[Migou67]

Quote:

One can understand a budding DIYer like you, burnwwaygta4, using these inexpensive DAPs as hobbyist platforms or as means to earn extra income. I personally don't agree with many of your claimed benefits or the unsubstantiated "technical literature" you refer to (but never fully reference).  

 
Burnwaygta is a student and an audio enthusiast, he will not invest so much time and effort just to get an extra income. It must also be satisfied with his work and results obtained.
 
These changes must be significant, it would not be here otherwise, anyway at the end is our ears will tell us if it is worth it to send our DAP or not.

 

[burnwaygta4]

Quote:

 
Burnwaygta is a student and an audio enthusiast, he will not invest so much time and effort just to get an extra income. It must also be satisfied with his work and results obtained.
 
These changes must be significant, it would not be here otherwise, anyway at the end is our ears will tell us if it is worth it to send our DAP or not.

I agree with you completely

 

[alphaman]

Quote:

These changes must be significant, it would not be here otherwise, anyway at the end is our ears will tell us if it is worth it to send our DAP or not.

I have modded my old T51 a few times and can relate some experience ...
Some of Burnwaygta's incorporated mods are good -- like the new dedicated micro headphone amp PCB (but much of that was work was done by other on the player.ru forum long before Burnwaygta incorporated it into "his" mod). I personally use a dedicated (external) headphone amp, which allows MUCH higher audio quality.
As far as Burnwaygta's TOTAL mod ... how can one really tell which part of it makes important sonic difference (like the new amp section) and which are groundless flights-of-fantasy (the NP0 caps in the LPF)? It's going to sound better because of the new amp--but customer (even modder) may genuinely believe that it's the whole "new-and-improved" packaged mod, NP0s and all. And no one has time for controlled experiments, of course.
Another thing: this device has a PCB that is delicate and not meant to be subjected to re-soldering. Any aftermarket mods that require extensive board rework shortens its lifespan.
My advice: forget this now-ancient device, and go for something like fiio x3: not too $$, much better performance -- even compared to T51 has been modded -- and more features/better ergonomics, and warrantly.

 

[burnwaygta4]

 
 
 
Quote:

I have modded my old T51 a few times and can relate some experience ...
Some of Burnwaygta's incorporated mods are good -- like the new dedicated micro headphone amp PCB (but much of that was work was done by other on the player.ru forum long before Burnwaygta incorporated it into "his" mod). I personally use a dedicated (external) headphone amp, which allows MUCH higher audio quality.
As far as Burnwaygta's TOTAL mod ... how can one really tell which part of it makes important sonic difference (like the new amp section) and which are groundless flights-of-fantasy (the NP0 caps in the LPF)? It's going to sound better because of the new amp--but customer (even modder) may genuinely believe that it's the whole "new-and-improved" packaged mod, NP0s and all. And no one has time for controlled experiments, of course.
Another thing: this device has a PCB that is delicate and not meant to be subjected to re-soldering. Any aftermarket mods that require extensive board rework shortens its lifespan.
My advice: forget this now-ancient device, and go for something like fiio x3: not too $$, much better performance -- even compared to T51 has been modded -- and more features/better ergonomics, and warrantly.

alphaman - you are similar to the troll, this time I will answer you.
 
my built-in amplifier strongly differs from that was made on player.ru. More than it is enough quality of a sound of the new amplifier for quality of other path, the external amplifier here the superfluous.
 
 I trust to my ears amd Cyril Bateman (as well as to a great number of the Russian engineers) more, than to you and all parameters (Dielectric Absorption, ESR, Dissipation Factor, Piezoeffect, linearity) NP0 are worse nothing than FKP, and parasitic inductance is better on orders(it is very important for the ΣΔ DAC).
 
my skill of the soldering very big, I do modification for once, PCB thus not to spoil in any way.
 
I know X3 scheme and PCB - its sound a minimum on one or 1,5 level is lower, than TekMOD. And about color4mod and wolfmod and to speak not to have, to X3 sound as to the moon.
 
alphaman Stop writing your baseless posts, get busy and read serious literature.
 

 

[Migou67]

@alphaman They just want to give a second life to this good DAP, this by adding a new battery and improving the headphone output, eliminating the need for an external amplifier, this mod appear good and I will know soon.
 
I know also that you can find good priced DAP like the X3 or DX50, but I want also a moded T51 

 

[alphaman]

Quote:

 
 
 
alphaman - you are similar to the troll, this time I will answer you.
 
my built-in amplifier strongly differs from that was made on player.ru.

