[raymondlin]

That's a lot of work for upgrading an amp! how long did that take?

You took the thing apart, I don't think it's even class as an X-Can anymore! apart from the case. X-Can v3 turbo indeed! It'll be interesting to see if MF's next Headphone amp will be comparable to yours.

btw, how much were those capacitors ?

 

[Tube_Pete]

I might replace all caps with Panasonic FC in my X-Can V2, since they are easiest/cheapest to get. Are the cap on this link the cap type you have used in your X-Can V2 pinkie?

http://international1.farnell.com/Se...archform.jhtml

 

[Tube_Pete]

Anyone thought about changing the volume pot to some Alps pot. In that case which Alps model should fit the bill, i.e. has the right voltage rating, pin configuration and size?

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by ServinginEcuador Pinkie, sounds like you've started a trend with your cap rolling discovery on the X-Cans. You got any plans to try some of those caps your friend recos for 17 pounds each?? HAHA, I doubt it. I hope that many people find out how greatly they can improve their sounds with some easy component swaps. It's been said here time and again that it makes a huge difference, but I hope it catches on more and more in the future. You've done us all a great service doing all that work and reporting what you found. Thanks.

Erm.. £17 per cap is a little over the top and I doubt they'd be too large to fit in the X-Can V2.. I bet they sound lovely though

Cheers for the compliments I think it's good to share upgrades with others and hope this will spur them on to trying the upgrades themselves.

I'm getting to work on a X-Can V1 this weekend and will be replacing all the caps and also the op amps so will upload all the details when I'm finished!

Pinkie

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by raymondlin That's a lot of work for upgrading an amp! how long did that take? You took the thing apart, I don't think it's even class as an X-Can anymore! apart from the case. X-Can v3 turbo indeed! It'll be interesting to see if MF's next Headphone amp will be comparable to yours. btw, how much were those capacitors ?

Hi Raymond!

To remove the circuit boards and disconnect them 10 minutes
To desolder all the caps 20 minutes
To solder in new caps 10 minutes
To reconnect everything and insert into X-Can 10 minutes

Obviously you can take as long as you like but I'm a great believer in getting that soldering tip on and off the PCB as quickly as possible.... nothing worse than lifting a track with too much heat!

Just ensure none of the capacitors touch each other and try to fit them as straight as possible.. a tidy board always looks better!

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tube_Pete I might replace all caps with Panasonic FC in my X-Can V2, since they are easiest/cheapest to get. Are the cap on this link the cap type you have used in your X-Can V2 pinkie? http://international1.farnell.com/Se...archform.jhtml

Hi Pete,

That link you provided is not working but all the caps you need are available from RS components website. The caps I am going to fit into the V1 this weekend comprise ELNA cerafine, ELNA Starget, Panasonic FC and Rubycons. Everything apart from the Cerafines is available from RS.

I've got 4 35v 1000uF Cerafines left and 2 of them will be going into the V1 upgrade (you can only physically get 2 in) Replacing all 6 of the 35V 1000uF with panasonic FC caps will bring about a major improvement though.

The ELNA Starget is a super audio cap and the price is very good too! here is my RS parts List along with the part numbers... if you visit their website and put the part numbers into their search box it will take you to the relevant page. Alternately, go to Electrolytic capacitors (radial) and you'll see the stargets and FC's on that page.

RS Stock No. Qty Description
(Click to see product information) Units Unit
Price Goods
Value Remove
Product


Capacitor, aluminium electrolytic, low impedance, radial, wire ended, 35V, 1000UF EACH £0.62 £3.10 Remove
In stock



Capacitor, aluminium electrolytic, audio grade, solder tag, 16Vdc, 1000uF EACH £1.858 £9.29 Remove
In stock



Capacitor, aluminium electrolytic, audio grade, solder tag, 35Vdc, 470uF EACH £1.89 £9.45 Remove
In stock



Capacitor, aluminium electrolytic, audio grade, solder tag, 35Vdc, 10uF EACH £0.304 £1.52 Remove
In stock



Capacitor, aluminium electrolytic, audio grade, solder tag, 35Vdc, 100uF EACH £0.788 £3.94 Remove
In stock



Capacitor, electrolytic, 16V, 100uF EACH £0.168 £0.84 Remove
In stock



IC, Op Amp, Voltage Feedback, dual, OPA2134PA EACH £2.03 £4.06 Remove
In stock



IC, socket, low profile, DIL, 8 way EACH £0.82 £4.10 Remove
In stock

 

[PinkFloyd]

crap that didn't work!!

Here are the part numbers:

315-0754
215-5663
215-5720
215-5685
215-5714
224-4173
285-8069

http://www.rs-components.com Remember that these parts are for X-Can V1. All the values you need for V2 can be found at RS.

Get as many Stargets in the correct value that you can and for the other values us Panasonic FC

Hope this helps

Pinkie

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by ddriveman Good job ! Now you have me hook on doing a similar capacitor upgrade. Need to first find those Caps here in Hong Kong and get myself a soldering iron. By the way, ehat type of solder did you use ?

I used the best type of solder.... "Free" dunno what the exact grade is but I got a few reels of it when I worked at Arcam many years ago.

Pinkie

 

[PinkFloyd]

These punters do some nice ELNA caps but they also know how to charge crazy prices! http://www.audiocom-uk.com/Merchant2...S&Store_Code=A

I got my caps through a friend who works for ELNA and, even through him, they took 3 months to arrive from Japan. It's very frustrating that you can't buy the values you need off the shelf and it's, in a way, ELNA's own fault. Their UK distributor "ACAL" has a MOQ of 1000 units so if you want to buy 7 capacitors of differing values you'd have to buy 7000.

