[scompton]

I just received a AD8620 today. I opened up my XM4 and I see chips that look like socketed op amps. Both have illegible printing on them. One is towards the front behind the volume knob. The other is towards the back next to the battery. Which one is the one I'm supposed to change, or was I supposed to order 2?

 

[Vaughn]

Change the opamp at the back by the battery, and make sure it is oriented correctly. I believe the lettering on the opamp should be running in the same direction. The old opamp can be a little tricky to remove, I gently gripped it
with come forceps and wiggled it out. I found replacing the stock opamp with the 8620 sounded like I upgraded to an amp twice the price.

Good luck!

 

[mrarroyo]

See: http://www.practicaldevices.com/xm4_details.htm it shows the op-amp location.

 

[surge]

if the standard for ICs haven change all these years, pin side will have an indent at the ic. so see where the indent faces for the orignal IC and follow the same...need not look at wording

 

[surge]

got my XM4 and ad8620 today. ( suspect already in e mail for a while but my sis didnt open the mail box. why i cant open it myself? for those interested to know, there is a high thef rate in letter box around my area so item was sent to my sis add)

anyway, 1st thing i did was pop in the ad8620...only tested w the original opamp for less than 2 min.

somthing wierd though, my ipod is housed in a PVC casing ( not earth when i hold it), when i pluck in e amp, there was a humming sound when i touch the casing of e amp. but sound gone if i don touch it or i touch the ipod metal casing thru the hold switch opening.

sorry cant give any reviews cos this is my first amp and have no idea how others sound like so can compare....

also bought super5pro and grado ms2......

broke liao

 

[jimmy8269]

I also just received premounted ad8620 and would like to confirm my impression towards this upgrade. Lucky to me that I haven't given up this amp in the past 2 weeks.

Now, it made my ah-d2000 shinesss with this simple upgrade.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy8269 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I also just received premounted ad8620 and would like to confirm my impression towards this upgrade. Lucky to me that I haven't given up this amp in the past 2 weeks. Now, it made my ah-d2000 shinesss with this simple upgrade.

Glad you like the AD8620.

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Glad you like the AD8620.

sry for ressurecting this guys, but just to clarify, from someone who knows more than i do (not hard) - regarding the AD8620, i am confused as to what to order in the event i get the XM4, i clicked the link http://www.cimarrontechnology.com/in...PROD&ProdID=31

that was mentioned, but that image, which i am assuming is the opamp in its pre-mounted condition doesnt look right, looking at the xm4 internals, it looks like i would need solely the actual op-amp chip not that additional square pcb????

could anyone provide me with a link to somewhere where they bought their ADA8620 for use with their XM4? ty ty ty

 

[scompton]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif sry for ressurecting this guys, but just to clarify, from someone who knows more than i do (not hard) - regarding the AD8620, i am confused as to what to order in the event i get the XM4, i clicked the link http://www.cimarrontechnology.com/in...PROD&ProdID=31 that was mentioned, but that image, which i am assuming is the opamp in its pre-mounted condition doesnt look right, looking at the xm4 internals, it looks like i would need solely the actual op-amp chip not that additional square pcb???? could anyone provide me with a link to somewhere where they bought their ADA8620 for use with their XM4? ty ty ty

That's what I bought and it fits. That opamp is very small. The board it's mounted on is a little bigger than the stock op amp. Edit: The prongs are identical. The board is slightly bigger than the opamp's body.

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's what I bought and it fits. That opamp is very small. The board it's mounted on is a little bigger than the stock op amp. Edit: The prongs are identical. The board is slightly bigger than the opamp's body.

excellent, thats all i needed to hear. many thanks !!

 

[tomasetti1]

Look pictures here.

http://www.thai-audiofile.com/forum/...c687ff1b4c44b5

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomasetti1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Look pictures here. http://www.thai-audiofile.com/forum/...c687ff1b4c44b5

nice linkage - thats 100% help - thank you.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampjoy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks! I largely agree with your review, aven though I didn't have an XM4 but the (supposedly identical save the bass boost) XM3. Also, anemic is a good way to describe its sound - though not too pronouncedly so. Speaking of the XM3 it's good for the price and lovely to use, but I believe there are better amps around lately for a similar price, like the Little Dot Mk I for instance.

The AD8620 op-amp wakes up the the XM3 or the XM4.

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif The AD8620 op-amp wakes up the the XM3 or the XM4.

hope so, got mine on the way as a stopgap till the reference. ordered the premounted ad8620 also

an amazing oversight really when you consider practical devices could have had such a more welll recieved sounding amp for what must be a few dollars expenditure on changin op-amp!!

or am i missing something....mind you some ppl do say the OPA2134 is a musical chip and applaud it, to be very honest i have yet to ever hear the OPA2134, i have the OPA2227 in my cmoys

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...an amazing oversight really ...

I remember sending them an email on the AD8620 a few months ago. They acknowledge receiving it but they were going to stick with the OPA2134. I guess they must have bought a lot of the OPA2134.