[FallenAngel]

Hey guys,

Great thread! I just did my 5G video mod this morning, took about 20 minutes

Sounds fantastic.

I did a stupid thing by using 24AWG solid silver wire and lifted the pad beside the DAC because the wire was too stiff and it just ripped off. Luckily I was able to grab a 26AWG gold plated copper wire and attach it straight to the leg on the chip and got it working.

A couple of quick question - how do you keep the internal headphone amp working? I'm guessing if you don't remove the 2 caps and simply run wires to the dock connector while removing L2 and L3. Has anybody done this?

 

[joneeboi]

Good to see more people enjoying this mod.

I, too, had the problem of the pad being lifted due to bad wiring. It is a pain, but soldering to the chip isn't all that bad. How did that 26AWG work out for you? And how is your faceplate relative pre-diyMod? Using 32AWG, the faceplate lifted quite a bit and produced a little dip in the click wheel region.

You're right about the internal headphone amp, though. Keeping the caps in place right after the DAC would allow it to keep running, but might I ask why you'd want to do that? You'd have overall greater power consumption, signal degradation, etc. As far as I know, that's where all the circuitry is lying though it hasn't been fleshed out by anyone, which I'm guessing would be near impossible due to the multilayer PCB. Then there's the issue cfcubed brought up about the DZP-labeled transistors. For all we know, those are the opamps that RWA mentioned on the iMod page that is contributing to the signal loss, so maybe those guys have got to go as well. From what can be seen in the 5G photos on the OP, the sound goes into them, but where they go, no one knows.


iQEM:

Keep chugging along, brother. We've all been waiting a long time for you to finish that diyMod nano! Give it a couple hours work and you'll finally get to join the club.

 

[KoKoKrunch]

Have I posted that DiyMod sounds the same as iMod??? I forgot if I posted about the comparison already.

 

[wgr73]

Lol, its still good to know. I love hearing comparisons against the imod!

 

[joneeboi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Really, I even compared normal iPod to iMod, with an average setup, you'll never know if I modded it or not. (Note: tested with 4G iPod) My verdict bout the iMod is just a simple mod which does nothing huge but with truckloads of hype. It may be my ears, but if there are differences I can hear it. Bleh, nothing against our DIYMod committee here, I've done the mod myself and I'm just thinking out loud. =) *snip*

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif *snip* Asked someone that is trust-able to do a comparison today. DIYMod vs iMod has no difference. He only noticed that soundstage was slightly lesser, while bass was boomier for DIYMod, and we concluded it was the wire inside. Mine is standard copper, his was Cryogenic copper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif I managed to get someone who had the iMod to lend it to me for some listening, but I could only find a few songs I know on his iPod. He was in a rush as well so I couldn't listen for long. My impression is that, the iMod has very very slightly deeper midrange and bass than mine, however it was quite an unfair comparison considering he probably has his music on lossless and mine on 192 kbps. Also, cause he was rushing off, I wasn't really in a right state of mind to do a calm comparison, I might be wrong because the difference I heard was so so so small. And i only clocked about 130 hours of burn in, when supposedly supposed to go for 200... I will definitely do a comparison again. But overall, my verdict is that iMod's reviews are mostly over-exaggerated. He listened to my mod as well, his feedback is that the bass although not as powerful as the one from headphone out, it is more controlled and the clarity is better(which is expected because the headphone out is known not to have exceptional clarity). However, comparing hp out to dock line out, I would say, like most people do that the hp out on 4G iPod is already good as compared to those new gens, so the rather inaudible difference that I am hearing in terms of SQ might be explained by that probably.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay my set up is actually pretty average. I'm using my above average desktop speakers which has an amp. Both jacks are plugged into that amp which has AUX channel and the Main channel so it allows me to switch channels easily. For the "showdown" though, I will be going to an audio shop to do it, and I'm most probably gonna use the studio monitoring speakers they have setup there. That might say more bout the mod. I know my setup isn't really good, but because of all the reviews maybe my expectations were abit too high, that's why I was disappointed at the almost undetectable difference it made when I hooked it up. Perhaps it's my room too, it's not very optimized for sound. So yeah, once I do the comparison, I will tell you guys bout the results for sure. It'll be iMod vs DIYMod vs iPod hopefully. Good luck to me/us!

