[In1unison]

Just rec'd my H20 unit today. Got a good deal, used. I'm impressed with this amp. Stock sounds good, a li'l thick in the midbass and soft-ish in the uppermost treble, still good though, wide SS. I've got a few op amps on hand that I've experimented with. Ne5532p's, opa2134pa's, and Muses8920's. The '5532s slightly narrow the SS and brightens it, making the amp sound "stark". The ti '2134s present a good balance between a wide SS, clear and detailed vocals and instrumentation, depth, and spatial cues. I haven't put in the Muses yet. I like this amp, it's very natural and transparent, could have more gain though...

https://sparkoslabs.com/reviews/gustard-h20-and-ss3602-discrete-op-amp/

 

[ezduzit2500]

https://sparkoslabs.com/reviews/gustard-h20-and-ss3602-discrete-op-amp/

Yeah I read that review when I was trying to decide between Sparkos or Burson v6 vivid for the H20. I'm playing the Sparkos in now. I did a mini shootout between the stock 49720, Muses 8920, and 2134's. For me the 2134s struck the best balance between detail, SS, and immediacy and realism of vocals and instruments. Compared to the opa2134pa's the Sparkos take all those characteristics up a notch or two. Fresh out of the box they were a tad brighter but after a few hours the aggressiveness subsided and the bass came fleshed out. The Sparkos make my Anandas closer to my Aryas. Can't wait til my replacement Arya set comes this week. I still may get the Bursons some time in the future though.

 

[ezduzit2500]

Using the Ticha 994 discrete opamp, quite pleased it was able to fit.
I have ad the H20 for about 2 years.

The extender socket height is adjusted.
I beveled the top edge of the 994 board to ease insertion.
There are no traces near the edge that faces the heatsink.

994 is an large sonic improvement over the stock opamp, better sound staging and bass slam.

How would the Sonic Imageries compare with the Sparkos or Bursons? I got the Sparkos but I may get Burson v6 vivids or the Sonic Imageries next but would like to hear from those who have either, both, or all three.

 

[m-i-c-k-e-y]

Cycle a few pages back.

 

[b0bb]

How would the Sonic Imageries compare with the Sparkos or Bursons? I got the Sparkos but I may get Burson v6 vivids or the Sonic Imageries next but would like to hear from those who have either, both, or all three.

I have Sparkos and V5, V6 Vivid Bursons in my collection as well, I am using the Ticha994 the others are good in specific areas like bass slam, sound staging.

Ticha994 is the best balanced, I find the others only match the Ticha994 in specific areas but not exceed its performance

Sparkos is very dynamic with large soundstage, very fast bass, can come across as cold and sterile.
The Bursons have a much warmer midrange but muddies fine details, have to really listen hard for the microdetails.

Ticha 994 has the warmth without sacrificing the microdetail and soundstage.
It will take the stock H20 right up to its performance limit.

 

[ezduzit2500]

I have Sparkos and V5, V6 Vivid Bursons in my collection as well, I am using the Ticha994 the others are good in specific areas like bass slam, sound staging.

Ticha994 is the best balanced, I find the others only match the Ticha994 in specific areas but not exceed its performance

Sparkos is very dynamic with large soundstage, very fast bass, can come across as cold and sterile.
The Bursons have a much warmer midrange but muddies fine details, have to really listen hard for the microdetails.

Ticha 994 has the warmth without sacrificing the microdetail and soundstage.
It will take the stock H20 right up to its performance limit.

Your impressions have peaked my interest in the 'Sonics a little bit more. I believe I may be able to squeeze a tad more out of the H20. Chasing the last 5% could be folly or eureka!!!, haha . I'm going to spend a little more time with the Sparkos because I just got them. I don't want to just throw money at the "problem" when there really isn't one. But that's how I'm caught up in this hobby, chasing the best SQ w/o draining the bank. I must be the only one... BTW, what cans do you have?

