[rgame666]

I have just left the Edicrons in the X-Can that Duncan had put in, so i have not compared to the original tubes or any others.

All I know is I really like the sound I am hearing and as far as I am concerned that is all that matters.

But I am intrigued by the capacitor upgrade idea.....hmmmmmm

The smell of burning flesh!!!! yes...i plugged my soldering iron in again.

 

[Nigel]

I have an X-Cans mk 1 & think the capacitor upgrade made a bigger difference to sound quality than swopping valves. My favourite valves are the Mullards though.

 

[rgame666]

Thats good to know, Nigel. Thanks for the update.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Wow,

I completely missed this thread

Glad you managed to get hold of an X-Can Sandro and I really do hope you are enjoying the sound

Live with the amp for a while until it burns in and then decide if you want to make any changes. Most amps need around 500 hours to burn in so don't judge it until it's got 500 hours on the clock.

I found the biggest improvement in sound quality was brought about by replacing the capacitors, The PSU brought about the least improvement. On a scale from 1 to 10 here is how I rate each upgrade (10 being the best)

PSU upgrade: 5 / 10
Mullard E88CC upgrade: 8.5 / 10
Capacitor upgrade: 10 / 10

The only real advantage I found with the PSU upgrade was the fact it had an on off switch and that it ran a lot cooler than the wallwart. I believe the bass was slightly tighter but it was not an earth shattering improvement.

If you are contemplating upgrading the PSU get hold of a good 20VA toroidal with 12V AC secondaries. The X-PSU is an 80VA toroidal with 4 12V secondaries each providing 20VA. The regulation takes place inside the X-Can so don't worry about "regulated power supplies" I find the Nuvotem Talema a very good toroidal and they cost about £10 each. A case will set you back around £10 and switches, IEC inlets etc. another £10 so for £30 and a few hours work you can easily make yourself a good PSU which is the exact same specification as the X-PSU.

The valves supplied with the X-Cans are Jan / philips 6922 varieties and they do have a tendancy to sound pretty shrill and gritty so you could consider replacing them too. The JJ E88CC's that Nick recommended for the X-Can V1 sound absolutely horrendous in the V2 (I tried 2 matched sets with the same results) so think twice before trying them.

It's all very well for people to recommend the siemens and amperex valves but where do you obtain them and at what cost? The last time I saw a siemen for sale they wanted £80 for the pair which is a tad expensive IMO

My valve of choice is the Mullard E88CC with the Sovtek being a close second. I have also tried the gold pin sylvannia with very favourable results. If you e-mail sean at highendaudio.co.uk he will sort you out a very closely matched set of Mullard E88CC NOS for £30 which is a very good price. He can be contacted at sean@highendaudio.co.uk

The cerafine capacitors are virtually impossible to obtain in the required values and the ones that "are" available are too big to fit into the X-Can (you can only get 2 of the 35V 1000uF caps in to the X-Can) I have used the Panasonic FC series of caps with very good results and they would be my cap of choice if you were to go down that route. All the values are available from RS components and they are very reasonably priced.

Another little tweak you may want to try out is to place the X-Can on a soft surface (such as a foam mouse mat) You'll notice that the V2 has rubber strips on the base whereas the V1 was solid metal... this is for a reason. A soft base reduces microphonics and really does make the amp sound better. Forget solid equipment stands with the X-Can and place it on a nice soft bed

If you need any advice sandro please don't hesitate to e-mail me at the usual place

By the way.... Yello recordings are probably the best you'll ever hear so if they are sounding bad then you can be assured it's not the recording.

Pinkie.

 

[graphor]

Oh... A soft bed for the X-Cans.. That's why I hear something whenever I touch the X-Cans..!

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by graphor Oh... A soft bed for the X-Cans.. That's why I hear something whenever I touch the X-Cans..!

If the tube is microphonic to the point that it amplifies the sound every time you touch the case, I'd consider replacing the tube.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch If the tube is microphonic to the point that it amplifies the sound every time you touch the case, I'd consider replacing the tube.

Sean redshaw designer of the rennaisance valve amp demonstrates all his valve equipment on foam supports Hirsch... it's not a cure for microphonic valves it's just the way he thinks valve gear should be supported and I totally agree.

Try it and see

Mike.

 

[Sandro]

Dusty Chalk, ddriveman

thanks for your recomandations about the psu and the "how to" burn. I'm going to give my amp a few days to give its best.
For now, it's about 50 hours, maybe 70 of total listening. I'll decide myself of changing the tubes after my amp will be run in.

ddrivman,

I did'n know about the "full swing" expression, now it's clear "comme de l'eau de source" as we say in Belgium...
I'm relieved to read that you're earing the same "brightness and forward balance" as me! Thanks for your account.

All the best,

Sandro

 

[Sandro]

Pinkie,

Wow, thank you very much for this "X-Can Bible"!

Of course I'm enjoying the sound, I can't leave my HD600 off, this is a GREAT improvement compared with my little poor Sony speaker amp. X-Can are warmer, wider sound and better basses. I love it.

I did't know about the 500 hours, just thought about about 20 hours... maybe a little more...
I'm going to follow your advice, I'll give my amp these 500 hours before changing anything, that's the most reasonable thing to do.
And as I said, I think that the sound is already beautiful... I've just got a devil inside murmuring to my ears "Sandro you know this can be better and better... go for an upgrade!"
Patience...

Your 1 to 10 scale is all I needed... perfect. Thank you.
But the capacitor upgrade is delicate... can't do it myself, I've got to found myself an electronician.
My first upgrade will be the Mullard's, pretty easy to do.
Thank you for all the precice technical details about the PSU and the capacitors. I appreciate very much.

I'm glad to know that you find the Jan/Philips shrill and gritty... because for now, I find them good... can't imagine how well the Mullard's are able to sound like...

And I've just placed my X-can on a soft bed...
As a lot of users, I can ear noises on the left channel when I thump the power cord or the potentiometer. Strange... but not very disturbing, "microphonic sound" only appears when I thump on them, not when I touch them.

I just discovered "Yello", great. I've got "Motion Picture", Flag" and "You gotta say yes to another excess". I like them very much.
You said these are the best recordings I can find... ooooooh I think I need an upgrade... again...

Thanks for all these precisions.

All the best,

Sandro.