The "mod your Zhalou" Thread

[Sinwerm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epicurean /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really wonder what it is about the ad chip that everyone likes. Well, at last I'm gonna find out since a D2.0 ad board shipped from Hongkong today! The thing is, I think my current CS4398 + Zapfilter sounds as close to perfect as I have heard for a long time and I can't find any apparent flaws at all in the sound. And interestingly I don't hear the forward midrange presentation that a lot of people have reported and I don't find the treble lacking in 'sparkle' either. I'll post impressions when I get the board.

You have a link to where you got the AD board ? been looking on eddies site but can't find it , I want to try it also , thanks for any help.

 

[Epicurean]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinwerm /img/forum/go_quote.gif You have a link to where you got the AD board ? been looking on eddies site but can't find it , I want to try it also , thanks for any help.

Just email eddie. He doesn't list it on his site.

 

[d-cee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sinwerm /img/forum/go_quote.gif You have a link to where you got the AD board ? been looking on eddies site but can't find it , I want to try it also , thanks for any help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epicurean /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just email eddie. He doesn't list it on his site.

yep, for D2.0A owners he also has some CS4398 boards available as well, just email him. Got mine real quick =D

 

[Sinwerm]

Thanks much guys I will send him an email and get one before he runs out , kinda nice to be able and drop-in another DAC board on a whim. Never know when you might need it. Again thanks.

 

[fierce_freak]

Alright, just finished reading this whole thread...it's long, so I may have missed an answer to this: I have a Zhaolu D2.5A with Eddie's basic mods (BG's in PS, replaced clock with TCXO, etc.). Besides the Zapfilter and removing most of the wiring to the front panel (which should get here tomorrow

) is there anything else worth doing to the Zhaolu? Better clock? More boutique parts?

 

[cotdt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierce_freak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Alright, just finished reading this whole thread...it's long, so I may have missed an answer to this: I have a Zhaolu D2.5A with Eddie's basic mods (BG's in PS, replaced clock with TCXO, etc.). Besides the Zapfilter and removing most of the wiring to the front panel (which should get here tomorrow ) is there anything else worth doing to the Zhaolu? Better clock? More boutique parts?

Battery-based power supply

 

[fierce_freak]

haha, nice.

now i'm going to sit here and actually think about it, even though i've decided not to

 

[cotdt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierce_freak /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha, nice. now i'm going to sit here and actually think about it, even though i've decided not to

yeah forget the overpriced power cords and Blackgates in the power supply, nothing beats clean battery power! based on what i've researched, you should get lower jitter and lower noise as well. you can try a regulated battery power supply or simply just a raw battery.

 

[fierce_freak]

argh, don't tempt me, haha. here i am thinking of another enclosure for the traffos and a regulated battery supply o.O

anyone try subbing in a different dac chip? i haven't taken a look at feasibility, but it'd be great if you could get the AD1853 in there to replace the 1852 to use the whole I/V conversion of the zap.

 

[cotdt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierce_freak /img/forum/go_quote.gif anyone try subbing in a different dac chip? i haven't taken a look at feasibility, but it'd be great if you could get the AD1853 in there to replace the 1852 to use the whole I/V conversion of the zap.

that seems like a great idea to me. read the datasheets to make sure, though. the Zhaolu DAC board is more or less the same as the AD1852 evaluation board.

 

[fierce_freak]

The two chips aren't pin compatible, unfortunately. I suppose it'd work if I could get a hold of an AD1853 eval board, but I don't see that happening.

-edit- anyone follow the traces on the dac board? are pins 6, 7, 10, and 15 going anywhere?

 

[Ori]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierce_freak /img/forum/go_quote.gif argh, don't tempt me, haha. here i am thinking of another enclosure for the traffos and a regulated battery supply o.O anyone try subbing in a different dac chip? i haven't taken a look at feasibility, but it'd be great if you could get the AD1853 in there to replace the 1852 to use the whole I/V conversion of the zap.

So what's left?
A new battery supply replaces the original power supply, the Zapfilter obsoletes the analog board and now you are scrapping the DAC chip too.
From the original unit you only salvaged the shell, connectors and a receiver chip...

Might as well design a new digital board. Seriously!
Prototype boards can be fabbed for less than $100! That's right - just make you own DAC from scratch. You're 80% of the way there already...

 

[fierce_freak]

Haha, I see your point. Thanks, Ori.

-edit- just got done looking at the DAC board...i don't see traces going to pins 6, 7, or 15 on top or bottom of board, but pin 10 is connected....and of course, pin 10 is very different on the AD1852 and 53 =/ it could be changed, but the benefit of going to 53 probably isn't worth all the hassle.

 

[daggerlee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flecom /img/forum/go_quote.gif if you look at this pic those are the only 6 pins i left, they are doing power and some other fun stuff... but the other 10 pins are all audio... they are doubled up, so each row is one function and tied together... let me explain if you look at that pic, the bottom two pins are ground (which is why there are two wires, one for L gnd one for R gnd)... then the next set of pins is L-, then L+, then R- and then R+ dunno, its not my dac, i just do as i am asked lol

I just measured on the AD1852 board and it's reversed...it runs, from bottom to top, GND, L+, L-, R+, R-...

I was originally going to tap the inputs on the bottom of the main DAC board and run wire from there to the Zapfilter board. That way you could switch daughterboards without soldering and desoldering. But it looks like if you do that then you can reverse the polarity. Which doesn't matter that much IIRC but still not ideal.

The other way to go would be to buy 6 pin DIN connectors for between the Zapfilter and the daughterrboards. Don't know if that would be worth it...

 

[fierce_freak]

Argh, I spent some of the day off and on putting the zapfilter into my D2.5a, and it's not working...at least, I don't think it is. I'm tired out of my mind (good time to decide to mod, eh?), so I'm probably going to head to bed soon. Anyone have any idea of where to start trouble shooting? Points to measure? I clutzed out and hit one of the bright orange/red boxes on the zapfilter board with my soldering iron, but it didn't melt it too bad. Is there a way to measure that?

I feel like an idiot