The true experimental tweak thread

[sandyk]

Just now, TubeMan said:

I run 4 of  them with a 1000uf ELAN on output sid with very good result,

 

 

Does the sound seem a little better balanced overall ?

[Solid-State]

3 hours ago, sig8 said:

Do the green screw connectors which sit on pcb come with the board you or you have to buy them separately? What are they called and where do you buy them if need to buy separately; Amazon, Digikey? Thanks.

the green screw connectors, are included

[Cornan]

3 hours ago, sig8 said:

Do the green screw connectors which sit on pcb come with the board you or you have to buy them separately? What are they called and where do you buy them if need to buy separately; Amazon, Digikey? Thanks.

 

If you buy them from Alexey on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/LT3045-S-Ultralow-noise-0-8µVrms-LDO-linear-regulator-0V-15V-500mA-Fixed-out/252951737282?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 he can solder the parts together for you. I can recommend it this since his solder joins was impeccable on my boards. I could never have done it that good myself.

[Solid-State]

1 minute ago, sandyk said:

 

 

Does the sound seem a little better balanced overall ?

yes I think so,

I sound more relaxed and natural,
much of the digital USB hardness disappears
For me the ELNA Silmic sound best, 
Nichicon FW Gold has a more sharper profile,

 

I'm waiting for my Audio Note arrive from supplier  

 

 

[tapatrick]

10 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Really great to hear Patrick! ? This is what it is all about. Finding happiness in the music. Thanks for your great tips. I am really looking forward to receive the BluWave now. 

 

Luckily I've got a turntable. You're welcome to my place and flip vinyl records any day! ?

Thanks Michael! I’m all digital now , no going back as it’s coming of age with current breakthroughs...

[Cornan]

7 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

Thanks Michael! I’m all digital now , no going back as it’s coming of age with current breakthroughs...

 

True, but vinyl have it´s own reasons for existing (partly quoting Einstein)!   It brings back all those memories and still have a certain way to dig out hidden feelings from the groove.

[tapatrick]

10 hours ago, sandyk said:

 

While lower noise into Regs like these is always beneficial, what is more beneficial is a VERY low output impedance combined with low noise over a wider bandwidth than most generic voltage regulators are capable of.

I would expect that a 1A LT3045 with it's parallel LT3045s, could sound a little better than a single 500mA LT3045 when supplied via a Pre Regulator or fairly low noise power source when powering a device that needed <500mA .

So far, I have only seen brief specifications for the LT3045 , but it could be worthwhile trying them with a larger value electro connected across their output if their specs permit this. The LT 3045 would be designed more for powering low current devices needing a very low noise PSU. They could be ideal for things like Phono Preamps and Preamps needing no more than a +15V supply.

Thanks Sandyk

I have a mixture of 500ma and 1amp boards, the 1amps which have 2 regs per board are also much better value.

I presume the benefits being heard are for the exact reason you state - that usb chain devices are low current devices needing low noise psu to shine. 

I don’t know enough about this but can you explain more about how to add a larger value electro across output of reg. would it be a matter of just adding this or would other work neeed to be done to compensate for components already on the boards?

[tapatrick]

10 hours ago, sandyk said:

 

 

Too expensive ?

For me the aim is bang for buck. There are many great caps to use with stratospheric prices. No doubt they would add benefit. For £120 approx I have a psu setup with the modded Teradak DC30W that is incredible value AND quality with long life.. (It’s not just about the value) Would be very curious of course to see what would happen with mundorfs or likewise. 

[tapatrick]

7 hours ago, sandyk said:

Guys

 Just remember that the 1A LT3045 PCB is designed for a maximum of 1A, and should not be run at this current , except for short term peaks. It may also need additional heat sinking of the LT3045s when run at fairly high constant currents, unless there is only a quite low voltage differential between Input and Output. e.g. 500mV.

However, when running at such a low Input-Output voltage differential, you may also need to take into account any momentary sags in  output voltage of the PSU supplying it under short term current "spikes"

 

Alex

Yes good to take this into consideration. However my Aqvox switch also states 5v 1a (and I use the 7>5v 1a boards) but as tested by Cornan I doesn’t run anywhere near 1a in practice. 

[Cornan]

6 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

Yes good to take this into consideration. However my Aqvox switch also states 5v 1a (and I use the 7>5v 1a boards) but as tested by Cornan I doesn’t run anywhere near 1a in practice. 

 

I have monitored the Aqvox switch for a long time and with Tidal as source it have never exceeded 320mA. I actually started to monitor the Aries Mini which according to Auralic requires 1,2A. I´ve not seen it exceed 420 mA so far, so I guess a pair of LT3045´s would have worked just fine. Anyway, I will see how the LM317 turns out now when I have the parts in house.

[tapatrick]

5 hours ago, sig8 said:

Do the green screw connectors which sit on pcb come with the board you or you have to buy them separately? What are they called and where do you buy them if need to buy separately; Amazon, Digikey? Thanks.

they should come with boards plus the little 3 pin bridge which you have to solder in place or you can ask Alexey to add them for you first.

 

I bought a bunch of these 2 pin ones to have spare:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-or-3-Pin-5-08mm-2-54mm-X-2-Pitch-PCB-Mount-Screw-Terminal-Block-Connector-UK/262607754486?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=561495519649&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

[tapatrick]

2 hours ago, TubeMan said:

I'm waiting for my Audio Note arrive from supplier  

 

 

Nice, you are not called Tubeman for nothing...:)

 I've been looking at the Audionote amps , What are you getting?

[sandyk]

38 minutes ago, tapatrick said:

I don’t know enough about this but can you explain more about how to add a larger value electro across output of reg. would it be a matter of just adding this or would other work neeed to be done to compensate for components already on the boards?

