SOtM sMS-200 Neo Upgrade - DIY Capacitor Details

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I bought the original sMS-200, and then upgraded to the Ultra as soon as it came out.  When the Neo version was released I couldn't bring myself to buy yet another new model device, nor was I keen on shipping my unit away for an extended period to have the Neo upgrade performed.  Initially, the details of Neo hardware changes were scarce, but later it became known that it was a capacitor change on the power supply input board.  It took some time, but I was able to find the specifics of the Neo capacitor, and I also researched couple of other alternatives which may be easier to obtain, and quite possibly be better capacitors.  I'm posting this here in case other owners are interested in the upgrade for themselves.   It should go without saying, but opening your own SOTM device will probably void the warranty, and if you don't have a reasonable amount of experience with a soldering iron, you could easily damage your device.  

 

To cut to the chase: the Neo devices use a 3300uf 25v cap in place of the 2200uf 25v cap that is in the original models.  Below are the complete details of the original caps along with some alternatives.

 

A) Elna Tonerex 2200uf 25v – The original non-Neo Cap

This is a high-quality capacitor from a respected Japanese manufacturer, and it has less capacitance than what is used in the Neo.  I was unable to locate the datasheet for this particular capacitor, but Elna markets Tonerex branded caps for audio applications.

 

B) Nichicon Gold Tune KG 3300uf 25v – A good alternative cap choice for someone who wants to upgrade their SMS-200 to Neo electrical spec.

https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/647-LKG1E332MESZAK

This is high quality audio grade cap from a premiere Japanese cap manufacturer that is the correct value for the Neo upgrade.  The nice thing about this cap is that it is a direct fit for the SMS-200 board (“snap-in” solder leads with 10mm spacing).  The datasheet for this cap indicates it was designed for high quality audio power supply applications.

 

C) Samyoung KMG 3300uf 25v – The cap SOTM uses in Neo products 

SOTM uses this cap if you pay SOTM for the $30 Neo upgrade.  I don’t know how to source this cap aside from SOTM Dealers.  Samyoung is a Korean capacitor manufacturer whose products are used throughout the SMS-200 and other SOTM products.  The main downside to this cap is that it’s lead spacing is tighter than the original Elna, so it won’t sit flat on the board; hot glue or silicon can be used to secure it in place before soldering.  The datasheet for this cap indicates that it's a general use cap, so no fancy pedigree here.

 

D)  Kemet PEG226 3300uf 25v – An alternative choice that could be similar or the same as the SOTM “Evox Upgrade”

https://www.mouser.ca/ProductDetail/80-PEG226HJ4330QE1

This is a very high-quality capacitor which was previously sold under the Evox Riva brand (Kemet bought the company).  SOTM offers an upgrade for $100 USD that is referred to as the "Evox" capacitor upgrade.  I have observed that SOTM has used Evox PEG224 series capacitors for power supply filtering in some of their other products, so it stands to reason that they are using something similar in the Neo Evox upgrade, however this is speculation on my part.  The PEG226 is basically a super duty capacitor designed for high ripple current applications and harsh physical environments.  This cap is an axial form factor instead of radial, so some minor contortions are required to install it.  Due to the bare exterior of the body, I recommend covering both the leads and the body with heat-shink to ensure it cannot short out against any nearby components.

 

 

I went with option D, as shown above.  I secured the cap in place with 3M thermal adhesive.  I also used this opportunity to covert my device to 12V operation.   While it wasn't night and day, I do think my player is sounding better in it's new configuration. 

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4 hours ago, creativepart said:

PS. How do you change the SMS 200 to 12v rather than the 9V design.

The internal change is only required on Ultra models, as it pertains to the sCLK-10Ex clock board.  I'm attaching a picture that was provided previously by SOTM which shows the positions on the board you need to look for, along with pictures of my own boards (my SMS-200 ultra has rev 1.3 and my tx-USB ultra has rev 1.2). 

 

For rev 1.3 boards, you just need to remove one or two jumpers.  For version 1.2 it's necessary to remove a blob of solder that connects two solder tabs on the board labelled as R342.  I highlighted jumpers with red circles, and the solder points with blue.

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Sorry for the late reply. 

 

If you're handy then I'd go with the Kemet, but the Nichicon is a much cleaner fit. 

