[Review] Mf Xdacv3 & X10v3 Modified By Zanash

Well done, Pekka. Brilliant job.

I'm just about to embark on my own mods, and seeing other people out there successfully upgrading the X-DAC just encourages me even more. My mods will be pretty similar to your's, only on the output stage I'm going to use some huge military spec PIO caps, which come highly recommended from Zanash and others. I'm also going to try the silver hook-up wire and see what happens.

Again, great job.

Fergus

 

Thanks Fergus,

Yes PIO caps are probably excellent and I considered them as well. However having already HDAMs, I was running out of space and therefore opted for smaller Auricaps. Also I could not get silver wire easily so I just used Supra interconnect cable and 75ohm teflon insulated copper/silver coax for SPDIF.

Good luck with your project!

- Pekka

 

If you need any silver in ptfe just pm

 

I have read very good reviews about OPA 627.

Anybody tested OPA 627 replacing NE5532 with w/o changing the caps and resistors?

hidac

 

No

but swapping other opams for the same, you can hear the difference but for me the overriding influence on the sound is down to the caps used. Yes the opamps make difference but fitting schottky diodes does to ....I tend to change the opamps last as these can alter the flavour of the sound rather than the level of detail [bass treble imaging etc].

 

Trying to get everything together for the X-DAC V3 mods. Got most of the caps (PANASONIC FCs) and of course the superb Russian PIOs. However, can't get my hands on WIMA 1uF/63v to bypass the electrolytics (Rapid are out of stock). Has anybody out there got any for sale?

I've made the diode bridge from Zanash's recommended 11DQ10s. Also can't get my hands on a good resistor (Dale-Vishay or Audionote) to replace at two points in the ouput.

Fergus

 

pm me I've a loads of wimas and may be suitable resistors !

 

Guys, please stop bringing disputes from other forums here. You know it's against the AUP.

Edit: I've deleted some posts for breaking the AUP.

 

Thanks Dev !

 

Haven't got to do any X-DAC mods yet. Bad year: father became very ill and died. Anyway, my mind has recently turned to the mods posted here by Zanash. I opened the DAC today, and while certain mods are within my capabilities - the PSU caps, the diode bridge, the output caps - there are other mods that are just beyond me: the replacement of caps around the DAC chips and the installing of the sockets for the op-amps. Very thin tracks which could lift very easily.

I'll simply do the mods I'm capable off. I started today with the damping of the case with some bitumen supplied by Zanash. Just had enough for the bottom and sides, and I also "damped" the DAC chips. I though when Zanash said there would be sonic benefits, I kind of didn't believe him. But I must say I was wrong: the sound is not as "thin" as it was before, more meaty with better detail. Very pleased.

I'll try and source some more of the bitumen sheets to damp the rest of the case, as well as the front and back of the DAC.

 

hi, i do personally modifie M.F. kits but only to my old cusstomers, i do not want to step in anyones toes,nando.

 

Another couple of op-amps that may be good in the X-DAC V3 are the LM4562 and the THS4032.

Any comments anyone?

 

Bottled out of modding the X-DAC V3 by myself, to many thin PCB tracks to be lifted by clumsy, incompetent hands. I've sent it to Zanash to work as he has the experience and expertise. The mods will follow those done to Stellabagpuss's DAC, PSU caps, PIOs fitted to the output, Schottky diodes replacing the horrible bridge rectifier, and 2 of the stock NE5532 op-amps upgraded to OPA2604s. According to Stellabagpuss, these op-amps sound good in the X-DAC, but he also says that the AD826 is better. I have a couple of these to try some time down the line.

I was wondering if there would be any point damping the case of the X-PSU V3? It brought about some very good sound improvements to the X-DAC, so I was thinking would it do the same to the X-PSU?

 

try 1000va transformer, i wont tell you what caps, BG'S, nando.

 

Zanash also damped my case, which is probably something I forgot to mention,like all little mods,they all add up.

The only mod, that you can do, and I've done it to my XPSUV3 is simply, get rid of the juction box that joins the transfomer to the IEC mains socket, and replace the bog standard mains wire and solder together with 4N silver wire direct back to the IEC socket, and taking the juction box out of the circuit, again this is a small upgrade, and I had some spare silver hanging around,just a case of simple re-wiring.

 

Nando's not wrong ....but I'd leave the BG's out I find them good but they take months to get going , then when you switch off and on again you hasve to start all over again ...I like stargets not as good but have a constant level of performance.

Didn't you swap the power cord to a silver one ?

Be careful damping the psu as it can get hot ..damping normally insulates as well ....

 

I have had my Zanash modded X-DAC V3 back for a few days now, getting myself acquainted with the "new" sound. It actually arrived on Friday, so when I came home from work I plugged it in and started to listen. Initial impressions were good: the sound seemed richer, deeper, more full-bodied than the stock DAC which sound thin and harsh in comparison. But I could not perceive any extra detail, clarity or significantly better dynamics.

I left the DAC to warm up for a few hours and then returned for another listen. Big improvement: to the richness and deepness was added a wonderful fluidity and openess, a sound packed with detail - little delicacies and indeed whole threads of music I had never heard before. The dynamics also appeared considerably better, as did separation.

As the days passed, prolonged listening proved fascinating and highly enjoyable: each delicate detail was not only beautifully portrayed in its own right, but you also got the resonance of that detail, not only a string being plucked but the echo of that sound reverberating around the room. In other words, realism like the X-DAC V3 never had.

I love the sound of my "new" X-DAC V3. It combines everything I like: richness, depth, yet with all the openess, clarity and detail you could possibly want. I cannot see a down-side, honestly. I do not know how this DAC would compare with more expensive ones, but to my ears it sounds utterly fantastic. Be interesting to compare it with something like a TRI-VISTA?

 

Have to say It's the best one I've done ..but oddly I've done nothing different . That suggests it could have a been a good one to start with. It was definately better than my src and quad99[as a dac] it was just a shame I had to return it !

 

I'm glad you finally got it modded Fergus,my XDACV3 that Zanash did is still singing away,and TBH it will be along time before I change my DAC...like yourself...I'm happy

 

Thanks, Stellabagpuss, and it's thanks to you that I was even aware of Zanash's mods to the X-DAC V3. In the future I'm going to experiment with some op-amps. I think you're running AD826s, and I want to try those, as well as the LM4562 and the THS4032. So we'll see what the furture brings, but I won't be changing my DAC any time soon.