[Zarastro]

2.2....but you can vary plus or minus a little either way.

Thank you, i will go for 3.3 uF if i can, it will depend on the prices.

 

[gkr7007]

Not sure what you are trying to gain by increasing the value but general rule is to stay within about 30% of the value in either direction. Most important is to pay attention to the voltage rating. Be sure you dont go less than the OEM voltage rating.

 

[Zarastro]

Not sure what you are trying to gain by increasing the value but general rule is to stay within about 30% of the value in either direction. Most important is to pay attention to the voltage rating. Be sure you dont go less than the OEM voltage rating.

3.3 uF is just a moderate increase over 2.2 uF. Of course i will order 630v capacitors.

 

[Thetubeguy1954]

I ordered the MK3, hope it arrives soon. Luckily i have a few NOS Rectifier tubes from my PrimaLuna preamp days.

I would like to upgrade the caps, does anyone know the value of the stock Obbligato caps? I mean how many uF are they exactly?

Try a Bendix 6106 if you get the chance I love it in my MP-D2 DAC.

 

[Zarastro]

Try a Bendix 6106 if you get the chance I love it in my MP-D2 DAC.

Thank you for the tip. I will give it a try in the future but right now i have 12 NOS rectifier tubes plus a new production TungSol.

 

[fishzoo]

Thank you, i will go for 3.3 uF if i can, it will depend on the prices.

And the physical size of the cap is also a constraint. Make sure it will fit.

 

[Zarastro]

And the physical size of the cap is also a constraint. Make sure it will fit.

Thank you for the advise. I checked the 2.2 uF Obbligato size and i will get something very close in length.

With luck i may have the dac today.

 

[gkr7007]

The diameter can be an issue, not just the length. The Mundorf 2.2 just about makes it. They are much larger caps than the OEM. Not sure if 3.3 is larger or not but make sure before you spend the cash. You might consider s 2.2 with a small bypass cap. I had mine like that for awhile.

 

[hyperdanny]

on the Musical paradise website they just added the possibility to pimp up the caps .
Before, the DAC came only with Obbligato Gold..now you can order it with Mundorf Supreme (2x or 4x)

 

[Tubeburner]

The cap size is only an issue if you are running balanced. In single ended, you can remove the unused caps and use the room for a nice install.

 

[Zarastro]

After a few days with the MK3, some upgrades and firmware updates the dac sounds amazing, even without proper burn in.
Be warned It is very big, almost as big as my Hegel H300 amplifier so plan for it.

THE CAPACITORS
I replaced the stock capacitors with ClarityCap CSA 3.3 uF. Despite the huge difference in diameter size 38mm vs 20mm they fitted just fine. This is the first time i install caps so the result might not be so elegant but it works
I already liked the previous ESA caps but those are a nice upgrade. Mundorf caps are not my cup of tea, perhaps one day i will try the Jupiter copper caps but for now i am good.



THE TUBES
I replaced the stock tubes with EH 6H30Pi. It is my first exposure to these tubes as i never tried them in the past. My first impressions are positive they sound clean and extended but they luck some of the stock tube's liquidity.
IMHO the stock tubes are excellent and if funds are limited capacitor and rectifier upgrades should be a priority. I also use tube dampers and Pearl Tube Coolers that i had available since the tubes are big enough to accommodate both.
Despite having plenty NOS tubes, between the 6H30Pi and the stock tubes i got everything i need so i don't plan go crazy trying everything i have in my collection.





THE RECTIFIER
It was a pain to remove the stock rectifier. At some point i was scared the PCB will be damaged, i don't remember ever before a tube that was such a tight fit.
My first try was an RCA 5T4 that worked well but i heard a buzz sound from the dac so i removed it. I am not sure if it was a bad tube but i didn't bother to try any of the other 5T4 that i have.
Then i moved to a Mullard GZ34 and it was amazing but to be honest i have no intention to use such an expensive tube. It was mostly curiosity and yes they are as good as people say they are. Finally i settled for a new production TungSol 5AR4 and would like to try the WE Replica when funds permit. I do wonder if WE Replica fits through the opening considering the coke bottle shape.



THE FIRMWARE UPDATES
I flashed 2 firmware since i got the dac, they solved a few problems and now the dac works better. If you just got the dac i strongly recommend the latest firmware. I couldn't make the Utility that flashes the firmware work with Windows 10 but luckily i had an older laptop with Windows 7 and that did the trick. That been said, i had noise problems with Coaxial. I switched to USB so no big deal but if you plan to use this dac with Coaxial only be advised. This dac is heavily optimized for USB audio.

I noticed 2 fuses inside, one next to the rectifier and one behind the power button. I am considering a fuse upgrade, if you know the value and type please share.

 

[Tubeburner]

I didn't have any firmware issues or connection problems with the usb and I use windows 10 with Fedelizer Pro in Purist mode. I have played through JRiver 24, Tidal, Roon alone and Roon with Tidal. I did not load the windows 10 driver, but just chose the driver for the dac in the drop down menu.

As far as CAPS go, every circuit is different and the Mundorf Silver/Gold/Oil are wonderful in this dac. I have tried some in speakers and went another direction. I plan to try some Audio Note Foil Copper caps in the future.

The dac is worth the finest tubes you can afford. Expensive tubes are not wasted on this dac and they bring this dac to another level. IMO.

 

[Zarastro]

I didn't have any firmware issues or connection problems with the usb and I use windows 10 with Fedelizer Pro in Purist mode. I have played through JRiver 24, Tidal, Roon alone and Roon with Tidal. I did not load the windows 10 driver, but just chose the driver for the dac in the drop down menu.

As far as CAPS go, every circuit is different and the Mundorf Silver/Gold/Oil are wonderful in this dac. I have tried some in speakers and went another direction. I plan to try some Audio Note Foil Copper caps in the future.

The dac is worth the finest tubes you can afford. Expensive tubes are not wasted on this dac and they bring this dac to another level. IMO.

Hi Tubeburner. I never had problem using USB with Windows 10. What i said is i could not make the Utility that flashes the firmware to work with Windows 10 but perhaps i didn't say it clear enough.

The problem i had was with Coaxial connection, the USB is working like a charm. About the firmware as it says at their webpage (Major bugs fixed. Jan 14, 2019). This includes a relay click sound problem when using Coaxial that if i am not mistaken is a problem the MK2 also had.

I have tried Mundrof in many machines until now including the MP-D1 and i find they attract too much attention to high frequencies but this is just my taste. Lots of people use them and are happy with them.

As for the tubes i don't disagree that this dac deserves the best. In the past i used NOS only and stayed away from new production tubes. After a pair of awesome Valvo tubes went bad i realized that when they are gone they are gone for ever and some of them are very hard to replace and decided to start using new production tubes. The cost is of course another factor.

 

[Tubeburner]

I emailed Garry and he said to load the new firmware. He stated it fixes issues when switching back and forth from usb to spdif, ect. I'll load the file tonight and see if there are load issues from windows 10 on my MK3. Since I o ly use usb, I haven't had the issue.

 

[Tubeburner]

The update file did not work with windows 10 untill Gary sent me two files that were not on my laptop. My laptop is two years old and has all updates, but Microsoft must have decided I didn't need these. Long story short, Gary sent me the files and everything worked as promised. The MKIII sound is engaging and I can't get enough listening time. Enjoy!