[rsaavedra]

Mod successful!! Finished adding the final 2 capacitors on the power supply. This makes that area look quite crowded, those rectangular caps are quite big for the area. It was pretty tough to push the legs of those together with the legs of the little blue rectangles. I had to dremel down all those legs a bit to reduce their diameters, so that they could fit in together.

Soldered, and just closed the case, plugged it in with safety precautions again, and everything is working fine!

[edit]Rehosting pics[/edit]

 

[rsaavedra]

What a geek, 4:45am, just finished the first part of the audio PCB mods, couldn't resist continuing on this after the PS mods were all done and working fine, and having everything setup for the work.

This part of the Audio PCB consists of the replacement of 11 small capacitors. The final part of the mod, replacing five capacitors with Blackgate caps, and replacing the opamp, I can't do because the Blackgates are back ordered for one more week or so. I have the opamp, but don't want to replace it without the blackgates at the same time as recommended by Rossi.

Here's the audio board before the mods, check out the clock dampening with some plaster stuff, a la blue tack, but white.

After the mods bottom:

After the mods top (having clipped the caps' legs) :

Reconnected, and it's playing fine!!!!

Leaving it playing to break it in. Now I'll go to sleep at least 3 hours before tomorrow's (today's) work.
[edit]Rehosting pics[/edit]

 

[ITZBITZ]

Excellent shots of the work required. Glad to hear you're having a good time!

 

[rsaavedra]

Thanks Itzbitz! One question, I wonder if you might have any recommendations on the opamp replacement? I have links to instructions on SMD work, but maybe you have some tips to share. For instance, did you desolder *all* those caps around the opamp before doing that part, or just on one/two sides?

 

[ITZBITZ]

I removed the ones on the sides to give myself some room.

I then used solder wick to get up as much solder as I could, trying not to get the op-amp too hot, but since it's a $0.40 JRC, if I smoked it I didn't care. Then I used some special pliers to apply slight pressure on the pins and just round-robin heated them until they all let go of the board (without ripping up the SMD pads, which is a real risk with too much heat and pressure).

I then cleaned up the pads with a quick tap of the iron, brushed over the area with a flux pen allowing the flux to help hold the new op amp in place (along with some tweezers) and tacked down the first pin. Then it was just a quick tap on each leg with a 1/32" tip to make the connection using just a tiny dot of solder on the iron tip. The flux really helps it flow into the cracks.

 

[rsaavedra]

Thanks very much Itzbitz, that 1/32" tip you mention is a cone shaped one? or is there any flat ending on the very tip? Mine is a normal soldering iron, not the gun type but the rod type, and it has a cone for a tip. Probably that cone is too large, should get a smaller one certainly, but not sure what shape.

 

[gsferrari]

Raul,

I just received the 3960 and I am also getting into the diy scene now

Check your PM...

Cheers!

 

[rsaavedra]

Guru you have a PM as well. Here for anyone else interested, the tools I got were part of the "Starters Kit" set of tools recommended in the first of the following links. These links are mighty useful in general, they've helped me a lot to get started:

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/new-diyer.html

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/

http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21563

I already had some of the tools, went to Radio Shack with the "Starters kit" list to get the ones I didn't have and couldn't do without. A few of those tools listed in the starters kit are actually discontinued though.

Here's one link I'm carefully reading, I'm going to put together that recommended "Hot air" desoldering gun to attempt the opamp removal:
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/index.p...ntDeviceRework

Cheers,
Raul

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Great job Raul. I'm glad to see you got up the nerve to experiment some with the soldering iron. The more you do this the more competent and confident you'll get. Later on you'll start replacing cheap caps in other power supplies in your amps and other sources. Congrats and great job.

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ServinginEcuador Later on you'll start replacing cheap caps in other power supplies in your amps and other sources. Congrats and great job.

Yes that's the idea at least. Thanks very much Doug!
Cheers,

Raul

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsaavedr Yes that's the idea at least. Thanks very much Doug! Cheers, Raul

I figured the practice on a sub-$100 CDP would make for fertile practice grounds. If I had any soldering skills, and I don't, I would be trying my hand at modding the Toshiba with some decent caps in the PSU. It's cheap, and if it helps it would be well worth it.

 

[rsaavedra]

Just got an email from partsconnexion, my Black Gates were shipped today from Canada! Will be able to continue and finish the audio board mods soon.

 

[itza2mer]

I won a 3950 on ebay for $23.00 (the sell had 0 feedback). Lucky for me, he only lived 15 miles from me, so I didn't have to pay the $15 shipping he wanted. I went ahead and gave the seller $27, and explained that the bidding stayed low because of the lack of ebay feedback. I'm looking forward to modding this player in a couple of weeks.

rsaavedr, thanks for all of the photos. Very helpful.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsaavedr Just got an email from partsconnexion, my Black Gates were shipped today from Canada! Will be able to continue and finish the audio board mods soon.

Raul,

Male sure to add some nice before and after shots to tantalize us once again. Best of all with the new mods attempts with the BG caps. Maybe you should try and find a cheap unit identical to this one and do some A/B comparisons with the two of them. It would be cheap enough as the Toshibas run under $50 or so now.

 

[rsaavedra]

Certainly Doug. About comparing to a stock, at the upcoming FL meet I'll have a chance to compare with Guru's unmodded 3960, well unless he mods it before that though. I could certainly buy another 3950 for comparisons and then return it before the 30 day trial period. But the local best buy ran out of 3950's. Anyway, I am actually more curious to compare this modded Toshiba with other players and brands, actually mid-end and higher end players, and see what differences I can perceive.

Itza2mer you got a great deal, have fun with the mods!!!