Hi gents, I hope you don't mind me intruding on the thread but I think I have a simple trick you may like.
I have the OPPO ha1 2014 second hand and cleaned the connectors with IPA.
No real change but at least it's good house keeping.
I have been following an good engineer upgrading with new parts. As it's a business and I can only solder and keep hearing about cables... The guys in work use contact cleaner. I did the Googling and found Caig Deoxit. You may have used or heard of others.
My first experiment was the USB and RCA. Both improved but the RCA connectors by a good margin from my little FIIOX3 II. With this I did all my connections and RCA USB Cables OTG my phone power strip and wall socket.
Again definitely a boost to clarity I was hearing.
As the DIYAUDIO guy Coris explained how to open up the OPPO ha1. Most of the internal connections are the usual crimped on wire onto pins in a plastic clip type. I undid the clips, wiped with IPA then used 100% red deoxit.
This was the icing on the cake .. Now every none soldered connection is cleaned and deoxited. ...
The overall difference especially internally has been suprising. It's like I have bought a new machine headphones and music.
£7 has been the best investment I have done. I thought the Supra cable was good.
I'd love to hear what you think especially if you can get inside.
But use ESD protection and plug the cable in switched off. Warranty may be affected for inside.
The guy coris also earth shielded some cables and components for heat RFI and EMI. I will try that next.
But try it on your cables Amp connectors and power chain. If you can safely and with confidence inside connections.
I have spread this about to pay back good advice I have had off HFI but few believe or want to try...
All I have done is reset the potential of my kit. Not a mod but it may help..
I hope this helps on the special journey you do here on this experimental thread
Good luck and keep smiling
Dave
I've been using the Caig DeOxit for a couple of decades now.
The Red and Blue are really meant for industrial switch contacts, as in high current contactors etc.
Their primary purpose is to dissolve the metal oxides that build up on the contacts as they oxidize (this is what Red does) and then 'protect them' (this is what Blue does).
For our audio uses I much prefer the DeOxit Gold instead.
It is a cleaner and 'contact enhancer' and is very effective on gold and silver etc metals.
The trick here is to use VERY little, as in lightly burnish the contact surface area with a light moistened cloth, but to make sure the metal contact area is free of any contamination.
Using more will attract more dust and surface contaminants all that much faster.
And usually the first use of these products will yield the most significant results mostly due to removal of surface contamination.
Gefski posted a picture of his cleaning kit previously in this thread ( I think) and you can see the removed contamination that has built up on his kit.
This 'crud' will degrade the SQ of the audio signal in very audible ways.
Also using DeOxit Gold on computer memory dimms and connectors (usb especially) etc can also help reduce 'errors'.
And I use the DeOxit gold cloth wipes and 'augment' the amount of 'gold' cleaner with a spray bottle to the wipes.
These wipes and spray bottle will last a REALLY long time, as in I am still using my original container of wipes and spray bottle from the 80's.
And there are other 'contact enhancer' type chemicals out there but they are more 'involved' in their use and are more costly as well.
So as a entry into 'contact enhancement' the Caig DeOxit Gold is the best place to start, at least from my experience.
JJ
