@jkrichards, what temperature setting did you use on the FR-301 for the transformer solder pads?
I’d always wanted one of these things, so I figured - if this wasn’t a good excuse to buy one, then what would be? 
about 800 f. 2.5 on the temp wheel.
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I had a surprising experience today with another story aside of what happens on the usual market.
I have to start, that my original standard DS was first modd’ed like all my gear with a method on molecular and other non parts exchanging basis and without adding anything physical to it. I can’t tell much more about it than I have in my profile. This made it very noticeably better in many regards, mainly air/3D, liveliness, bass and prat.
I then added the Farad external PSU, the bigger output transformers and the Stillpoints ERS material for noise suppression. This again made it much better.
Today I had a chance to compare it in an absolute reference setup I regularly have a chance to hear to an original DS without external PSU and with original transformers. This DS is just more extensively treated with the first measure I mentioned. Same cabling etc. certainly.
While it was clearly noticeable how much my DS improved against the previous status, the other one sounded clearly more dynamic, lively and also even more 3D in voices with no other shortcomings. Remind: this was a standard DS in terms of parts, even with the standard fuse.
It made me aware again, that I listen to a very different quality than the standard one since the beginning and I was surprised that there are ways to improve equipment much over other serious parts upgrades. Crazy to imagine how that DS would improve with them.
I tell you, in the unofficial audio world, a lot of strange things happen, that make you wonder what matters most and what the normal audio world is bothered with. But I have to add that this tuning method would be unaffordable on the market and not mass product suited.
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Quite cryptic this special tuning you reference? And why if your unmodified DS that was specially tuned and this even more specially tuned were not in the same league.
Why does it cost so much and what is its secret sauce? Is it external, cryo treatment to components, added circuits , tuning bullets, kryptonite placements, holy water, or angel tears? How is it still unmodified if specially tuned?
It’s not cryogenic treatment but you can guess from cryo’s non touching, non visible physical impact, how non physical it is, too. It’s more complex, extensive and impactful. Imagine you could melt (the more the better) the molecular structure of all conductors to a more or less continuous piece and what kind of apparatus you’d need for that. Can’t tell more but all this might give a rough imagination of all circumstances. And there’s more than that. It’s in a similar way above what we understand (but again more complex) than the activated material (often glass) some might know from some Hi-Fi shows (it’s on the market) and which strongly improves air and ambient acoustics in the audio room when being placed in the room or on equipment… Fascinating stuff…and I admit it sounds cryptic.
Starting to sound like the Bear Stanley Owlsley Sound Man from Grateful Dead Dropping Acid and seeing the music notes coming out of the speakers in The Wall of Sound.
BTW I loved that story and bet he did see the notes.
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Yeah, must sound like talking about x-raying back in the 17th century or like telling half of the audio world that cables or fuses matter 
BTW: part of the difference probably is, that the new output transformers and the PSU are not treated yet again at least to the previous level.
If you want to read about something different but in a similar way hardly imaginable, still working in a fascinating way, you can use the google translate button further down:
Just to disturb a little more:
One of the basics for the last example of unbelievable audio upgrades is the following:
Prof.Dr.Ing.K.Meyl: Physical basics for information processing in humans
Variants of the audio applications are also used in health matters. There’s some strange stuff going on in audio. And if you join a presentation of the audio technology, you immediately hear a big difference in realistic imaging and ambiance.
I’m not doing marketing for them, I don’t even use those (but I heard it a few times at shows), it’s just a public example of such strange things.
I saw the notes too!!!
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Meyl is a crackpot. They kicked him out of a german university, not allowing him anymore to publish in the name of that university. Take his theories with a beach full of grains of salt.
That’s interesting! I just mentioned it because it’s probably among the weirdest things in audio (which work). All I can say is that those products based on his theory, when at a show put in a room or on equipment with no other changes, have an effect, easily 10 times of a firmware upgrade
Why I don’t use them? I already have enough other stuff with similar effects and didn’t personally try those activators at home yet But admittedly, carrying some informed glass or stone or other items in an audio room and rising air around instruments to a very noticeable degree is attractive.
Peter Belt here in the UK (back in the day) is worth checking out, if your of a certain Ilk,
though to me his stuff screams of the “Death of Expertise”
I’m actually the opposite to be honest…that’s why I favor radar technology based active RF and other noise and EMI protection and ok…optimizing the whole signal conductor path also made sense to me.
But I’m not into voodoo. However if someone tells me a record, treated with a Shakespeare poem sounds better, demonstrates it and it really does…I’m still impressed
Coming back to the HW facts of this thread, I today finalized my upgrade impression of the transformer, the PSU and the Stillpoints ERS sheets modifications. Finalizing today because just by then I received the same Audio Horizons Platnum Reference fuse for the Farad, which I use all around and which supplied (and still does) the original internal PSU.
So far after those modifications, the Farad PSU first had the standard fuse, then I put in a spare medium priced Audio Magic SHD beeswax fuse, which brought a part of the previous AH performance. But once more the Audio Horizons makes a tremendous improvement over it Against the standard fuse I’d say even more than the transformer or the PSU upgrade. I can just once more pronounce the importance of using a high quality fuse. In my chain the AH sounds even a bit more 3 dimensional than the SR Orange at a lower price and with no other disadvantage and more clearly better than even the high priced Audio Magic fuses. Enough about fuses, but I’m again very impressed, even if it’s not fully burned in yet.
Finally all the above upgrades made the DS sound so much more palpable, airy, fast and controlled , dynamic as well as expansive in atmosphere and authority, that I’m extremely happy with it after 7 years again, just as with a much improved DAC of the same character, paying not much more than 1k for the whole upgrade path. The most developing and effective digital product I can imagine. Like that, still in for highest demands. For all who don’t have a preference of frequently switching gear, I can’t think of a better recommendation than a Ted/PSA DAC.
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Same here!
Didn’t mean to imply anything on your methods, open minded here too and in modding equipment I’ve tried all sorts of things. 
Great your ways are working out, good job Sir.
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In the process of modding my DS Dac too, have the Edcor transformers here but not fitted yet.
I’ve put in a SR Orange fuse which was a nice step up in sound, and have Stillpoints ERS cloth, which will be my next mod.
No rush here!
Jazznut,
If I can ask,
Where did you apply the ERS cloth inside your dac for best effect?
Thanks.
Hi gaz, all positions Ted recommended somewhere prior in the thread and repeated by some. SR Orange are very good, too.
Cheers Fella,
I’ll have a rummage around, and compile a “to-do” list. 
Below the connector of the two boards there‘s one or two more which were mentioned. And the whole digital board is covered from below.
Correcting comments from Ted welcome!
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Did you use a pass through chassis connector to DC power cable to your external Linear Power Supply. Surprised you did sot wrap the internal DC lines further with EMI/RF absorption or use a star quad internal. Regardless I am happy you are pleased with the results as was I.