCDi4s, in particular, are critiqued for being dull in almost exactly that frequency range (2-6KHz). Along with my other processing (convolution), the TDK sheets made things smooth to the point of sounding muffled.
The sheeting draws back the soundstage and can give a nice effect of depth, but it is not an actual expansion of soundstage but a veiling of tone. Your brain interprets clarity as an aural cue of proximity. Psychoacoustically, the more the sound is dampened the further away the sonic components seem. Having the musical background recede is a nice effect but the sheeting tends to pull back everything including elements that should pop out of the black.
Paul at iBasso let me know that the R&D team experimented with noise suppression sheeting and found similar mixed results.
Luckily, the sheeting is something that can be calibrated, i.e., you don't have to cover everything. You can adjust how many noise-generating components you want to cover in the internals. As with the DX200 the amount of sheeting you use can be a method of "tuning" the EX to fit your system. However, I personally think that, in contrast to the DX200, the out-of-the-box smoothness/musicality of the DX220 doesn't require as much coverage. I ended up removing all of it, but again, this is completely system dependent.
The best way to do this "tuning" is to apply the sheeting, listen, and add and remove to taste. This will require you to open up your unit multiple times. This is not a problem, but I would recommend removing only the battery cable and leaving the wifi wire attached to the pin. The pin is delicate and repeated stress can break it off and you can say goodbye to streaming audio. This happened to me on the DX200 mod which is why it didn't happen to me on the DX220 mod. Once, the battery lead is free, just use anything handy to prop up the back of the case at 90 degrees leaving the wifi connected. If you reattach the sucker and put something under it, it's pretty stable and you have two hands free to work.
4) During the desoldering process, whether you are using hot air or an iron, watch out that the tiny little suckers (0603 and smaller components) don't slip away. If you are using hot air, as Vince has said, you need to keep these small parts down so they don't blow away. They can readily desolder before the component your after because of their small mass.
If you are using low temp solder, you need to have a tip thin enough to heat up your target part without touching adjacent parts. You also need to practice gaining control of exactly how much low temp solder you are applying. I found the best method for myself was to not apply the low temp directly onto the component. It was too easy for too much to glob on and flow to nearby parts. If you gently brush the low temp with your iron you can wick off small bits and apply that precisely to where it needs to be. Too little of it and it will take too long to heat up the contacts, but always better than too much. The stuff is easy to clean up as it pools together in a mass in the flux. But, if your little 0603 component is swimming in it for any length of time, it'll come free of the board.
For me, I sucked one of these particle-sized parts up into my desoldering pump, and a project that should've taken up a nice evening at the most, stretched into days trying to track down what the heck I just lost.
I know this largely goes without saying for people experienced enough to attempt the EX mod in the first place, but these few notes are mostly for people, in my position, who are still learning their way.
Amazing, what you are willing to learn how to do when you are motivated enough to do it. And the EX is just such a motivation.
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Excellent write up Edward, thank you!
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MilesR
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Can someone point me towards any reviews of the amp 8ex mod. I read Twister6 review is there any others ?
Has anyone done any comparisons between Windows X mod and Whitigir's mod. I'm not trying to stir anything up I'm thinking of having my amp 8 modified and I'm looking at options.
Thanks
Has anyone done any comparisons between Windows X mod and Whitigir's mod. I'm not trying to stir anything up I'm thinking of having my amp 8 modified and I'm looking at options.
Thanks
edwardsean
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Miles, I wish we could help. But, I don’t know if there is anyone who has actually heard both amps. Unfortunately, that means doing some footwork and tracking down people on the main DX200/220 threads that have done Fidelizer’s mod for impressions. You’ll have to compare that yourself to what you’ve read about amp8EX.
They are both going to upgrade your sound significantly. Practicalities will come into play as well. Amp8EX is a DIY, so if you’re going to get it done you need to find someone reliable to do it, and the amp modules are actually trickier, even for experienced technicians, than the main board of the DX 200/220. WindowsX Is offering a ready-made package/service, but you’ll have to deal with the wait of shipping overseas.
I know this is always a cold comfort, but you can’t really go wrong with either.
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MilesR
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Thank you. The thought of upgrading my dx200 and amp8 instead of buying a dx220 has also crossed my mind.
edwardsean
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Miles,
This is just my personal view, but if you the have the funds to get your DX200 upgraded, I think it’s a better value proposition to sell your DX200 and get the DX220. The cost difference shouldn’t be too bad. Personally, I think you will get better sound and you have all the advantages of the new screen, UI, quick charge, etc.
Then as you go along you can always eventually upgrade the 220. If you invest a good sum more into the 200 you have no where further to go. You’ve closed down your options and wedded yourself to older tech. When you upgrade in the future, it’ll be a bigger net loss.
Don’t get me wrong, the DX200 is a nice bit of kit, and you could happily stay there. But, if you’ve decided to upgrade, I think the 220 provides a better path.