Considering elna have hundreds of different values of Cerafine what company is going to stock each value? Imagine 120 capacitor values x 1,000..... 120,000 capacitors they would have to buy and remember........ then they have to sell them all to people looking for 6 or 7 at a time. No wonder suppliers are hesitant to stock them.

If everybody here wrote to ELNA it would prove there was great demand and maybe ELNA would realise it would be in their interest to sell them direct to the public.

Ah...... dream on

Pinkie

 

[raymondlin]

For Soldering, try to get Silver Solder, it has 5% of Silver mized into it to increase conductivity. I use it to make i/c.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tube_Pete Anyone thought about changing the volume pot to some Alps pot. In that case which Alps model should fit the bill, i.e. has the right voltage rating, pin configuration and size?

I'm working on a replacement pot at this very moment pete and will advise you on the best pot as soon as I manage to source it!

The thing musical fidelity fitted is far from ideal is it? It does the job I suppose but it just doesn't feel right.

I like the old 70's style pots which were the size of a can of baked beans... dont think I'd manage to squeeze on of those in however! I'll have a good look at the pot at the weekend and may even ask musical fidelity what a better replacement would be.

Pinkie

 

[Tube_Pete]

I bought a DIY external power supply to x-can v2 from a friend some months ago. He then replaced the PSU upper board in X-can with some kind of adaption card that adapts the external power supply to the mother (lower) board of x-can. The power supply is in a separate box with detachable power chord.

Yesterday I opened the power supply box and inside were for example Elna Stargets, Large Rubycon caps (6800 uF) and a 50 W Talema toroidal transformer. The adaption card that he replaced instead of the PSU upper board had lots of Elna Starget caps on it. So it seems my cap upgrade would only be to replace the 6 caps on the lower board. I don't know their function though, if it's worth the effort to swap these at all.

I also rolled in a matched pair of 6922/E88CC Ruby Tubes Sovtek. I don't know if these are the ones you gave 4 of 5 stars in your test pinkie. Anyway they sound a lot better than my National ECC88 I had before already. Great transient response, bags of details, wide soundstage. That smooth tube-like sound isn't completely there though.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tube_Pete I bought a DIY external power supply to x-can v2 from a friend some months ago. He then replaced the PSU upper board in X-can with some kind of adaption card that adapts the external power supply to the mother (lower) board of x-can. The power supply is in a separate box with detachable power chord. Yesterday I opened the power supply box and inside were for example Elna Stargets, Large Rubycon caps (6800 uF) and a 50 W Talema toroidal transformer. The adaption card that he replaced instead of the PSU upper board had lots of Elna Starget caps on it. So it seems my cap upgrade would only be to replace the 6 caps on the lower board. I don't know their function though, if it's worth the effort to swap these at all. I also rolled in a matched pair of 6922/E88CC Ruby Tubes Sovtek. I don't know if these are the ones you gave 4 of 5 stars in your test pinkie. Anyway they sound a lot better than my National ECC88 I had before already. Great transient response, bags of details, wide soundstage. That smooth tube-like sound isn't completely there though.

Hi Pete,

Sounds like a pretty cool power supply, do you have any pictures of it you can upload?

The ELNA Starget is a good capacitor and, yes, it would be worth replacing the caps on the lower board with Stargets. The top board deals with power supply and the lower board amplification.

The sovteks I auditioned were the 6922's... I don't know about the "ruby" but these were simply known as "sovtek 6922". I agree with your appraisal of the Sovteks but they are not "valve" like, sounding slightly more solid state (very Good though!) The mullards would probably give you the "smooth tube-like sound" you're looking for. I'm about to audition a pair of Sylvania gold pin 6922's and some amperex bugle boy 6922's so will let you know how I find them.

Thing is..... where to stop! we could all go on for ages trying different valves.. there has to be a point where listening to the music and being satisfied enters the equation!

Pinkie

 

[Tube_Pete]

Of course the music comes first... doesn't hurt though when you feel the ambience/sense of occasion of a concert hall/recording studio as you do with great sounding equipment.

The new Camel album "A Nod And A Wink" contains lot of subtle details and some great music as well. And if you haven't got it already you ought to buy Michael Hedges "Aerial Boundaries". Absolutely stunning acoustic guitar album from 1984 with great sound as well. The guy plays solo acoustic guitar on almost all tracks (additional flute and fretless bass on some track) and sometimes it sounds like there are three playing not one!

Album contains everything: emotions, dynamics, transients, ambience (guitar sounds echoes in the studio), superb guitar playing!

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tube_Pete Of course the music comes first... doesn't hurt though when you feel the ambience/sense of occasion of a concert hall/recording studio as you do with great sounding equipment. The new Camel album "A Nod And A Wink" contains lot of subtle details and some great music as well. And if you haven't got it already you ought to buy Michael Hedges "Aerial Boundaries". Absolutely stunning acoustic guitar album from 1984 with great sound as well. The guy plays solo acoustic guitar on almost all tracks (additional flute and fretless bass on some track) and sometimes it sounds like there are three playing not one! Album contains everything: emotions, dynamics, transients, ambience (guitar sounds echoes in the studio), superb guitar playing!

And your point is??