[zzffnn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by no_eye_dear /img/forum/go_quote.gif
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Originally Posted by calawoof 
 
im thinking of modding my ipod 5.5 80 to SSD with internal CAPs and a internal amp. im still not sure how to fit everything in the 80G back housing yet. For the internal amp i was thinking of using CMOY, they can be very small. i know the CMOY is not the greatest of choice. but i am aiming at portability and powering IEMs only. please let me know if there are any problems with this route.
 
my trail of thought are IPOD DAC ---> CAPs ---> CMOY amp ----> IEMs.
 
basically just soldering two wires out of the DAC, instead of going to the LO, it's heading to CMOY amp.
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I managed to fit a FiiO E5 in an 80GB with CF and DiYMod, pretty cool... not a brilliant amp by any means but great by the pool
 
Caps only need to be 10uf and 16v at most, I use 4.7uf Wima MKS2's and they beat any 'litic. You just need to use the CF adapter to give you room.
 
Don't bother with SSD, use CF, you get more room to play with, same price and (from recent experience modding someone else's pod) not all SSD's fit!!!!

 
^ no_eye_dear,
I like your idea! Would you please show an internal photo of your Fiio E5 inside DIYMod? How do you get access to Fiio E5's function (e.g., volume, on/off and charging) when it is inside of DIYMod? Thank you!

 

[no_eye_dear]

Hey mate, it's not that difficult really!
Take the case off the FiiO and drill the side of the iPod back panel with the corresponding on/off & volume button holes from the casing.
Bags of room in there if you have done the CF Mod but I also took off all the connectors (mini USB & phone jacks)... then it's really slim (about 3mm)
Put the buttons in the holes, then put some hot glue (or double sided tape?) on the back pane and line the FiiO up... then stick the FiiO's battery onto the back panel as well. 
You could use the ipod battery for power but there is room so why not increase the capacity.
They use the same battery & charge voltage so I just took a couple of wires from the FiiO's mini USB pads to the USB charge pins of the iPod.
When you charge the iPod you charge the FiiO.
 
Then I just wired from the DAC to the FiiO  input pads via a couple of Elna Silmic II's...then FiiO output pads straight to the LOD pins.
 
If you've done the iMod it's pretty straight forward, you just need a dremel for the button holes.
 
Oh yes, I didn't bother with the Bass Boost switch, I just left it 'ON'.
 
I didn't take any photo's but I could open it up and take some if you want.
Pretty straight forward though once you have the three holes drilled.... except for the iMod to the LOD pins... that's fiddly but the only way IMO.

 

[zzffnn]

^ Thank you! You clear instructions make it sound easy.
As for output path, do you mind if I ask why you wire Fiio's output to LOD pins? I imagine it would not be too difficult to wire Fiio E5's output to the original headphone jack (with stock Apple circuit disconnected / removed)?
 
Edit: Got reply from no-eye-dear in PM. Both output path will work. The output path to LOD is ergonomically better as Fiio's controls are located at the bottom of iPod.

 

[thegrobe]

I'm wanting to do this mod on my 5.5G Video...
 
I have a question- I see different ideas posted about desoldering the "Z" caps and inductors.
 
Some say get rid of them some say leave them there example:
http://www.ualberta.ca/~jple/diyMod/guides/models/ipod5g.html
 
What is the purpose of leaving them or removing them? advantages/disadvantages?
 
Thanks

 

[no_eye_dear]

Without doubt, no matter what anyone ever says... If you want get the best out of the DAC you have to remove everything after it.
Anything in the signal path (no matter where it lies) interferes with the signal. Electrons do not behave like water, they don't just follow a path and that's it.
If you have anything 'off on a tangent' or in parallel, it will be part of the circuit regardless.
The only way to ensure that you have done this on a multi-layer PCB is to bypass it completely or remove components and fully test the bridged circuit.
Unfortunately not many people have access to the equipment needed to test the bridged circuit (for filters etc) and so the full bypass is the only true way to do this.
 
OK it's fiddly and pain in the ar5e soldering to those raised LOD pins... but well worth it 

 
Happy modding
 
NB to ZZffnn's question, I removed the input caps off the FiiO (C2/C6) and also the inductive high pass filters (can't remember exactly which one's they are right now)

 

[thegrobe]

Quote:

Without doubt, no matter what anyone ever says... If you want get the best out of the DAC you have to remove everything after it.
Anything in the signal path (no matter where it lies) interferes with the signal. Electrons do not behave like water, they don't just follow a path and that's it.
If you have anything 'off on a tangent' or in parallel, it will be part of the circuit regardless.
The only way to ensure that you have done this on a multi-layer PCB is to bypass it completely or remove components and fully test the bridged circuit.
Unfortunately not many people have access to the equipment needed to test the bridged circuit (for filters etc) and so the full bypass is the only true way to do this.
 