This is just my personal view, but if you the have the funds to get your DX200 upgraded, I think it’s a better value proposition to sell your DX200 and get the DX220. The cost difference shouldn’t be too bad. Personally, I think you will get better sound and you have all the advantages of the new screen, UI, quick charge, etc.
Then as you go along you can always eventually upgrade the 220. If you invest a good sum more into the 200 you have no where further to go. You’ve closed down your options and wedded yourself to older tech. When you upgrade in the future, it’ll be a bigger net loss.
Don’t get me wrong, the DX200 is a nice bit of kit, and you could happily stay there. But, if you’ve decided to upgrade, I think the 220 provides a better path.
MilesR
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Thank you for
you
Thank you for your help. Great advice and I think I'll buy a dx220 and at some point i will get Windows X to upgrade my amp 8.
edwardsean
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I do think you’ll really be happy with your choice.
All the best to you.
All the best to you.
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So, according to what I found out about the Amp8 V2 as the upgraded V1 versions. It has improvements at the hardware level to improve the current delivery. Therefore, the EX modifications is also changed in according to exploit the possibilities again on the V2.
I was asked if V1 modifications could be applied toward V2 directly or vice versa? Please allow me to remind everyone that we are DIY, and so you can do whatever you seem fit. I modified mine this way because it is my personal preferences and deemed fit IMO. The improvements is that soundstage, dynamic, punches, musical and yet accurate still in comparison to V1 or the original EX. Ofcourse both EX of V1 and V2 are the best of what both versions can do.
There are a few differences from V1 vs V2.
1/ first and fore most the important part. The TDK sheetings on the main body. If you are using the V2, you do not need the Sheets on the ES9028Pros any longer. I still feel that keeping it on for V1 is a good idea as the V1 without it can still get harsh and grains at tricky places and complex trebles passages
2/ ECHU is now possible to be at line level and not the jacks
3/ all changes enable the usage of Electrolytic directly without bicaps and Tantalum. All electrolytic will now be UKA
Tips to solder I’n the UKA at the 4 Tantalum, the ECHU: put ECHU in as soon as you took out the original bicap as this will warrant the heat distribution to not be dissipated so ECHU stays in easier. Then apply other KO caps upgrades afterward, then TDK sheets, and finally the UKA caps. Bend the legs and cut to fit, do make sure everything will stay and fit nicely. Prime the pads with a thin solder film, and solder in while pushing the legs inward instead of pressing the caps downward (please refer to the last pictures. I don’t mean to tell you how to solder, this is just a tip to make it work easier. We all have different techniques and experiences, please apply your soldering techniques as you seem fit)
Parts needed
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C101MDD
1x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C471MPD
1x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C221MED1TD
10x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/80-T543B107K010TE150
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/80-T520A226M10ANE080
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/667-ECH-U1C222JX5
For all the Tantalum KO Caps, are the same as original Amp8 EX, and also the TDK sheets for the V1 will remain the same. Also V2 comes with glass back swap it in as you desire. Also, do not forget about Ground return mod
I was asked if V1 modifications could be applied toward V2 directly or vice versa? Please allow me to remind everyone that we are DIY, and so you can do whatever you seem fit. I modified mine this way because it is my personal preferences and deemed fit IMO. The improvements is that soundstage, dynamic, punches, musical and yet accurate still in comparison to V1 or the original EX. Ofcourse both EX of V1 and V2 are the best of what both versions can do.
There are a few differences from V1 vs V2.
1/ first and fore most the important part. The TDK sheetings on the main body. If you are using the V2, you do not need the Sheets on the ES9028Pros any longer. I still feel that keeping it on for V1 is a good idea as the V1 without it can still get harsh and grains at tricky places and complex trebles passages
2/ ECHU is now possible to be at line level and not the jacks
3/ all changes enable the usage of Electrolytic directly without bicaps and Tantalum. All electrolytic will now be UKA
Tips to solder I’n the UKA at the 4 Tantalum, the ECHU: put ECHU in as soon as you took out the original bicap as this will warrant the heat distribution to not be dissipated so ECHU stays in easier. Then apply other KO caps upgrades afterward, then TDK sheets, and finally the UKA caps. Bend the legs and cut to fit, do make sure everything will stay and fit nicely. Prime the pads with a thin solder film, and solder in while pushing the legs inward instead of pressing the caps downward (please refer to the last pictures. I don’t mean to tell you how to solder, this is just a tip to make it work easier. We all have different techniques and experiences, please apply your soldering techniques as you seem fit)
Parts needed
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C101MDD
1x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C471MPD
1x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/647-UKA1C221MED1TD
10x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/80-T543B107K010TE150
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/80-T520A226M10ANE080
4x
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/667-ECH-U1C222JX5
For all the Tantalum KO Caps, are the same as original Amp8 EX, and also the TDK sheets for the V1 will remain the same. Also V2 comes with glass back swap it in as you desire. Also, do not forget about Ground return mod
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