[Toni-Mang]

Cool pictures, thank you in advance for your soldering tips....waiting for the clocks and the second 6 pin i2s board, for the input 5 of the R8. I will do it all in one step, still running v3a in O8 or O4 and still satisfied...

 

[DACLadder]

Thanks for the photos! Magna Hifi is always helpful and nice people! That unit does have socket pins of some type and the standard oscillators were lightly soldered to ensure they remain in place during shipping. No clipping needed on this one just a hot iron. Just work a soldering tip under the package to heat the pins. Pins 7/8 first then carefully lift the oscillator package up to gain access to pins 1/14 near chassis divider. Clear out old solder in the PCB sockets and reverse the steps for the new XOs.

And looking at the photos the 90M oscillator (closest to the backpanel) looks less blocked by tall components around it limiting access. So removing it first would gain some room for getting at the tighter 98M oscillator. Then reverse procedure with 98M first and 90M last when mounting the new ones . The divider wall side looks congested with the looming DA7 modules and two red Wima type caps limiting access from that direction.

Thanks again... I think I have a plan of attack!!!

 

[DACLadder]

I would suggest you buying this "pin socket" part, cut it into individual pin, and solder eight pin sockets to digital board from above to the digital board after pulling out the 2 TCXOs out. Much more room for soldering iron to work on. Then you just plug the new XOs into the pin sockets.

Yes those round hole sockets are really good for performance versus bent metal spring type like is in the M7. I have some good DIP sockets some place... just need to find them.

Also be sure and clean the oxide off the leads of the new oscillators. Helps with soldering and contact with a socket. Just a simple wipe with alcohol may do. I usually give the leads a light burnish with some fine sandpaper right before installing.

 

[DACLadder]

AGDs Accusilicon oscillator promo deal ends March 31st. But don't be the last in line as it's while current supplies last. If you are ordering a new, factory direct DAC (or have one on order perhaps) you can upgrade from AGD's premium TCXOs to Accusilicon for $10 US (each)!! Or buy separately and upgrade factory orders from AGD's standard (stock) XOs for $30 US (each). Kingwa is kindly selling these oscillators at factory cost.

I see Magna Hifi (R7 order page) is offering Accusilicon 318B upgrades (98M and 90M) for 98 euros ($110 US) which is not a bad price and would gladly pay if ordering a new DAC. Not sure what Magna charges if you send your DAC to them for upgrade.

 

[ToddRaymond]

I received my new R-28 a few days before the Accusilicon promo began. I'm somewhat tempted to order them and attempt to install them, but I may just wait until I order an R-7 in several months' time, and upgrade to them (or whatever is "best") at that point.

I hope more individuals sign up for the HE-350 group buy. I'd really like to get one to have upstream from an eventual R-7, Master 1, Master 9, and linear power supply for my JCAT FEMTO card and Singxer SU-6.

 

[DACLadder]

The Accusilicons arrived and a pair installed in the M7S. My M7S looks exactly like the pictures earlier and the old oscillators pins were soldered in the sockets. Took me about 1.5 hours to do the job.

Be careful unsoldering the old oscillators. If you apply to much heat to the socket standoffs trying to extract the oscillator pin the socket itself will easily unsolder from the PCB at the same time. If I had it to do it all over (and I do still on the R7) I will remove the old socket standoffs and mount fresh ones before soldering the new oscillator. Installation of the new parts would be easier with a fresh socket.

Playing music now with about 1 hour warmup. The M7S already sounds better than with shipping TCXOs. Asy firmware and Gustard U16 are adding there magic as well. Giving it some time to run in those new clocks. But have a good feeling about this upgrade!

 

[FredA]

The Accusilicons arrived and a pair installed in the M7S. My M7S looks exactly like the pictures earlier and the old oscillators pins were soldered in the sockets. Took me about 1.5 hours to do the job.

Be careful unsoldering the old oscillators. If you apply to much heat to the socket standoffs trying to extract the oscillator pin the socket itself will easily unsolder from the PCB at the same time. If I had it to do it all over (and I do still on the R7) I will remove the old socket standoffs and mount fresh ones before soldering the new oscillator. Installation of the new parts would be easier with a fresh socket.

Playing music now with about 1 hour warmup. The M7S already sounds better than with shipping TCXOs. Asy firmware and Gustard U16 are adding there magic as well. Giving it some time to run in those new clocks. But have a good feeling about this upgrade!

How about trimming the XOs at the higest possible point and quickly desoldering each lead and cleaning-up the holes using a pump?

Soldering new socket without removing the pcb can be tricky..