 

Quote

Given the high PSRR and low noise performance attained

using a single 10μF ceramic output capacitor, larger values

of output capacitor only marginally improves the performance

because the regulator bandwidth decreases with

increasing output capacitance — hence, there is little to

be gained by using larger than the minimum 10μF output

capacitor. Nonetheless, larger values of output capacitance

do decrease peak output deviations during a load transient.

Note that bypass capacitors used to decouple individual

components powered by the LT3045 increase the effective

output capacitance . -  LT3045 Data Sheet  p.16

As stated here, the device being powered will also have additional capacitance which then  appears at the output of the LT3045, or could be added to the powered device.

Many E.E.s are fixated by measurements, and may not always verify that the device being powered will sound optimum with Audio !

 An example of this was the AD8065 I.C. where they recommended ceramic bypass capacitors. This may have been fine for a single AD8065, but when 2 stages used them, I found that  the sound became "hard" sounding. I found that mixing a combination of ceramic and normal capacitors sounded far more natural. with these I.C.s

 

Alex

[tapatrick]

2 hours ago, TubeMan said:

yes I think so,

I sound more relaxed and natural,
much of the digital USB hardness disappears
For me the ELNA Silmic sound best, 
Nichicon FW Gold has a more sharper profile,

 

I'm waiting for my Audio Note arrive from supplier  

 

 

Hi Tubeman  could you post a pic to show how you have wired your board with the Elnas. I'm just putting my usb chain with all my boards into a case and would like to try the added caps as well.

[Cornan]

Here is a music tip for a relaxed music session!

 

Kommode - Analogue Dance Music

 

https://tidal.com/album/76989744

 

Here is a Youtube video if you want a little taste of what it is all about. I love this!

 

 

 

[Cornan]

Here is another great album!

 

Phoebe Bridgers - Strangers In The Alps

https://tidal.com/album/77731649

 

 

And a little taste.

 

 

 

[Cornan]

Just one more that I am currently are listening to on my way back and forward to work.

 

LCD Soundsystem - American Dream

https://tidal.com/album/77922239

 

 

 

 

[mozes]

7 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Thanks Moussa! ?

There is no doubt that the corrected grounding paths was like cleaning the dirty reading glasses. Now ISO Regen sounds just great however I use it (GI on or off). Clearly a loop going into the IR. That loops seemed to make my system very sensitive and gave me double messages in terms of SQ. Grounding is really one of the fundamental things that needs to be right for a system to bloom. Lesson learned! ?

 

After cleaning the IR goggles there is no doubt that the LT3045's in series is an awesome upgrade and that my new USB cable is quite a bit better than Elijah Audio K-Lite in my setup.

 

The PSD have clearly improved things, but I'll need to swap it back to know in detail what those differences are. Deeper and tighter sound stage is however clearly a contribution. It also feels more relaxed. I am sure there is more to it, but I'll need to make that swap to know for sure.

Great learnings no doubt. I have found that grounding is very rewarding when you get it right, but it takes a lot of trial and error

[Cornan]

Just now, mozes said:

Great learnings no doubt. I have found that grounding is very rewarding when you get it right, but it takes a lot of trial and error

 

Yeah, I´ve been grounding my stuff since early 2011. Starting with my clumsy DIY grounding box attempts. Still I make misstakes that I ought to know by now. Grounding is hugely beneficial, but is a real pain to tame sometimes since the little buggers always want to run home all the time!

 

[BigGuy]

I believe Cornan was the one who posted the article by Tony Waldron which was interesting.  In the References an earlier 2-part article is also mentioned which may be even more valuable tho' I have not read them as yet...

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://t-sato.in.coocan.jp/emcj/0209-101-j.html&prev=search

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://t-sato.in.coocan.jp/emcj/0209-101-j.html&prev=search

[Solid-State]

6 hours ago, tapatrick said:

Hi Tubeman  could you post a pic to show how you have wired your board with the Elnas. I'm just putting my usb chain with all my boards into a case and would like to try the added caps as well.

it's nothing special,
just parallel to outgoing cables

[Solid-State]

7 hours ago, tapatrick said:

Nice, you are not called Tubeman for nothing...:)

 I've been looking at the Audionote amps , What are you getting?

1000uf caps,

 

 

I have EAR Yoshino Preamp and Amplifier, DAC/CD

[Forehaven]

3 hours ago, Cornan said:

 

Yeah, I´ve been grounding my stuff since early 2011. Starting with my clumsy DIY grounding box attempts. Still I make misstakes that I ought to know by now. Grounding is hugely beneficial, but is a real pain to tame sometimes since the little buggers always want to run home all the time!

 

Did you ever work out an affordable diy box Cornan?

[Cornan]

1 hour ago, Forehaven said:

Did you ever work out an affordable diy box Cornan?

 

What I realised with all my attempts was that Entreq is not at all expensive. Tourmaline stones, clear quartz and silver of good quality is not cheap by any means. I also realised that I never came close to the real deal. My best version so far is a combination of a battery grounder and tourmaline grounder inside a silver box. It is actually better than the Aucharm box IMHO, but not to Entreq Minimus.

 

A battery grounder is however quite cheap to do! ?

[Cornan]

So, today I got the DC sockets and could finalize my LM317 project for my Aries Mini.

 

 

Before I installed it I set the voltages correctly with 16,5v on the Gophert csp-3205II and 14v output on the LM317.

 

 

Added it to my Aries Mini and started to listen.

 

 

Quite nice sound stage with a very natural and relaxed sound. Great bass notes and dynamic voices. A tiny bit hard straight up, but I guess this will improve with some burn-in.

 

I will listen some more and post my impressions when they are fully burn-in, but my ears already like a lot what they hear. A big thanks to @TubeMan for this tip! ?