OK it's fiddly and pain in the ar5e soldering to those raised LOD pins... but well worth it 

 
Happy modding
 
NB to ZZffnn's question, I removed the input caps off the FiiO (C2/C6) and also the inductive high pass filters (can't remember exactly which one's they are right now)

Thanks for the response. I definitely want the best out of the DAC that is the whole point, right?? So unsolder all the riff raff, got it.
 
What is the general consensus on the best caps to use other than the elusive (and$$) black gates? I know it's somewhat subjective but that is what is getting me badly confused. I want to get the stuff in hand and see if I can do this.
Thanks 

 

[no_eye_dear]

See my method of bypass here
 
Litics?... Elna Silmic II are the best IMO, that's whats in that album.
 
Of course, if you want the best... then get the deeper back panel and use 4.7uf Wima MKS2 film caps if you can find them.

 

[junkers]

Where is everyone getting their caps? I know that you should get different ones based on what sound signature you want, but is there a trustworthy website to get them from? All I can find are ones from China w/ shady websites.

 

[thegrobe]

Quote:

See my method of bypass here
 
Litics?... Elna Silmic II are the best IMO, that's whats in that album.
 
Of course, if you want the best... then get the deeper back panel and use 4.7uf Wima MKS2 film caps if you can find them.

Wow! That is fantastic help! I really like the idea of soldering directly to the audio out pins. It looks like that is the 3rd and 4th pin there, correct? Which is left/right? Sorry if this has been covered before. 
 
So let me get this straight, remove Z caps, Remove L2 and L3 inductors...Do you also remove the little capacitors by L2  and L3? Then route wires to the audio out pins.
 
This is for 5.5 Video
 
Thanks a million

 

[thegrobe]

No eye deer-
Wait a minute...If you connect directly to the dock outputs, as in your link, are you breaking the connection before that from the board under the dock? Looks like it in your pics 
 
If this is the case, can you skip fiddling with removing those L2/L3 etc bits on the board? Since you are bypassing that signal alltogther. Correct me if I'm wrong. This certainly looks like the best way to go if this is the case

 

[no_eye_dear]

Hi buddy
Yes you bypass the entire board so you only need to remove the zcaps to give you access to the solder pads.
take your wires directly from the pad closest to the DAC > caps > FiiO (if you want to) > output pins.
You do lift them off the board as well so that the path is completely isolated from any of the filters and track on the board.
OK it's a bit fiddly to lift them and solder to but I normally take them out completely solder the wire on then slide them back in before cleaning with isopropanol and epoxy them in place.
 
The new caps do not need to be very large, anything over 2uf should be ample but just to ensure there is no phase shift in the Bass use a slightly larger value. You can get the Wima MKS2 in 4.7uf and is small enough to fit in there even with the FiiO inside (it's only 3 mm thick when you remove the unwanted connectors.
Of course, if you decide to use the Elna Silmic caps they are much smaller even in 22uf 10V form, so get them or the 10uf 16v (plenty big enough)
 
Happy modding
Lee

 

[thegrobe]

Wow this is awesome thank you. I don't plan on doing the Fiio inside, this will be going line out to a Leckerton UHA-6S mkII. (I want to trryyyyy not to damage that with the wrong output voltage, etc)
 
I can find the Wima 4.7f in 50v/10% and 63v/5%....what does the different voltage ratings do, how do they affect things? I see the elna silmic are 10 and 16v..why such a wide variance there? What's preferable? I am on the lookout for anything over 2uf as you said, got it

 

[Analoog]

When removing Z caps, the regular iPod's headphone jack remains completely untouched?

 

[no_eye_dear]

Quote:

When removing Z caps, the regular iPod's headphone jack remains completely untouched?

Yep 

 

[no_eye_dear]

Quote:

Wow this is awesome thank you. I don't plan on doing the Fiio inside, this will be going line out to a Leckerton UHA-6S mkII. (I want to trryyyyy not to damage that with the wrong output voltage, etc)
 
I can find the Wima 4.7f in 50v/10% and 63v/5%....what does the different voltage ratings do, how do they affect things? I see the elna silmic are 10 and 16v..why such a wide variance there? What's preferable? I am on the lookout for anything over 2uf as you said, got it

 
You only need a low voltage caps but film caps inherently have quite large voltage ratings.
The values you're looking for here are SIZE You need it to fit inside the iPod and the 4.7uf 50V is 7.2mm square.
Of course you could go for the larger caps... the 10uf may even fit as they are still 7.2mm in one dimension and there is lots of room laterally inside a CF mod.
But like I said... anything over 2uf is good enough so 4.7uf is as high as you 'need' to go.
 
Do the CF mod and then decide which one's you want to squeeze in.
Look here for the options.