[LaughMoreDaily]

I almost always use the Balanced 2.5mm TRRS output on my DSD, so I tend to perceive a bit more of an open Sound Stage.

I believe you have the AD8620 balanced out? I have that opamp on my Z1 and its bright and pretty good. It's not perfect but it might be my best opamp. Do you think 8620 is perfect for balanced out?

 

[DBaldock9]

I believe you have the AD8620 balanced out? I have that opamp on my Z1 and its bright and pretty good. It's not perfect but it might be my best opamp. Do you think 8620 is perfect for balanced out?

I don't know if the AD8620ARZ is perfect, but I was looking for a replacement for the OP275, that has a FET input stage - and that one does.

 

[Merlin-PT]

Does one of the posts in this thread have an image, showing the location of all of the DSD's LDO Voltage Regulators?
Do you change any of the supporting circuitry (precision resistors or capacitors), to improve the LDO performance?

Photos of the DAC board, with the location of the LDOs and capacitor changes that Ivan recommend:
(It's only the items 1. and 2. in the post, item 3. is another mod)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-zishan-dsds-corner.826185/page-138#post-14818113
I don't have a photo of the five 3.3V LDOs that are in the CPU board, but we also replaced those.

 

[aspire5550]

If you have/use BA based IEMS hooking up 10uF cap and 55Ohm resistor in series between outputs and ground (could be wired directly to 3.5mm output contacts) will improve things considerably.

Hi, I have a Zishan Z2 and it was known to have a high OI. I am using it with my 4ba+2dd bgvp dmg hybrid.

I noticed a rolloff in the low end region when compared with the direct output from my laptop. Is this something to do with the high OI of the zishan Z2?

Also, you recommended to hook up the cap and resistor in series to improve things for ba based iems, may I know in what will it improve or how will it improve things?

Thank you.

 

[therealbene]

Hi everyone. I have just received my DSD AK4497 yesterday and this is my first post in the thread.

Having assembled the NwAvGuy O2, I was still loving its sound. I build it twice, once with PCB, second with point to point, both with changing battery into 4s Li-ion in series delivering 20+ hours of music.

I love the DSD's SE output to my earphone (uiisii cm5, 16ohm) and headphone (fostex th x00, 32ohm) directly.
However, when used as source to the O2 amp, I feel the O2's output improves considerably, wherr bass is less boomy but has more authority, highs become less piercing and soundstage really opens up. Probably because of the 22ohm output impedance?

I am thinking of possible mods for the 4497, centered on lowering output impedance. So would anyone please shed some light:
1. I have scrapped parts from iBasso DX90 (damaged).. Do you think changing in Zishan's OP275 to the available OPA1611 (4pcs using single to dual opamp adaptor?) improve the sound?
2. As a big fan of the O2, can I "implement" the O2 scheme in this player? I was thinking of adding parallel NJM4556 as buffer, or using NJM2068 as voltage gain SE part.

Please share your comments and many thanks!

 

[macky112]

hi everyone,

I finally upgraded my Zishan DSD 4495 to the latest firmware, 0.4I, but I noticed the Line Out's volume is really really low. I cant be sure which firmware my DSD was on before, maybe 0.4F?

I always use my Fiio A5 with my DSD, and it used to only need about quarter a turn on the A5 using old firmware, where as now it needs more than 3/4 of a turn to get the same volume on the 0.4I FW.

DSD headphone out is similar volume from what I can tell before and after the firmware upgrade.

should I try to reflash 0.4I again? is there any harm downgrading to an earlier firmware?

 

[macky112]

Hi, I have a Zishan Z2 and it was known to have a high OI. I am using it with my 4ba+2dd bgvp dmg hybrid.

I noticed a rolloff in the low end region when compared with the direct output from my laptop. Is this something to do with the high OI of the zishan Z2?

Also, you recommended to hook up the cap and resistor in series to improve things for ba based iems, may I know in what will it improve or how will it improve things?

Thank you.

the bass roll off is due to the output coupling caps (and it may be output impedance related), it's been a while for me, but it was discussed in the Walnut V2 thread.

 

[Ivan TT]

2. As a big fan of the O2, can I "implement" the O2 scheme in this player? I was thinking of adding parallel NJM4556 as buffer, or using NJM2068 as voltage gain SE part.

Not a problem at all, as long as you could source NJM4556 in soic and place them on soic to dip adaptor PCBs, especially if you don't mind and have experience with point to point.
I did similar mod using paralleled OPA1622 on dip pcbs.

1. I have scrapped parts from iBasso DX90 (damaged).. Do you think changing in Zishan's OP275 to the available OPA1611 (4pcs using single to dual opamp adaptor?) improve the sound?

Tricky, but possible as long as you reorient input caps above DAC and solder wires from dip8 adaptors to LPF's smd components as soic 8 traces on pcb are easily damaged.

 

[Ivan TT]

I finally upgraded my Zishan DSD 4495 to the latest firmware, 0.4I, but I noticed the Line Out's volume is really really low. I cant be sure which firmware my DSD was on before, maybe 0.4F?

I believe new firmware removed "boost" function AK4495 variant previously had and you most likely had enabled.. Without boost internal gainstaging is better optimised (or closer to line output level specifications).
Flashing old firmware back is not a problem though.

 

[HungryPanda]

Just received and am enjoying burning in:

 

[macky112]

I believe new firmware removed "boost" function AK4495 variant previously had and you most likely had enabled.. Without boost internal gainstaging is better optimised (or closer to line output level specifications).
Flashing old firmware back is not a problem though.

Is this boost feature to line out something can be set in the UI?

 

[Ivan TT]

Is this boost feature to line out something can be set in the UI?

Sorry, I’m not sure as the boost was exclusive to AK4495 DSD and I don’t have one.
I read previously that newer FW versions (starting from 0.4h I believe) removed it so just speculating that that might be the cause.

 

[macky112]

Sorry, I’m not sure as the boost was exclusive to AK4495 DSD and I don’t have one.
I read previously that newer FW versions (starting from 0.4h I believe) removed it so just speculating that that might be the cause.

Got it thanks, I’ll look through previous version release notes

 

[macky112]

@Ivan TT I have two Zishan Z1 and a bunch of multi BA IEMs, is there any easy mod I can do to the Z1 to be more compatible with multi BA?

 

[Ivan TT]

@Ivan TT I have two Zishan Z1 and a bunch of multi BA IEMs, is there any easy mod I can do to the Z1 to be more compatible with multi BA?

Not really unless you convert power from single supply to dual.