[modscab]

Some crazy mod on Auzen X-Fi HT HD, not by me. Will update mine soon.

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by modscab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Some crazy mod on Auzen X-Fi HT HD, not by me. Will update mine soon.

Who's card?

 

[Spacehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hans030390 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any idea which of the opamps will be for the main L/R? Will it still be the top one? Which capacitors on these would be replaced? Most mods I've seen just replace one, and it's usually a larger one on the board. I'm not seeing one like that for the Titanium in these pictures.

4556 the highest is the L/R

Capacitor replacing doesn't bring much effect, except shorting the coupling caps.

 

[ROBSCIX]

....I would say that depends on which caps you're talking about.

 

[sobi123]

Hi

I was thinking of getting the audio straight from dac, and coupling the output outside of the card (SB Elite pro 0550). Can anybody tell me where I can get the closest signal from DAC excluding soldering straight from dac itself ? As in soldering to a resistor or a cap.

I'm worried I would kill the dac if I tried to solder on it.
Also could somebody tell me which caps I can chuck out when all I need is the analogue audio out from jacks, or if I can get audio straight from dac which caps would not be needed anymore ? like aux out, console out and others.

Since I have a headphone/pre amp, and an receiver/power amp I don't need amplifying on card anyway. So I thought just as one person did on the thread with xtreme music or xtreme gamer( don't remember ) he took out all the caps that were not needed, and replaced the ones that were.

Would be very glad if somebody could help me with that. Can supply pics of my SB0550 if anyone would need it to tell. Would be interesting to see how the dac output alone would sound.

Very big thank you on top

 

[Spacehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sobi123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would be very glad if somebody could help me with that. Can supply pics of my SB0550 if anyone would need it to tell. Would be interesting to see how the dac output alone would sound. Very big thank you on top

It sounds very neutral. If you don't mind testing your card with it's own ADC then you can take only + or - line from DAC output. I mean that the amplitude of the signal will drop a lot if you don't do your own differential to single ended conversion. If you want to use the highpass filter on the PCB, just take signal from op amp pins 3 right, and 5 left.

You can route the signal from decoupling capacitors.
I found a picture
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6...19a7310vd3.jpg

You can get left channel from C45 and right channel from C49. I am not absolutely sure. You could easily measure it with multimeter. pin 3 and pin 5 are + inputs on op amp , right 3, and left 5.

hmm... I have tinkered with X-FI a lot but never seen an X-FI elite, pretty darn expensive card!

 

[Spacehead]

As you can see from following picture, dac doesn't get instantly damaged if it is soldered on. It is really difficult to get good solder joints on those small legs, as my soldering iron tip is 1.2 mm and those legs are 0.2 mm wide

Cable is shielded and grounded

(that residue has been cleaned away)

I have removed most of the not important stuff from the signal path. I have created my own dip to soic adapter. Only 2 Jamicons left on the card, those shouldn't affect performance. I am trying to balance the capacitor values.
Mic-in op amp changed to OPA2211
Currently AD8620 installed on the adapter
See:
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ui8ah1.jpg

Test results, current configuration is on the left
http://i44.tinypic.com/2vnp76b.jpg

I am a bit disappointed now to the THD value. 0.0026% and on the default card it is 0.0017%. I cannot resolder my adapters connections anymore because I epoxied it to the card. But they are shiny!
THD might be limited by something else. Like socketed capacitors.


The sound quality overall is SUPER. The details of the sound signature depends very much on the op amp now. The CS4382 is pretty very neutral sounding DAC. I almost mixed up the DAC for bright sounding, but then I remembered that I have AD8620 on there so that is the reason for bright sound.

 

[sobi123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacehead /img/forum/go_quote.gif It sounds very neutral. If you don't mind testing your card with it's own ADC then you can take only + or - line from DAC output. I mean that the amplitude of the signal will drop a lot if you don't do your own differential to single ended conversion. If you want to use the highpass filter on the PCB, just take signal from op amp pins 3 right, and 5 left. You can route the signal from decoupling capacitors. I found a picture http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6...19a7310vd3.jpg You can get left channel from C45 and right channel from C49. I am not absolutely sure. You could easily measure it with multimeter. pin 3 and pin 5 are + inputs on op amp , right 3, and left 5. hmm... I have tinkered with X-FI a lot but never seen an X-FI elite, pretty darn expensive card!

