The Zishan dsd's corner

[Themilkman46290]

Sorry, which one is to be flashed in the dsd standard version...?

What do you mean by standard? There are 4 versions, if you mean standard as in the first then it's the ak4490, standard as in the last one then ak4497 or the ak4497 pro, or the one with the knob Wich is the ak4495, but some people confuse the z1 and z2 with the dsd, if you have the DSD then you can use g or h, the latest is 4h, it has some problems with mp3 but everything else is fine, 4g plays mp3 well but doesn't play m4a

 

[kookaudio]

What do you mean by standard? There are 4 versions, if you mean standard as in the first then it's the ak4490, standard as in the last one then ak4497 or the ak4497 pro, or the one with the knob Wich is the ak4495, but some people confuse the z1 and z2 with the dsd, if you have the DSD then you can use g or h, the latest is 4h, it has some problems with mp3 but everything else is fine, 4g plays mp3 well but doesn't play m4a

I mean the DSD with AK4497EQ, which I guess is te latest “standard” version. Or am I wrong?

 

[Themilkman46290]

I mean the DSD with AK4497EQ, which I guess is te latest “standard” version. Or am I wrong?

Well you can use either one, and I guess you mean the standard ak4497 not the pro version? Either way same update. They both have there + and -

 

[kookaudio]

is this the pro version you talk about...?
http://s.aliexpress.com/2A7RRz6N
Thanks by now

 

[abartels]

With the volume knob is ak4495 version, not ak4497...........

 

[Merlin-PT]

The ak4497 version is called "ZiShan DSD AK4497EQ Professional" in Aliexpress.
There's also an upgraded version of this player not sold in Aliexpress.

If someone says he has the standard version, it only means it's not the upgraded version.

 

[abartels]

A better name would be: AK4497 modified version. See my earlier posts for pictures of modified version

 

[Merlin-PT]

You call it upgraded version in your previous posts, so I copied that name

 

[kookaudio]

Ok, that one is like mine with 6 different caps (I modified mine also with 4 Nichicon Fine Gold ones) and the main opamp modified (I have some opamps ready for some tests). Now I understood, I guess

 

[Merlin-PT]

How the 4 Nichicon Fine Gold caps changed the sound?
Do they fit in the same positions?

 

[kookaudio]

How the 4 Nichicon Fine Gold caps changed the sound?
Do they fit in the same positions?

Ues, they fit by a very small margin but I do not suggest it since at the moment I do not hear any audible change. Change can be heard with muses02 opamp and I am going to test with other opamps as I get them, probably january. That will be another bet, since for some of them, single ones, I will have to use brown dog style hardware.

 

[Merlin-PT]

I could not fit them in the same position, they are bigger than the stock caps.
Are your Nichicon fine gold caps bigger than the caps that were installed?

I had to install mine this way:


Then I had a bit extra space and I saw that some ceramic SMD caps (bottom board), touch and could short circuit the metal caps top, so I used some kapton (yellow) tape to insulate that:


I also changed the 2x OP275 and LM4562NA with the the same brand and models but imported from USA.
The sound changed a lot, it has a lot more detail, it is much more brighter and has less body.
I like the detail, but I find it a bit too bright now and it needs a bit more body, so I need to change this again. This is the op275 cold sound signature I know from several other HW.
I'm not going to reuse the Chinese opamps and caps that came with the player, I don't recognize the sound of this Chinese opamps with the models printed on top of them.

On another note, I measured the player uses 1A of current to charge an empty battery faster:

 

[kookaudio]

I could not fit them in the same position, they are bigger than the stock caps.
Are your Nichicon fine gold caps bigger than the caps that were installed?

I had to install mine this way:


Then I had a bit extra space and I saw that some ceramic SMD caps (bottom board), touch and could short circuit the metal caps top, so I used some kapton (yellow) tape to insulate that:


I also changed the 2x OP275 and LM4562NA with the the same brand and models but imported from USA.
The sound changed a lot, it has a lot more detail, it is much more brighter and has less body.
I find it a bit too much bright now and it needs a bit more body, so I need to change this again. This is the op275 sound signature I know from several other HW.
I'm not going to reuse the Chinese opamps and caps that came with the player, I don't recognize the sound of this Chinese opamps with the models printed on top of them.

On another note, I measured the player takes 1A of current to charge an empty battery faster:

Yes, Fi e Gold are 1.2mm bigger in diameter compared to the previous ones and I had to work in a similar way. But would not do it again: original caps are good too. Other op amps make much more difference, imho. Will try also ADA4637 as soo as I can have them on hands.

Ah, what I did is preparing the cap leads, find the correct position and glue them to the board with just A LITTLE glue in order to keep them in the perfect place, and only later I soldered them to the spots. I think I gained some 0.1mm in this way.

 

[abartels]

You call it upgraded version in your previous posts, so I copied that name

That is because that is how the supplier calls the modified version. I am not sure if supplier modifies them, or manufacturer himself. Modified version has red sticker to seal the case instead of the white sticker of the standard version.

 

[Draknodd]

I also changed the 2x OP275 and LM4562NA with the the same brand and models but imported from USA.
The sound changed a lot, it has a lot more detail, it is much more brighter and has less body.

So if I understood correctly replacing the opamps with the same opamps but from a reliable store improved a lot the sound quality, right? (This means, I suppose, that the ones in the zishan are fake)
Did you hear improvements by replacing caps too?
And most important, I'd like to lower the output impedance, there are 22ohm resistors before the output to protect the amp from short circuit, so I don't think that It could be a good idea at all removing them, but if I replace them with some smd resistors with ... Let's Say... Half of the actual output impedance they should protect the opamp (and there will be an original one, not a fake chinese one) and in the same time they should cause less problems with hybrid or multi BA iems. Is it right o Is it a really bad idea?