 

[DACLadder]

@FredA The PCB holes have enough pad on top to take solder but like you say tricky. Soldering from the rear would be best. I was afraid to use a soldering pump tool as it could suck the socket out of the hole. Surface tension of the hot solder on the iron will pull them out as well and what happened today. But if you need a spare socket there are unused sockets located at pins 4 and 10 positions. And they are clean with no solder. Just unsolder and reuse elsewhere. I had to "borrow" one today. And the oscillators are a slightly crooked after all that hard work LOL! Well soldered though!

I'm not going to mess around with the R7 and do it correctly. The TCXOs are soldered down to the PCB board anyway so the digital board has to be pulled from the chassis. So ordered some gold plated sockets. I would like to be able to plug in other oscillators as well.

 

[FredA]

I might just solder the new XOs to the pins of the old ones like someone suggested.

 

[DACLadder]

You got me thinking Fred. With today's M7S attempt under my belt and looking at the R7... I may first attempt to solder the oscillators directly the PCB. In my case cut the old XOs flush with the board top (remove old sockets). Clean up the PCB pads and solder directly to them. If I goof or don't have enough access then consider pulling the digital board.

 

[borrego]

I placed order of the Accusilicons XO this morning for later upgrade. Likely I will do the upgrade later this year when firmware stabilized or together with the next generation internal USB-I2S module upgrade. I am extremely good at resisting upgrade urge. I recalled I bought my new Master 1 preamp from audio-gd, left it in its box for 3 years before using. :->

 

[DACLadder]

@borrego I think you smart are to order as prices will only increase and who knows if they will be available next year. Kingwa has known about Accusilicons for over a year but balked at their price thinking too expensive for his "cheap" customers! And he purchased this promo run of 100 pieces of Accusilions from a "friend" at a cut rate. But think better oscillators help sound tremendously so new XOs of some kind seems logical going forward.

If you are waiting you may want to consider pre-burn-in of the Accusilicons. They sound pretty "green" with some variation of sound hour to hour. But can hear glimpses of better sound. Less grain in vocals is noticed immediately. Silkier highs today. Bass was strong yesterday but not so much today. Soundstage and depth not there yet. It's like getting a new M7S and running in all over.

 

[DACLadder]

I feel like the AGD town crier reporting news. But Kingwa is extremely busy and want him to concentrate on design. So happy to answer and forward questions.

For TDA IN4 I2S firmware version Kingwa said getting the TDA version to support I2S on Input 4 is delayed (few days) as he looking into DSD issues currently. No plans (yet) for V4 firmware as Kingwa indicates he wants to first answer basic questions and address issues before thinking official firmware release.

 

[borrego]

The fact that I am pretty busy at work is one of the reason to defer the upgrade. I am flying off this Sunday and I actually ask Kingwa only sending the new XOs to me on 11th April when I will return home.

I was listening to my M7S->KA10SH mod->T1 combo last evening and was 100% satisfied with the sound. Imaging, Dynamics, Tonality are all there. I could not pick a thing which can further be improved. For sure the Accusilicons will bring improvements but I am not expecting night and day difference. To be honest when I first received my M7S and listened to it without the Icron Ranger, I thought it sounded worse then my Ref5.32 mod + the Icron Ranger combo. So it can be said that the M7S sum of better power supplies, 2x numbers of PCM1704 chips, FPGA reclocking circuit, isolated Amanero, is not enough to bridge the effect of the Icron Ranger.

By the way, it seems that the latest firmware no longer has the "Dither" function. Will it affect imaging? I am currently running V3A with Dither On.

 

[DACLadder]

By the way, it seems that the latest firmware no longer has the "Dither" function. Will it affect imaging? I am currently running V3A with Dither On.

Kingwa needed a jumper position on the TDA firmware to control the 16-bit, shallow filter mode for his TDA DAC project. So he chose the Dither jumper on these TDA firmware versions. I suppose Dither function may return at some point once it all gets sorted out for production units going forward. The TDA firmware is really just trial software I suppose especially if new DSD enhancements are added to the firmware at some point in near future. Don't know for sure other than Kingwa's Email replies in past few days are very short and to-the-point. This usually means he is really busy so giving him some space.

The R7 has more clarity and detail capability versus the warmer sounding M7S. It's just more transparent. So new oscillators may have a greater affect with the R7. If you like the way your unit sounds now then new oscillators may spoil the experience. But only one way to really find out for sure!

I switched from the Singxer F1 I2S this morning to Gustard U16 I2S and sounds better. More open, better bass dynamics, and a lot good detail in the old M7S (Asy firmware). Amazing my old DAC just keeps getting better as the years roll on. Thumbs up!