Hmmm sounds interesting ! Actually I once tried attaching a small PC case speaker to the coupling cap outs (I have wire bridges there) and it played. Was just wondering if I can get any closer that would exclude op amps altogether, as I didn't hear that much of a difference on elite pro. I had an xtreme music and the change there was ENORMOUS !
Could try wiring it from opamps as you say

have you replaced any caps apart from C163 ?

Elite pro are cheap on ebay

bought mine for £50

about 10 months ago. Would avoid it though. Had snap crackle pop for 2 months and than it went away hahah Would go for something from Auzen and then mod that if I didn't have my elite pro now

 

[sobi123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacehead /img/forum/go_quote.gif As you can see from following picture, dac doesn't get instantly damaged if it is soldered on. It is really difficult to get good solder joints on those small legs, as my soldering iron tip is 1.2 mm and those legs are 0.2 mm wide

Thank you ! that looks promising

QUOTE=Spacehead;6566866] Only 2 Jamicons left on the card, those shouldn't affect performance. [/QUOTE]

There's my answer ;P

 

[Spacehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sobi123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Elite pro are cheap on ebay bought mine for £50 about 10 months ago. Would avoid it though. Had snap crackle pop for 2 months and than it went away hahah Would go for something from Auzen and then mod that if I didn't have my elite pro now

What a bargain!

It you decide to take the dac signal, I suggest that you take it out from underside of the card, at the DC coupling caps. Then you won't damage anything.
Even a small mistake on a crucial point can lead to hissing and you feel like sh¤t.

As you see from my card picture, the practicing has taken it's toll and card looks ugly. But my skills have improved so much during this modding adventure that I have been able to get back the original performance!

 

[sobi123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacehead /img/forum/go_quote.gif It you decide to take the dac signal, I suggest that you take it out from underside of the card, at the DC coupling caps. Then you won't damage anything. Even a small mistake on a crucial point can lead to hissing and you feel like sh¤t. As you see from my card picture, the practicing has taken it's toll and card looks ugly. But my skills have improved so much during this modding adventure that I have been able to get back the original performance!

Hahah the feel like sheet part applies a great deal I think ahahah

Who cares if it's ugly, if it sounds emotionally moving ! Great to hear you could bring it back !

What caps did you use over the card instead of crappycons ?

 

[Spacehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sobi123 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hahah the feel like sheet part applies a great deal I think ahahah Who cares if it's ugly, if it sounds emotionally moving ! Great to hear you could bring it back ! What caps did you use over the card instead of crappycons ?

The card sounds now very nice. I prefer this to default card. The things that open up the sound most are muting transistor removal and decoupling capacitor bypassing. The possibility of op amp rolling makes this card very special

Capacitors used:
Panasonic FC
Nichicon VX
Panasonic FJS
Panasonic FJ

And couple that I don't remember.

 

[Spacehead]

I am trying to get the THD down to 0.0015% from 0.0026%. It might be impossible to do that anymore now that I cannot resolder my adapter. I got .0001% Improvement from putting AD8599 in place and I changed some capacitors.
http://i41.tinypic.com/sg7o9e.jpg

 

[cynan]

I'm a total amature when it comes to this sort of thing.

After getting the stock power capacitor out, I go a bit agressive trying to remove solder stuck in the through holes at C177. One of the pads on the back of the card lifted.

Is there anything I can do about this, or is it game over? I can't find any schematics for C177 traces..

(kind of a shame, cause I already replaced the OpAmp and decoupling caps, which worked)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Spacehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cynan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm a total amature when it comes to this sort of thing. After getting the stock power capacitor out, I go a bit agressive trying to remove solder stuck in the through holes at C177. One of the pads on the back of the card lifted. Is there anything I can do about this, or is it game over? I can't find any schematics for C177 traces.. (kind of a shame, cause I already replaced the OpAmp and decoupling caps, which worked) Thanks in advance!

If you could get me a picture of the area where it got lifted it would help. If you are lucky the lifted point is just ground and that is easy to reroute.

I had to reroute DAC to op amp because I lifted all the 4 op amp decoupling caps