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah I know there are different factors that are involved... but I'm just kinda disappointed at the minimal difference that I'm hearing, instead of what everyone seems to be hearing. I'm a little worried because my friend and I arranged for a iMod vs DIYMod "showdown" this week lol. But well... I will probably find more discerning ears to try it out. *snip*

Quote:

Originally Posted by KoKoKrunch /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have I posted that DiyMod sounds the same as iMod??? I forgot if I posted about the comparison already.

I think you've made your point.

 

[CAvanessia]

I acquired a 1G 4gb Mini and will experiment when I have time and money to buy more stuff. I really want to mod my 5.5G or buy another one to experiment =D

 

[joneeboi]

Sounds good, Christine. Do you still have those extra BGs you had from before? If not, I can send you a pair or so.

Actually, I just picked up a friend's broken iPod 3G last night for $50. The 15GB hard drive on it was fried, but somehow I was able to squeeze in my old 4G's 20GB hard drive. It's so awesome. I love the front panel on the 3G and the red buttons when I turn on the backlight. The only downside is that it doesn't charge via USB or my laptop's 4-pin FireWire port, but there isn't any power on that connector anyway. It'll probably be my home rig diyMod. I just ordered an 1100mAh battery for it, and I just got a new shipment of BGs in yesterday. Let the modding begin!

 

[iQEM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joneeboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif iQEM: Keep chugging along, brother. We've all been waiting a long time for you to finish that diyMod nano! Give it a couple hours work and you'll finally get to join the club.

well yes, maybe a lil bit to long to finish the whole work...now my progress are change the lod (with BG inside) to have jack female, so i can use whatever cable interconnect that i need/want...

1 lod for everything...

Quote:

Originally Posted by joneeboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think you've made your point.

yes, very nice indeed...so diyMod are really worth to do, isn't it ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CAvanessia /img/forum/go_quote.gif I acquired a 1G 4gb Mini and will experiment when I have time and money to buy more stuff. I really want to mod my 5.5G or buy another one to experiment =D

just buy smaller solder eye then you can go on with your new Mini, sis...goodluck !

 

[cfcubed]

Thought I'd add my final(?) ideas on this goodness now that my 3G / 22uf BG DIYMod has > 150 hrs on it:

* Comparing w/unmodded 5G using same headamp/phones/etc & just swapping dock connector, for my nearly 1/2-century-old ears & poorly mastered music, I believe I perceive some improvement in the 3G DIYmodded sound. I'd use unquantifiable, heady words to describe the diff (musicality, soundstage & such) but I'm not that kind of guy. I'd doubt significance in a double-blind test (for *myself*). BUT as the specs for 3G codec are much "worse" than the 5G this is saying something.

* Having now seen the insides of a 5.5G I'd be thrilled to just be able to get one back together w/o mods & not see a pre/post surgery difference... IMHO I'd do big HD 4Gs, use 28awg wirewrap wire w/47uf BGs (more effect than 22ufs?) & maybe 50-100k loading & 30-50ohm series protection resistors (assuming internal mod wanted)

* I'd wager that if you cannot tell the diff between high bitrate rips (200kbs+) and lossless, you'd have a hard time noticing improvement w/this mod. IOW I guess hi-Q source & downstream components (headamp, phones) make a good prerequisite.

* What you listen to may matter most... Most of my music is recent and mastered way too hot, so I'm forced to forego lossless for most of it & go 200kbs+ using MP3GAIN to temper the rampant clipping.

So I support the statements that a major benefit of doing this mod is its cost ($$ not $$$) and peace of mind that you are getting a "purer" signal.

Being a frugal conservative guy on a budget, I'd consider this on cheap/sacrificial large HD 4Gs (better codec than 3Gs) even if it requires selling a 5G to get one.

To each his own though & it's all fun & games until your iPod gets hurt

N.B. Another reason I'm steering clear of 5/5.5G DIYmods & non-internal caps is my worry that an iPod lineout w/o DC blocking caps would be a ticking timebomb around my house... Sooner or later that lineout (w/loads of DC offset) might be plugged into a device that couldn't handle it. Granted most all line-level inputs are protected w/couplers & such, but it still makes me wary. Again, to each his/her own. Good luck.

