[qusp]

yeah, just spotted that, just freaked me right out to see the actual trannie labeled 110v, with nowhere any numbers relating to any rating higher. received the valab and had it open within 10 minutes

gonna fire it up in a minute for the first time. havent installed anything yet, just the jumpers. want to listen to it virgin before I defile it

I wanna see/hear what difference I make with the mods. starting out with VCAP OIMP with mundorf SIO bypass and caddock resistors, my TX2575 are still on the production line, custom made to order; should be here in a week. , they'll fit in the case until I fit out another hammond and get the DC supply sorted. then i'll see if the duelund will fit (3.9uf) before I make it a 3 case build.

 

[MikeW]

Do you mean drop the spec to 1.0 uf? It's a posibility. I'd like to see what the Gen II's get me though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatOMalley /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mike, I heard that bypassing with the GenIIs will gentle the GenIs. But you could always drop the spec to 4.7 ... tempting init?

 

[PatOMalley]

Yep, 1uF is what I meant.
But the GenIIs are worth trying as well as anything else that might warm things up like Obbligatos for instance.


Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeW /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you mean drop the spec to 1.0 uf? It's a posibility. I'd like to see what the Gen II's get me though.

 

[MikeW]

I've been talking to a fellow at Sonicraft named Jeff, this is what he had to say when I asked him for recomendations. His recomendations are very expensive though, and simply too big. I could fit a 1uf Multicap or Dynamicap though. The Jupiter/Mundorf/Sonicap Plat are all to big to fit, the 1uf jupiter would be the closest chance of a fit. I don't know what I should do now.

Quote:

Since you have now mentioned that you are using the EF-1, I know you are driving a 50K load. This means that 1uF is actually perfect for this application. I recommend the Sonicap Platinum. Second would be the Jupiter HT. Third, the Mundorf S/O, but you would need to use a 1.5uF or larger because they are a bit lean in the bottom end. At the bottom of my recommendations would be the Dynamicap or Multicap RTX. The Sonicap G1 would not be a recommendation from me. It is rather a budget cap better suited for speaker applications. It does work fine in electronics where a budget is a big concern. I can see where the DAC voicing might be a bit tipped up because they are using tants, Russian K40Y9s, etc... Best regards, Jeff

 

[PatOMalley]

I bet the current production Obbligatos would fit.
I am using an old version but if the transformer is gone the new ones should fit. Maybe not with bypass caps but they will fit.

 

[MikeW]

The obbligato's will fit. And i've considered them as well. From what i've read of them, they are a fine capacitor, but still not "high end". Kind of in the same class as the Sonic Craft Gen1's but with a much more forgiving sound signature. I also was aiming for a higher UF capacitor if possible, but that is seeming less likely. Although I think I can fit a 6UF Dynamicap, they are about 22mm x 36mm or so. I was also trying not to bypass if It could be avoided. I need to do some more reading, but im leaning towards the Dynamicap, Jeff at sonic craft said that the digital input coupling capacitors can effect sound quality as well and recomended replacing them with Relcap RTE 001 UF. He said bypassing the GEN 1's with GEN2's would help my problem, but he was trying to get me to where I needed to be, by his above recomendations. Either way, looks like there's no free lunch here, bah. The Dyanamicaps are about 33$ each.

Edit: I can actually fit a 2.2UF obbligato. Does anyone have any comparisons of the Obbligato vs the Dynamicap? I havent seen much information about this cap, but apparantly it's been around for a long time. I did see one review that was not so hot on it, but that seems to be the minority.

 

[MikeW]

Pat, did you remove the input coupling caps? it looks like you've got some yellow wire there. Are those Takman resistors? is that 1/4 watt? I've yet to do the SSOM, and i've wondered if I should, reading that it totally messed up the scope readings earlier in the thread.

 

[PatOMalley]

Mike,

I removed the input caps when I added the input transformer from Lundahl. My CDP has a transformer at it's output so no caps needed at input on my DAC.

