[mightytison]

As did I for my V280. Looking forward to trying this out. Thanks for all the detailed information!

 

[Ichos]

When you try it please post impressions and some photos as I am an owner of V280 too.

 

[mightytison]

Will do

 

[Pharmaboy]

I have embarrassing news about my opamp-rolling experiment with the V281. In email with Fried Reim, he pointed out I have swapped opamps in the line-out PCB of the V281--not the the input PCB, as I thought I was doing.

The embarrassing part is this: any sonic changes I've heard through my (very revealing) studio monitors are probably real, but any sonic changes I thought I heard through headphone cannot be real. In short, I got nailed by my own confirmation bias.

So I just attempted to remove the line-out PCB in order to gain access to the input PCB, where I hoped I could put the Sparkos opamps in place of the stock opamps. But this proved impossible:

1. I lack the tools necessary to remove certain screws & nuts. The screws require a type of screwdriver unknown to me: it's not anything I've ever seen before nor have on hand.
2. Worse yet, I can visualize enough of the opamps on this lower/input PCB to know the Sparkos opamps would almost certainly not fit there. Their height would probably be OK, but their greater width/depth would not fit in the cramped space on the front-facing side of the stock opamps, where they bump up tightly against another device (2nd picture below).

So I'm done with this experiment. I'll leave the Sparkos in the line-out PCB because I like their sound so far on my studio monitors.

Still, I know many V281 owners are more interested opamp rolling for the headphone output--something that seems impossible based on what I'm seeing.

I'm very sorry to mislead any of you about opamp rolling the V281...

 

[Ichos]

Oh , that is bad news indeed.
The only thing you can do is to stick with the positive point of the whole matter
and enjoy the better sound from the line out.
Still very great of you to admit everything and keep us informed.
I big like from me.

 

[Bonddam]

I’ll take it apart if anything 10 years installing alarm circuit boards should help me place the opamps in right place. Good thing is top board is using star screws and buying the tool is at car parts store even Home Depot has them. I just hope the opamps have enough room. I’ll post picks.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

The Sparkos will fit between the red resistors if you use the 8 pin adapters/extenders. I will post a couple of pictures in a bit. I use them for all of my op amp rolls to keep from damaging the flimsy little spider legs.

 

[mightytison]

Am I safe in assuming I won't have to worry on the V280 as it doesn't have the additional layer for the line outs. They are still just right on top for mine, correct? I haven't pulled the cover off to look inside of mine yet.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Here is a picture of the Sparkos in adapters in a V100. The stock op amp is on the right. The V100 does not have the red resistors on either side of the op amps. My V200 does have the resistors and with one 8 pin extender It clears with plenty of room for heat dispersal.

.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Here is a picture of the stock op amps on the bottom and a Sparkos single ( for illustration purposes ) on the top. The 8 pin adapter that I mentioned is on the right. Note: the stock and the Sparkos are mounted in one single 8 pin adapter. I put the gold dot on the stock for my identification of pin one and to log what it is and what it came out of. Note the tiny vendor marks that Pharamaboy mentioned on the stock op amp on the lower left.

 

[mightytison]

Thanks for the extra info. Any chance you could share the brand and or part number of extender you used? Just want to make sure I get something that I know is solid and will work. Thank you.

 

[sahmen]

To those who have opened their V281s, can you locate any fuse somewhere in the box that one could change/replace in the hopes of enhancing sound quality? I have been looking at the pictures to see if I can locate one, but I am not having any success. BTW, I am no expert at these things, but I thought i should ask, just in case. Thanks.

 

[phonomat]

I have embarrassing news about my opamp-rolling experiment with the V281. In email with Fried Reim, he pointed out I have swapped opamps in the line-out PCB of the V281--not the the input PCB, as I thought I was doing.

The embarrassing part is this: any sonic changes I've heard through my (very revealing) studio monitors are probably real, but any sonic changes I thought I heard through headphone cannot be real. In short, I got nailed by my own confirmation bias.

So I just attempted to remove the line-out PCB in order to gain access to the input PCB, where I hoped I could put the Sparkos opamps in place of the stock opamps. But this proved impossible:

1. I lack the tools necessary to remove certain screws & nuts. The screws require a type of screwdriver unknown to me: it's not anything I've ever seen before nor have on hand.
2. Worse yet, I can visualize enough of the opamps on this lower/input PCB to know the Sparkos opamps would almost certainly not fit there. Their height would probably be OK, but their greater width/depth would not fit in the cramped space on the front-facing side of the stock opamps, where they bump up tightly against another device (2nd picture below).

So I'm done with this experiment. I'll leave the Sparkos in the line-out PCB because I like their sound so far on my studio monitors.

Still, I know many V281 owners are more interested opamp rolling for the headphone output--something that seems impossible based on what I'm seeing.

I'm very sorry to mislead any of you about opamp rolling the V281...

Lol. The mind is a powerful thing indeed.

 

[Bonddam]

I need Fried’s email. Trying to find opamp location on v281.

 

[Geezer Rock 001]

Check the picture in post 4409. The signal path for the headphone side is on the lower deck. The top deck is the line out signal path based on Pharmaboy's findings and correspondence.