Modding the DirectStream DAC MKI

Your Crazy! :wink:

2 Likes

For those who have sent Wayne their analog boards for a transformer swap, what carrier (USPS, FedEx, UPS, ???) did you use and how much did you insure it for? In my case Baltimore->Atlanta-> Baltimore.

Thanks,
Mike

Well I got a Level 2 Silver cable in from The Netherlands to try with my Farad Super3 from the Super3 into the analog power board of the DSD. . . and it does not have the correct connectors. Sigh.

Meantime I am running the DAC without the Farad Super3. . . and I like it. A lot. The Edcor transformers are great, and thereā€™s a warmth without the Super3 I missed.

1 Like

Had exactly the same experience with the Stillpoints fabric.

Left in a couple of weeks to get used to new sound, but the magic and ā€œsnap of realityā€ wasnt there.

removed it from the transformers and it came back.

3 Likes

Also removed the 3M absorber from the Audio Transformers and indeed the sound does seem more open and lively without it. We live and learn. The foil already on the transformers seems to do the trick.

Ok, got the 3M and did it.

I compared transformers covered with Stillpoints vs. transformers covered with 3M vs. no add. transformer cover.

Result:
3M very noticeably limits air, decay and extension on top end, Stillpoints ERS does less so but still does. Without add. transformer cover definitely sounds more open and airy. Strongly recommended to leave add. transformer cover off.

For all who want to try, I used the first minutes of this track for evaluation:

I tried to add 3M additionally to some other Stillpoints applications I made and it got even better. I didnā€™t make more tests how Stillpoints compares to 3M at other places, I just checked if add. 3M helps and it did as probably double 3M or double Stillpoints would.
So finally I will put 3M on top of my other Stillpoints applications.

For checking the add. 3M effects I used this track for holographic/ambiance evaluation:

3 Likes

Thanks for the update. Did you do testing with top lid on DAC for all comparing? I ask only because a sealed lid would be worst case.

Thanks

No I tested with open lid. I also thought about what difference it could make but that would have been too much effort. The result was quite clear.

2 Likes

Interestingā€¦
Tempted to open up my Dac againā€¦ :grimacing:

THEORY?
If your transformer shenanigans proved that the 3M was more ā€œinvasiveā€ than the Stillpoints, yet adding 3M OVER THE TOP of existing Stillpoints application was betterā€¦

Wonder what doubling up the Stillpoints might do?

Where should the lps added for the analog card get its energy from?
1 or 2
Note: In option 2, passive analog fuse is used.

WhatsApp Image 2022-03-05 at 21.36.40

I think only the transformer placement option is critical. Everywhere else more is theoretically better until enough is enough.

I think no further worrying is meaningful except leaving the transformers blank on resolving setups. Many might not hear a change, thatā€™s why I mentioned the test tracks.

Iā€™m not knowledgeable about the reason but I guess transformers are sensible for shielding or too much shielding and the 3M have an add. shielding feature Stillpoints ERS has not.

1 Like

Could you give the address of the socket for the lps connection again? I had a problem with shipping.
Thank you.
@yuriy

Okay, last time I bore someone with my own personal journey of maximizing the sound quality from the modded DSD with the Super3 and analog power supply boardā€“I found the sweetest of the sweet spots by placing one VooDoo Cable Iso-Pod under the Super3 and using the PS Audio xStream Premier SC power cable to the Super3. The power cable choice would be system dependent, but the Iso-Pod really influenced the sound with a nice improvement in dynamic contrast and soundstage width, and that ā€œsilver grayā€ sound is gone.

2 Likes

24 Iso Pods at last count. As you say, they seem to clean things up.

2 Likes

No good news from my side. After the positive effect removing the 3M and ERS from the transformers, I put 3M on top of the ERS everywhere else on the places discussed all the way before.

After listening to the overall result I noticed no further improvement but rather the opposite, mainly some muddy deep bass.

In my trial so far I found out that especially putting add. 3M ontop of the three small chips near the copper foil at the top of the image (this one shows my initial ERS fitting), made the deep bass muddier and reduced the definition in the midrange. However some might welcome the slightly ā€žbiggerā€œ rendering of the midrange. For me it was clearly worse in bass, so only ERS on those chips for me.

Iā€™m still experimenting with the further places, but what I can say so far is: donā€™t use 3M (or maybe shielding/damping generally) without listening carefully!

I have no technical explanation for the effect on those chips, but maybe leaving the radiation within the chips by using the 3M shielding feature, isnā€™t good either in all cases.

I will post when I finished what to keep or not. 3M on the display card and Bridge daughter board didnā€™t harm sound.

image

3 Likes

It has been so long I donā€™t recall direct ICs i applied to. I do recall Tedā€™s suggestions were quite descriptive and I stuck to those Some of the pieces you cut might have been overhanging past the J leads too much and impingement above SMT capacitors. I do know you have to watch getting on top of surface mount capacitors or you can indeed muddy the sound. I read somewhere that absorber near capacitors it can alter circuit inductance or might have been impedance.

I found that out when performing placements of AB7050HF elsewhere in the streaming chain.

Good advice thanks for sharing!

My 3M sheet just had the square size to cover all the 3 small ERS parts. But this means a few other semiconductors are covered. Are they caps?

I tried to zoom in near the copper foil. They could be small caps or film resistors getting a bit of overlap past the outside edges of those chips. It is tough to trim and stick. One would have to see what the PWB identified goes there or a schematic. Ted would know.

Iā€™m sorry. If thereā€™s a question there I donā€™t know what it is :slight_smile: Either a picture with something circled, etc. or some reference designators might narrow my focus.

1 Like

I believe the area around these three components covered in absorber but slightly overlapping.