Jeff, wait. This modded MkI will be in a room at AXPONA?
3 Likes
Yesā¦
1 Like
Wow, cool. are you guys presenting or is another person using it in their room to show off other stuff?
1 Like
Yes
1 Like
Now that is awesome and genius. Well done Jeff and Son!!!
1 Like
It is actually not necessary to use cheater plug. Many streamers use simple 2 pin SMPS - e.g. without earth connection. I think this might cause difference in zero potentials between devices which is normally taken into care by ground connection between devices.
Maybe (most probably) Iām missing something here, but unfortunately specifically with USB I have seen couple of times electrical spark when connecting some device on SMPS (even pricy one from Chord) into audio chain - in one case it killed DAC USB chip, in other cases ānothing happenedā 
. I have never seen any spark when connecting powered USB devices on proper grounded (3-pin) LPS (my default setup),
I guess that is why it is always advised to make connections only with devices powered off - besides removing chance of shorting, maybe also to allow devices potential to be equalized?
It could be as you say. Iāll note however that the streamer which blew a fuse earlier in this topic has a full linear PSU with a 3-pin AC power connector. And as reported the fuse blew when the MkII was turned on, not when the USB cable was inserted.
Actually something I have experienced myself is painfully high induced voltages in signal cables caused by having them run in close parallel with AC cables down the back of the cabinet. This would be worse in 230VAC countries like mine than in the USA but perhaps that could be a factor in what happened.
1 Like
Gosh. . . about 166 hours of playback with the MK2 . . . and it sounds pretty darned good. I am so tempted to put the Audio Magic M-1 tube I have had ready for this DAC a few months in. . . right now!
Must. . . resist . . . or maybe will resist.
3 Likes
Do it, it may sound even better!
1 Like
I probably should wait a hundred or two more hours. But. . . I may. Iāll see how the afternoon goes.
1 Like
I inadvertently shipped my MKI with the MI fuse in it when I swapped it fit the MKIl. Fortunately, this boneheaded move was reversed when the dealer kindly sent back the MI fuse. This gave me a week with the stock fuse in the MKII. When the MI was put back in, all was better and the combo improved even more down the road.
6 Likes
Right. My main hesitation is that the M-1 I have is brand new, yours was seasoned. Iām afraid to have two breaking in items in play . . . .
I may do it PDQ. Itās hard to let the fuse sit neglected.
Patience will be rewarded. My unsolicited advice is to wait for 500-600 hours. If you donāt wait, you wonāt know whatās changing.
4 Likes
Youāre right. I donāt have to know whatās changing as long as the changes are for the better, but Iām going to hold off.
I have changed out the fuse in all my equipment except I never did for my Mk I. . . so an upgraded fuse in the Mk2 will be a new experience.
1 Like
Having a child one of the things we tried to impart was self-control. I now realize that audiophiles, especially this lot, are terrible at self-control, myself most definitely included. Letās face it, we love toys, even if they are shaped like a fuse.
I am looking forward to following your evolving journey. Enjoy!
2 Likes
What Vince said. I donāt plan on doing a thing to my MkII until I know what itās doing for me. 
First thing this morning I lifted the ground on the XLR shell, and liked it enough, then lifted the ground on the output, and with what I was listening to then it seemed to offer an incredible sound stage and sound just a bit ābass light.ā As time went by and other discs spun. . .it became tarter and lighter sounding and I went back and restored those two grounds and the bass returned and Iām happier. I think for now Iāll just stick with lifting the ground to whichever I2S input I am using. . . only.
1 Like
You donāt want to be the first to investigate and experiment?
Not at the expense of knowing just what the DAC is doing for me once itās burned in. I think trying to add things, that themselves require time to do whatever theyāre going to do, before a component is fully settled is a little like playing whack-a-mole. But Iām an old fuddy duddy. 
1 Like
Letās just keep in mind that we need to take just one step at a time, or perhaps loose track of what weāve intended in the first place. 
Enjoy your burning in process!
2 Likes