 

[joneeboi]

Just finished my diyMod 3G. Throwing those BGs was kinda tricky at first, but it went down okay. I fit the caps on either side of the hold switch lever, taped them down, it's all good. Burning in now.

I agree about the 5G's vulnerability due to external capping. d_w31, the one whose iPod 5G I diyModded, wanted me to check his iPod speaker dock so he could use it safely. One of the great things about the diyMod is that you can personalize it to your own uses. For instance, the loading and series resistors don't have to be implemented by everyone, and caps can fit to your sound tastes. If the diyMod will always be used with a high input impedance amplifier, the resistors to ground aren't required. They are meant to reduce the effects of hooking up a low impedance load to the DAC, so if you're always using a low impedance load or always using a high impedance load, they can be omitted. For series resistors, they are meant to protect the DAC from misuse, which we have inconclusively concluded to be from paralleling voltage sources with the DAC. If you're going to be docking your diyMod, you can use bigger caps than the BGs for different sound flavouring. And not only different cap brands but also different cap configs, much like vvs_75's Auricap and CAvanessia's Sonicap dock. cfcubed has chosen his path of diyModding, and that's great because it serves his needs. Glad to hear you're enjoying it, buddy.

An idea I was floating in my head was doing a dual diyMod, where you send a BG'd signal to the headphone jack and sever the existing signal. This Wolfson paper suggests using 220uF caps with a 32ohm load, but fitting that size caps in any of the iPods isn't practical. What I've thought of is taking the headphone signal (not the line out signal, the one controlled by the click wheel) and putting a 1kohm resistor after the cap. Stackpoles come in sufficiently small packages, so it won't be too hard fitting it in, say, the diyMod 4G or iPod 4G. I addressed this matter because I gave my dad my Mini^3 since it was smaller than the PIMETA I made him, so now I'm listening to my iPod unamped. As such, the bass rolloff is pretty distracting when I'm used to listening to the Mini^3's flat FR. I'm not sure what exactly is going on in between the DAC and HP jack, but if I can just yank the signal and personalize it for flatter bass response, I could enjoy my diyMod even further. Some of you may want to also consider it.

 

[BrinNutz]

Ok,

I see one pic for the Photo 4th Gen...

It shows where to solder my wires, but then where do I go after that? Did I just read over it to quickly?

Thanks!!!

 

[joneeboi]

Yeah, sorry about that lack of clarity. That one photo was actually done by the iPodlinux guys, and vvs_75 showed the ones from which we obtain the signal. KerryKing has a website featuring some of his DIY work, so check it out at Erik's and Sven's DIY page under "Erik's Gallery." It seems to be identical to the 4G click wheel, but I'll post it in the OP for future reference. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[KerryKing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by joneeboi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, sorry about that lack of clarity. That one photo was actually done by the iPodlinux guys, and vvs_75 showed the ones from which we obtain the signal. KerryKing has a website featuring some of his DIY work, so check it out at Erik's and Sven's DIY page under "Erik's Gallery." It seems to be identical to the 4G click wheel, but I'll post it in the OP for future reference. Thanks for pointing that out. http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z...ps_at_dock.jpg

I still dont have that 4G upp and running

have not had time for the testing due to new family members taking up my time

What i have is a DC-offset problem, but i hope to get clarity of this problem during the weekend

 

[KoKoKrunch]

Hahaha, Jon, how long did it take to find all those posts!?

 

[joneeboi]

It wasn't that hard. Just use the Search function and put in "KoKoKrunch" for the username and "iMod" in the search terms.

How much offset are you getting, Kerry? There are only 4 solder points you really need to make (take signal, to cap, out of cap, dock connector), so if it's in the tenth-of-a-millivolt range, it could just be the DMM. Your pictures seem to show pretty solid connections, so it could just be that. Try it with different caps to see if the problem is the onboard solder joints. Sometimes those pads can be difficult to work with, so see if you can find any equivalent pads to which you can solder your wires.