Pink Triangle DaCapo DAC upgrades

Discussion in 'Hi-Fi and General Audio' started by APEXHiFi, Aug 3, 2024.

  1. APEXHiFi

    APEXHiFi

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    Anyone remember the Pink Triangle DaCapo DAC? It blew me away when I first heard it at a HiFi show. I've been lucky enough to find a basic model recently and I've been upgrading and modding it ever since!
    Does anyone know if there is a market for these kind of upgrades out there? I have a massively upgraded PSU and a new design for an optical Toslink digital input card I built for my own DaCapo and I'm wondering if there are other folks out there who would want them too? I'm even working on a digital media streamer which outperforms the Cardinal Transport I currently use by quite a margin!
    I've listed on eBay, but that's not a great way to reach HiFi enthusiasts. Any ideas for what would be the best way of selling these things?
     
    APEXHiFi, Aug 3, 2024
    #1
  2. APEXHiFi

    Sergeauckland

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    Firstly, welcome to the forum.

    I'm not much of a fan of modifications of digital products, as I have NEVER found one that was worth the effort, except as an intellectual exercise because you can.

    If you want to exploit your modifications, I suggest you put up a YouTube video, and you'll have every HiFi Loony eating out of your hands.

    Have you actually measured your 'improvements' and can you quantify the improvement?
    Have you undertaken any level-matched blind listening tests to see whether your modifications actually sound different, let alone be improvements?

    The HiFi world is full of so-called improvements which are nothing of the sort, or indeed if they are technically better, the originals are already fully transparent that the improvements aren't actually audible.

    Sorry to be down on your enthusiasm, but I've been around audio equipment for far too long to be impressed by much these days.

    S.
     
    Sergeauckland, Aug 3, 2024
    #2
  3. APEXHiFi

    APEXHiFi

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    Totally understand. I've heard of too many power cables, mains purifiers and other bits and pieces that don't do very much. I built these because the Original DaCapo design came with a battery power supply option which was a huge (and expensive!) upgrade. The internal power supply in the basic version is, well, basic! Hence I built one that isn't! It's not a subtle improvement!

    Totally understand your sceptical approach though - I'm an electronics engineer by trade and a lot of the stuff I hear makes little or no sense!
     
    APEXHiFi, Aug 3, 2024
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    Hodges and Sergeauckland like this.
  4. APEXHiFi

    APEXHiFi

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    N.B. the power supply upgrade powers the audio filter circuitry after the DAC which, since it's an analogue stage based off Burr Brown OpAmps, is rather sensitive to power supply noise.
     
    APEXHiFi, Aug 3, 2024
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  5. APEXHiFi

    lawrence001

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    I bought a da capo but sadly after a few minutes after switch on it made a noise (usual capacitor issue) so I had to send it back. When it worked though it was sublime and I wish I could find a working one.
     
    lawrence001, Sep 2, 2024
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  6. APEXHiFi

    APEXHiFi

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    Keep looking! They do come up on eBay every now and again and it's worth it.
     
    APEXHiFi, Sep 2, 2024
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