[Chefano]

Im waiting my new one too, not because Im selling it, because Ive destroyed mine, the PCB is very..very cheap, not even cooper.

Btw, As I finish it with new bias.. resistors..Vcc and output caps I post my impressions here =)
 
 
 

 

[lordearl]

[size=small]For mine, the only mods I did were;[/size]
[size=small](1) remove the electrolytic 10uF capacitors at the output and replace them with MKP 10uF capacitors[/size]
[size=small](2) use a 12v sealed lead acid battery instead of a plug pack or wall wart style power supply[/size]
[size=small] [/size]
[size=small]These mods were cheap (ie. did not cost more than the DAC itself) and improved the sound a lot.[/size]
[size=small] [/size]
[size=small]Beyond that, there can’t be much economic sense in upgrading a dac which doesn’t even have copper traces in the pcb!!![/size]

 

[rasmushorn]

If you like the sound signature of the Mini MUSE DAC then try this one:

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/548724/lite-dac-ah-8x-tda1543-nos

There are probably other suggestions like the Valab NOS DAC. I am just very surprised how these cheap DAC solutions offer fantastic value for money.

 

[ardilla]

.

 

[]eep]

I just modded the Lite DAC AH for a friend two weeks ago. It does sound the same indeed. It's kind of a bigger badder brother. Bigger box, more room, internal power supply and 2x more dac-chips.

But... you have to mod it. It comes standard with 2 opamps after the dac-chips. Why oh why? My friend knew about a passive mod from some forum (here?) to bypass the (totally superfluous) opamp output stage with two 2,2µF caps. So I told him to get some nice caps and suggested Obbligato. All said and done soldered the chips directly to the output via these caps (very nice quality btw).

The sound was nice before (he had a version with upgraded opamps etc) but slightly veiled. After the mod the sound was much better (ok, thats audiophile lingo for just discernibly better) even though the caps were not burnt in at all. After burn-in it sounds even better I heard later. From what I heard it sounds almost the same as the Muse, just a bit more fluid and transparent.

Conclusion: it costs 3x as much, lasts probably longer and sounds a mite better.

On a different note: I worked in a power switch. Works nice and looks pretty ok. I'll post pictures later.

this is inside. Quite tight again. Yet I did manage to get some shrink-tube around it.

this is how it look s on the outside. Pretty unobtrusive I'd say.
You should have seen me drill the hole. With a bad-ass 1000W hammer-drill. :veryevil:

 

[ardilla]

So, the Muse is better than the unmodded Lite DAC....
 
Nice power-switch BTW.
 
But if you get the TeraDak PSU, it has a switch on the PSU TeraDak has to be adjusted voltage to 9V using a voltmeter, though, trimming a tiny screw 
 
Quote:

I just modded the Lite DAC AH for a friend two weeks ago. It does sound the same indeed. It's kind of a bigger badder brother. Bigger box, more room, internal power supply and 2x more dac-chips.

But... you have to mod it. .........................Conclusion: it costs 3x as much, lasts probably longer and sounds a mite better.

 

 a different note: I worked in a power switch. Works nice and looks pretty ok. I'll post pictures later.

this is how it look s on the outside. Pretty unobtrusive I'd say.

You should have seen me drill the hole. With a bad-ass 1000W hammer-drill.

 

 

 

[viatraco]

>> ardilla
 
Do you feel any sound improvement after buying Teradak supply in comparision to the supply that you have bought earlier ?

 

[dough head]

What are the consequences of shorting out the capacitors on the output?

 

[ardilla]

Haven't a/b-ed - will do and report.
 
But just having the on/off switch and beeing able to run 9V and hence avoid the (over)heating that 12V induces - which in turn increases the life expectancy of the Muse - is worth the extra money
 
 
Quote:

>> ardilla
 
Do you feel any sound improvement after buying Teradak supply in comparision to the supply that you have bought earlier ?

 

 

[lordearl]

Sounds like quality control is an issue on these little dacs - I've been running my Muse on 12v (12.2v dc to be precise) for sometimes 10 hours in a row and have had no problems at all.  It shouldn't affect the lifespan if the circuit is decent.
 
How many people have had theirs fail because of the voltage being too high?

 

[wasp131]

Ive had my muse for 3 or 4 months now,i leave it on all the time it never gets hot to touch only warm,after 2 weeks the psu died,I replaced it with another from maplins and had no problems with it at all luckily
 

 

[dough head]

I had mine turned on continually for three weeks without any problems. It never got hot and the sound improved noticeably over that period. Then I fried it by shorting it out accidentally during a modding procedure, doh!
 
Before I fried it I replaced the output caps with Black Gates and this made the bass distinctly better, although the top end dipped a tad. I had fried the Muse before they got time to settle in
 
The next one is on the way.......................

 

[dough head]

Scottiebabie mentioned his amp being pre coupling capped. What does this mean?
 
If the output caps in the Muse are shorted out and there are attenuators on the interconnects would this prevent damage to the amp?
 
If the output caps in the Muse are shorted out and the amp is not pre coupling capped what will happen?
 
As a Dough Head I know nothing and am keen to learn

 

[scottiebabie]

yup my Muse Mini Dac runs off the accessory outlet on a car battery booster unit posing as a dedicated 12v SLA psu. funny things it measures slightly over 14v at the tip unloaded. regardless, it powers the Muse Mini & a MF V-Dac 24/7 with nary an issue.
 
i've tried using a nice film cap in replacement of the ori DC blocking coupling caps with good results but the biggest diff was when i shorted out the mentioned DC coupling caps. there was a very significant improvement in almost every department although the upper aireness & extension is most felt (or heard rather).
 
cons would be a small DC offset current off the DAC inself being transferred to the downstream amp. if the amp doesnt have an input coupling cap, this DC offset mite get amplified & end up in the transducers. since audio is AC (push/pull), air & hence sound is produced. since DC is push (or pull) only, damage to the transducer is possible. 
 
DONT TRY SHORTING THE DC BLOCKING COUPLING CAPS if the downstream amp cap coupled!!!! usually a slight scratchiness noise can be heard when the vol knob is turned.
 
 

 

[dough head]

Thanks for the info, Scottie!
 
I am new to this jargon so I am wondering what the transducer is. Is it a term for the speakers? There is never any scratchiness when I turn the amp volume up or down, I thought that was dirt in the pots if it did that.
 
I am using an Icon Audio Stereo 40 MKII amplifier http://www.iconaudio.com/Stereo40mkII.html , but have no knowledge about the input being cap coupled. I could always ring the designer up and ask. He was never shy about having a chat when I was buying it. He runs the shop which makes it handy for quick contacting.
 
I had shorted out the output caps, prior to shorting out the Muse completely in a really dozy bit of carelessness, and had noticed a huge increase in the sound quality, better even than the Blackgates I had fitted, without detriment. Being wary of burning something out I had stuck a pair of 25dB attenuators onto the ends of the interconnects, which may have been the only sensible thing I did. So, what do you reckon, should I just go for it when the new Muse arrives?