 

That's a good question about which electrical qualities matter most.  The Kemet is rated to handle very high ripple, but unless you're powering your SMS-200 with a super crappy power supply, that isn't likely to be needed.  The original Elan Tonerex is an "audio grade" cap (a notion of which makes some electrical engineers cringe); generally audio caps have poorer overall specs than other series, and they usually physically larger.  The Kemet is the biggest, so maybe that's what matters most!

 

As for upgrading to a regular SMS-200 to Ultra, adding a tx-USBultra after your SMS-200 should get you the same results.  That said, I was surprised to discover that adding the tx-USBultra after my SMS-200ultra resulted in a significant improvement in my system.  

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1 hour ago, audiobomber said:

I asked a friend who builds amps for a rec on which cap to buy. He's had good luck with Nichicon and suggested this one:

https://www.partsconnexion.com/NICHICON-76223.html

 

All I had to do was bend the leads to fit it on the board, and sounds great. 

 

The Nichicon KA series cap you used is an excellent general use audio cap, but the Nichicon KG series cap that I listed in my original post is Nichicon's highest grade cap for this application.  The KG costs twice as much, but it's a direct fit on the board, and it's specifically made for high end audio power supplies.

 

Parts Connexion is great for boutique parts, but they only carry a small percentage of Nichicon's product catalog.   Digikey and Mouser offer significantly more choices, faster shipping, and better prices.  Anyone can order from Digikey and Mouser, and there's no minimum order.

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The factory cap is 25mm tall, and that Mundorf appears to be 50mm tall and 35mm wide (https://www.mundorf.com/audio/en/shop/capacitors/power_caps/mlytic_ag/MLytic-AG/?card=2481), so I don't think it will fit even if you extend the leads and put it sideways. 

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11 minutes ago, Ricardo007 said:

Any tip to modify to SE status SotM master clock and Txusb ultra ? 

Does thé SMS 200 ultra  mods above apply ? 

 

The filter cap in the power input board is only applicable on the SMS-200 and SMS-200 Ultra.  That cap is the only difference between the later Neo models and the originals.

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The USB-TXultra does not have a similar cap, the power goes straight from the power input board to the clock board.  Since SOTM doesn't make a "Neo" version of the USB-TXultra, so it's going to be hard to replicate one.

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I pondered this before I sold my SOTM stuff (which was probably a mistake on my part).  The little reddish colored film caps that are populated throughout SOTM devices could be swapped out for an equivalent Evox cap (they are blue in color).  It would be great if someone with one of the factory upgraded units could post of photos of the internals.  

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My friend got a couple of the Samyoung caps from his SOTM dealer.  Once I saw the "Neo upgrade" involved removing a Elna audio grade for a 2nd Tier brand I decided to find something more interesting.  I recommend buying the Nichicon Gold Tune KG 3300uf 25v, but you're not going to find it from a Canadian source.  The Audio Note mentioned elsewhere in this thread can be sourced from Parts Connexion in Canada.  

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25 minutes ago, NellyWhads said:

 

I found the 4700uF one @ Parts Connexion: https://www.partsconnexion.com/NICHICON-74416.html

 

I know the Audio Note that was suggested in this thread was also 4700uF, so should this also be okay?

Good, ordering from Parts Connexion should work out well.  I suspect the Audio Note cap is just fine, and even if doesn't sound any better, it will definitely give you bragging rights!

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5 minutes ago, creativepart said:

I'm finally getting around to this upgrade. It will be my first such cap change. In watching YouTubes on this process I see mention of + and - leads. These caps look different than those in the videos... do I need to mind this polarity? I assume I do.

 

Some caps have a stripe to denote the negative side of the cap. I ordered the Nichicon Gold Tune KG 3300uf 25v caps... will the polarity be easy to recognize?

 

Sorry for the very newbie question. Just asking before I get into this project.

Virtually all electrolytic capacitors have clearly marked polarity, and you're going to have a bad time if you get it wrong.  It's standard for caps to have a stripe that denotes the negative side, and typically that stripe has negative symbols "-" running down the stripe.  The only exception are non-polar electrolytic capacitors which are not very common and are typically identified by "NP" as well as a lack of polarity markings.  Always take photos of the board you are working on so you can easily see the polarity of the original caps; the holes in the circuit boards that the cap leads solder to are normally labelled + and -, however it's not unheard of those labels to be backwards.  (I thought this was little more than an urban legend until it happened to me.)