[mako44]

I changed the way of the fuse and I must say it's really better. The problem I had with low frequencies for the beginning has disappeard and it's very well balanced now. It's nothing but this fuse completely got in the mess.
 
It doesn't explain why I heard shinkoh res that dull first but I must admit that tonight, with the 0.22 mundorf cap breaking in, I have a extremely good definition and musicality. A real pleasure.
 
I receive my new speakers tomorrow, it should be even better.

 

[rocky500]

I have ordered some 2.2uf & 0.22uf mundorf caps. Is there a direction(preference) these should face when I put them in?

 

[rocMcBan]

Question about this DAC: I have an opportunity to buy one at a  very decent price. Is it worth getting this with an average ( read budget) amplifier and speakers ?
thanks in advance,
rmcb

 

[mako44]

@ Rocky500 : I don't think so for these components but may be the others have advices as I don't know much in electronics. You won't regret, it substantially opened my dac (air, details, clarity...) and added energy to the music.
 
@ RocMcBan : it depends on what you call budget and above all it depends on how sound your speakers and amplifiers. I would say stock havana is quite laid back, warm, and dark sounding so if you want to use it with a system quite similar (for example nad, denon, luxman) I wouldn't suggest this combination. At the opposite, if you have an opened, bright, clear or very detailed system it would fit much better on my mind. I think the stock Havana worths its price, not much more. For example I was using it with a 3000+ euros system (amp+speakers) and it was clearly not at the level. It should challenge a 700-800 euros cd I think but I never did a direct comparison so it's just an opinion. I could compare it to the vdac2 from Musical Fidelity and havana's better (hopefully, it's not the same price) but sounds completely different : less neutral, more analogic. Hope it can help you

 

[loserica]

Quote:

Question about this DAC: I have an opportunity to buy one at a  very decent price. Is it worth getting this with an average ( read budget) amplifier and speakers ?
thanks in advance,
rmcb

About a year ago, I compared Havana with Lavry DA10 and I remember that Havana had a high note of texture, musicality from Lavry (I mention that I had just changed only the tube and output capacitors). I realized listening to headphones: Meier-Audio PREHEAD-I>>Senheiser HD650, and STAX "Signature". However, to put in the full value potential, it must have balance in full quality audio setup. In dynamic and electrostatic headphones systems I think that is fully justified.
As you climb the rest of the line audio quality standard, begin to justify increasingly the change of stock components..
 

 

[mako44]

Hi all,
 
I just soldered the 2200uf Elna Silmic 1 (Ros) into the dac & the 1000uf one is a silmic 2 RFS. It's not easy to compare as my speakers are new and breaking in so I don't know them very well but for the moment I mainly notice a thicker (may be too much as there is something "heavy" in the sound), more textured and warmer sound. But I must let them break in, I guess they improve with time like Mundorf output/input caps.
 
Now I must choose the seven 0.22uf caps and I hesitate a lot. I saw Auricap works fine with Silmic and that others stayed with different ones, but did you tried this ones :
 
- Intertechnik Audyn True Copper Cap
- Clarity Cap MR Polypropylene capacitors
- Jupiter HT BeesWax
- Jantzen Audio
- Amp hom paper in oil
 
 
It's really exciting to imagine all the different combinations, the problem is the cost...!  For the moment Intertechnik audyn are my favourites in theory but I'd like to knon if you tried them or have better suggestions (well I dream of Duelund caps but it's completely out of budget...).
 
I wonder if I'm not going to try Black gates or similar caps for the 2200 ones as well instead of Silmic to try a clearer/thiner sound. I precise that I mainly made my choice with Humble homemade comments.

 

[mako44]

Thanks for the info about Auricap' strands but I think I would try Claritycap MR caps with Silmic to add more air, separate intruments and open everything.
 
For the moment they sound a bit too warm for me, I wonder if I'm not going to test Black Gate caps (or something clear, neutral)  instead of Silmic and then for 0.22uf : 
- either Intertechnik Audyn True Copper for harmonics, spatiality, air, but a bit of warmth
- or Jupiter HT Beeswax for more or less the same reasons but different tonality.
 
I'm curious of those 2 combinations, can be nice to try. It would give something open, airy, detailed but musical with some warmth, at least I imagine it like this....

 

[mako44]

Quote:

Jupiter is a good choice. They are not too thick or warm sounding, they have a nice lushness to them and are definitely very open and clear. 
I used them instead of the Russian Mica Caps.