Those green resistors may look like Takman metal foils but they are the stock resistors for incoming DC power.

Wasn't the DIR9001 mod the thing that looked better on the scope? I undid that and it sounds better in my system with all the reputed distortion.

 

[rhodes54]

I haven't had the time yet to experiment more with the output filtering. When you do the SSOM it will look awful on a scope BUT for your ears it will definitely sound better. Another measuring vs. human ear thing which is hard to explain...
The DIR9001 mod didn't affect the distortion level on the output but setting the DIR9001 to 512fs did gave the lowest amount of jitter, so it's worth doing.

 

[PatOMalley]

I tried to put the DIR9001 mod back on but I get no output each time I try.

On conecture here but if you up the bit rate on jittrer coming it goes up, right? But now that I use a Pulse transformer and I think the jitter coming in is much much lower, then what?

I do not get any grain or edge at the lower bit rate.

 

[kammasoolla]

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[Bill Allen]

NOS Dac chips are extremly sensitive to input jitter, this is the main reason our modded DAC's all sound so different. (Our source) There are many way to skin this jitter cat, but at the same time it is akin to herding cats. I have tried all the various inputs on the Valab and each has their Achilles’ heel. Whatever input you choose to use you must have a plan on how to acheive the lowest jitter with the funds on hand.

I have said this may times before ... but I will say it again. "Whatever you can do to lower the input jitter into the Valab will go a long ways toward improving the sound of the analog output."


Toslink In:

1.) "Real glass" Toslink cable (Galvanic Isolation) check Ebay $20
FS MOD really helps with Toslink as it tends to be very high jitter input(once again don't use with new Re-clock boards).


Coax In:

1.) Low Jitter Transport with "top quality" Coax digital cable. (I use Ridge Street Audio) Mechanical isolation is also crucial with a transport.
2.) Input transformer (Galvanic Isolation)
3.) FS MOD (Don't use with current DAC's with Re-clock circuit).
4.) Empirical Audio Pace Car (absolute best solution but also the most expensive)

USB In:

1.) Top quality USB cable. (I recommend Kimber Cables newest USB offerings without the ferrite blockers. The Silver version's sound fantastic. $75 for 1/2 meter)
2.) Amarra Music Server Software (Only works with Apple computers. $399)

Computer source with "top quality" CD rips (I use XLD software and AIFF files), Kimber Silver USB Cable, and Amarra will offer by far the lowest jitter input for the Valab DAC. This you have to hear to believe and is a low cost alternative to a Pace Car.

I now use both Amarra and Pace Car together, I can safely say you have not heard what the Valab DAC can do until you have heard this dynamic duo.

PM me if you would like to purchase a copy of Amarra.

 

[MikeW]

I'd like to know more about how amara lowers jitter. How does a piece of software overcome an obviously, hardware based problem? Im sure software can to a point help, but I just can't wrap my head around how this software can solve a hardware problem, computers just don't work like that. Hardware is hardware and software is software, not matter how great the software is if you use a coat hanger as a digital interconnect it's not going to be ideal. I can see perhaps Amara performing some DSP work on the music that is pleasing to hear, that makes sense. What is their beyond a bit-perfect signal? Is amara even bit-perfect, if it performs any resampling or dsp work then the answer would be no. Bit-perfect is overrated anyways.

I'd like to add, for the cost concious, keep an eye on some of the newer usb to spdif products, like M2 Tech HiFace and Musiland Monitor 02. Not suggesting you run out and buy one, i think they are making progress a little to quickly and the products are still immature, but keep an eye out.

 

[jsplice]

$1000 for a media player application?! There is absolutely NO way that spending $1000 on a media player would provide more benefit than taking that $1000 and spending it towards a Dac. I understand that it has room correction abilities, but that's really the only thing that stuck out to me. Obviously with headphones that is not required.

 

[r8833]

I had excellent results with this Memory Media Player which is free to try and around 100 to buy

No Affiliation to company


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