 

[b0bb]

Your impressions have peaked my interest in the 'Sonics a little bit more. I believe I may be able to squeeze a tad more out of the H20. Chasing the last 5% could be folly or eureka!!!, haha . I'm going to spend a little more time with the Sparkos because I just got them. I don't want to just throw money at the "problem" when there really isn't one. But that's how I'm caught up in this hobby, chasing the best SQ w/o draining the bank. I must be the only one... BTW, what cans do you have?

I use the H20 with the HD800 and LCD3F

 

[ezduzit2500]

Update to anyone listening. I've had the Sparkos in the H20 for almost a couple of weeks. I just got my Aryas back from repair a few days ago and am burning in the new driver with pink noise to tonally match the other one (Anandas back to the shelf). This also helps with burning in the Sparkos I can wholeheartedly say that H20 with Sparkos improves on the Topping A90 I previously tried. Not by a mile, but by a fair good margin. The main differences being tonality, detail, and realism, if not absolute power. Voices, instruments, and soundstage cues are just more natural, less solid state sounding. I may try out Sonic Imageries next month though, just to see the effects.

 

[ezduzit2500]

P.S.

The H20 has untapped potential.
15V power supplies uses the 7815 and 7915 regulators.

These are very old, Motorola introduced these in the late 1970s, there are far better alternatives 40+ years down the road.

I have chosen to replace these with discrete regulators from Sparkos, shown with the golden tape covering

It has taken the H20 to new levels of transparency and smoothness.
More importantly it allowed the H20 to make far better use of the Ticha 994 discrete opamp.



-ve 15V Sparkos regulator as it was being mounted.
Fully discrete design


Add insulation, essential given the tight tolerances


Completed install

The H20 has untapped potential.
15V power supplies uses the 7815 and 7915 regulators.

These are very old, Motorola introduced these in the late 1970s, there are far better alternatives 40+ years down the road.

I have chosen to replace these with discrete regulators from Sparkos, shown with the golden tape covering

It has taken the H20 to new levels of transparency and smoothness.
More importantly it allowed the H20 to make far better use of the Ticha 994 discrete opamp.



-ve 15V Sparkos regulator as it was being mounted.
Fully discrete design


Add insulation, essential given the tight tolerances


Completed install

What does it take to do the actual replacement of these regulators? How difficult is it, ie: is it any soldering involved with the H20?

 

[b0bb]

P.S.


What does it take to do the actual replacement of these regulators? How difficult is it, ie: is it any soldering involved with the H20?

The stock regulators have to be removed by desoldering them from the board.

The adjacent heatsink fins have to be ground down to add more clearance for the new regulator

 

[ezduzit2500]

The stock regulators have to be removed by desoldering them from the board.

The adjacent heatsink fins have to be ground down to add more clearance for the new regulator

Thanks for the reply. That amount of modification is out of my pay grade for the time being, as I just moved and I don't have room for much extra gear. If it was plug n play I would try it.

 

[b0bb]

Neutrik metal framed connectors.
These have metal inserts facing the chassis for more consistent grounding for the XLR connector shields.

This minimizes RF ingress into the H20, this improves midrange smoothness in the presence of RF noise.

Extra metal fingers in the sockets make sure the XLR plug is grounded at multiple points

Note: This is for the shield ground not signal ground.

 

[b0bb]

Replace red WIMA 1uF mylar caps with 1uF Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS) caps.
These are nearly as good as Polypropylene (PP) but available in larger values.

Effect similar to PP, transient spearing considerably reduced.
White caps in the picture.

 

[b0bb]

Magnetic shielding sheets (silver grey panels on right)

Reduces the magnetic pickup by the opamp when the volume control is operated.

Less clicks induced on the signal when turning the volume knob.

 

[b0bb]

Replace diodes on preamp bridge rectifiers, swap regular silicon diodes with schottky diodes.

Schottky diodes have very low switching noise, removing this source of noise takes off the graininess in the midrange.

Before. (D70, D68 etc)

After