He good idea ! I could try something like :
 
- 2200uf Black Gate NX instead of Silmic ROS
- 0.22uf [size=x-small]Intertechnik Audyn True Copper Cap[/size]
[size=x-small]- and jupiter caps instead of silver mica.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]Audyn True copper are already a bit warm so I don't know if it may be a good combination but I keep this in mind, it may worth a try as I'm attracted by Jupiter caps too.[/size]
 
[size=x-small]I understand why Robeeert said it needs hundreds of changes to achieve the goal, this "game" can cost more than the dac itself.

[/size]

 

[loserica]

Quote:

[size=x-small]I understand why Robeeert said it needs hundreds of changes to achieve the goal, this "game" can cost more than the dac itself.

[/size]

This is crazy, of course. Once you have changed the stock components, keep them! However there are higher quality. Otherwise, another consideration would be better, I think, change of the dac.

The overall quality of sound depends on the rest of the system...
 

 

[robeeert1]

Quote:

This is crazy, of course. Once you have changed the stock components, keep them! However there are higher quality. 
 

The aim of the upgrade is to achieve the best sound you like not application of the highest quality components.
The components must fit to one another, it's a hard job.
 

 

[loserica]

Quote:

Quote:
The aim of the upgrade is to achieve the best sound you like not application of the highest quality components.
The components must fit to one another, it's a hard job.

Absolutely, You're right Robert. I just wanted to minimize the financial costs with a wise advice and at the same time to encourage me.

  Tending to the best possible sound is not an easy way...
What good is that there are some on this forum, who tested different combinations before and who can give competent advice to those who follow them! I appreciate it and thank him once again (Your advice helped me more).
 
I will change the transformer with R-Core. What do you suggest that would be better: to keep the capacitors (C5, C25) or remove them completely?
Nice thank you,

 

 

[robeeert1]

Quote:

 
I will change the transformer with R-Core. What do you suggest that would be better: to keep the capacitors (C5, C25) or remove them completely?
Nice thank you,

 

 
I suggest you to listen to the music with and without the cap and then decide. Especially C5 is important. You can leave C25 on its place - do not touch it.
 
I have another configuration of caps (mostly BG - they are dark, removing c5 gave me more air and better treble that BGs dimmed).
You may prefer C5 on its place.
 
When you feel the sound is too dark after installing the R-Core, don't hesitate and remove C5.
 

 

[mako44]

 
Quote:

 
What good is that there are some on this forum, who tested different combinations before and who can give competent advice to those who follow them! I appreciate it and thank him once again (Your advice helped me more).

Exact, your trials and comments at all helped me a lot ! Anyway, I wouldn't have started that without all your tests and comments, I really thank you for this. My dac sounds incredibly better now, it's a real pleasure

. So a big thanks
 
 
SGM silver micas are on their way and I install Shottky diodes tomorrow, so the sound will still change. This weekend my reseller lend me what is supposed to be my next amp so I will be abble to judge better how the dac fits with my future system. And what 0.22uf caps would be the best for me according to what I'll hear. Important step I guess as it seems these caps will give the final touch/tonality I want. 

 

[LionelH2]

Just finished the Schottky diode/Shinkoh resistor/3300uf Tonerex PS cap upgrade.  Much much cleaner vocals, whole presentation sounds so smooth and effortless.  Thanks guys!!!  Im done.

 

[mako44]

I can imagine the huge improvement you feel if you changed everything at once, enjoy ! It's a nice combination, let the Elna break in a bit, it will be better in 1 or 2 days.
 
I installed the Shottky diodes two days ago. To make short it's more musical, more natural (instruments sound more real), more refined (something I was waiting fot the beginning to really make the havana a higher class dac), and softer. I love them. Violins, sax, voices and so on are very nice now (it was still a bit harsh and metalic sounding before).
 
However I noticed mines are not the same than on the photos I saw on this forum. Mines doesn't have the silver color at the top but are totally black : http://fr.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=C3D02060Fvirtualkey57280000virtualkey941-C3D02060F. I don't know if it's a lower class ones but they sound really good.
 
Installation notes : the ones I bought are less large than original havana diodes and thus were not that easy to put properly. I also had to enlarge (a little bit) the holes in the dac as wires were too thick. But nothing impossible don't worry and it worths it !