 
On 1/25/12 w357 posted three head-fi.org messages (#1249, #1250 and #1251)...
http://www.head-fi.org/t/447479/teclast-t51/1245#post_8090817
with the following images:
 
1. well-known "Storb modes" based on the AD8397. it will not consider

 
2. Storb analogue-mode PCB authorship Symmcat

 
 
3. [...] previous version of the amplifier, but this time based on opa LT1886-compensated

 
And then w357 posted this important image...

 
 
MONTHS LATER...
 
On 12/18/12 you,burnwaygta4, posted a head-fi.org message (#1364) ...
http://www.head-fi.org/t/447479/teclast-t51/1350#post_8938779
...with this image:

 
Hence your remark "my built-in amplifier strongly differs from that was made on player.ru" is very confusing to say the least. At the most ... well we won't go there ... but if you can't be forthright about this issue, how can one take you on your word for your other claims ... like the unproven techno-babble about capacitors?

 

[lee730]

Well I look forward to hearing these early adopters impressions. I have a feeling these mods are gonna be worthwhile. Let the singers do the talking .

 

[Migou67]

Hope I receive mine soon and compare it to the Sony Walkman

 

[Migou67]

Well I have received the T51 TeKMOD done by Burnway, here my first impressions of this mod.
 
I have to say first that is not an easy task to implement a new amp in this tiny device, very little room for adding new components and cabling it,  
you have to be meticulous when welding and cabling. A watchmaker work !
 
With this mode you are also getting a new battery installed, this is a good new to give a second life to this beloved DAP.
 

 
I have used the Sony XBA4 and InEar StageDiver SD-3, the XBA4 pair well due to the very low impedance output.
But the SD3 bring me to another level of restitution and presentation.
 
Many prefer to use the line out of the T51 because the HO was not quite satisfactory. This is where the mod is really interesting, for a pocket frendly Hifi DAP.
I would also say that I use a 64G micro SD card  with FLAC files and boot time is fast.
 
To start with what bothers me is the pop noise when the player turns on the amp, is a little harder than before if I remember correctly, or my new SD3 are more sensitive.
 
Even for untrained ear the improvement is more than significant, the sound stage is much larger than before, the bass are deeper with a great texture,
with colored IEM as the SD3 you have more than enough bass and they are realy well controled, an awesome result.
 
The level of detail is impressive giving more musicality to all the instruments and life to voices, it's really noticeable even to me 

 
Clarity and depth are also two things that I can describe for this mod, separation of instruments is just as good as the rest.
 
A really musical sound with a good sense of speed.
 
I'm really happy with what I hear, for me this is what I would expect from an audiophile sound.
This mod is great and I hope others will confirm my impressions with different IEM's !
 
I'm really impressed and happy with the result, thank a lot to Burnway.

 

[lee730]

Congrats! Will you be able to compare it to the DX50, et al?

 

[Migou67]

Thanks Lee ! Yes, I will order a DX50 afterward, when the firmware will be stabilised, I'm really enjoying this mod at the moment ! I don't recognize my old T51.
I hope that some one more will get this mode also, to confirm what I'm hearing so good from this tiny Hifi player.
 
For the moment is my new precious 

 
 
Edit : Finally not sure I want to order a DX50, Burnway also mod the CK4 !

 

[burnwaygta4]

Migou67
I hope you use the USER and LEQ mode in on sound buildings?

 

[Migou67]

Yes is now the default and correct setting with the firmware you have installed ! 
 
This device is sounding amazing, very musical, I rediscovered a lot of my traks.
 
Several times I turned my head thinking that someone was behind me, shocking me how this mod is providing a level of realism that I did not know before.
Your mod is realy great Burnway, thanks a lot 

 
 
Edit : The User EQ preset was selected with all frequencies at -9

 

[alphaman]

To start with what bothers me is the pop noise when the player turns on the amp, is a little harder than before...

If the output is direct coupled and the headphone or LO output on the T51 is not servo'd or carefully tweaked, you could be passing hazardous DC to your delicate IEMs!! This may damage them.
 
IIRC, the original T51 used no output (DC blocking) caps, but was carefully tweaked so output voltage never went too high. Of course, in the event of a RARE accident, the original (non-modded) T51 could also pass DC.
 
To get both decent sound and protection you really need to go this route...

...clearly impossible in a small/portable, cost-effective device such as T51.
 
Not sure if "T51 TeKMOD" uses output caps or uses other precautions to control output DC??

 

[burnwaygta4]

Edit : The User EQ preset was selected with all frequencies at -9

select all frequencies at 0