SOtM sMS-200 Neo Upgrade - DIY Capacitor Details

[electrafixion]

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.  

[NellyWhads]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:45 AM, electrafixion said:

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

 

[...]

 

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

 

[...]

 

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

 

[...]

 

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

 

[...]

 

 

Being Canadian and seeing mouser.ca links here was a welcome surprise. Would you mind sharing how you sourced the Samyoung cap?

 

The Kemet looks mighty inviting considering the Evox (hypothetical) equivalency while costing a fraction compared to shipping my unit to the US for upgrade.

 

Are there any other canadian source-able "audio" caps you'd recommend for this mod? I've read through the other posts in this forum as well - just thought I'd bump in case new anecdotal evidence has been gathered.

 

Cheers,

Nelly

[electrafixion]

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.  

[NellyWhads]

2 hours ago, electrafixion said:

Nichicon Gold Tune KG 3300uf 25v

 

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?

[electrafixion]

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!

[NellyWhads]

Awesome, thanks

 

Considering the Nichon Gold Tune is only a dollar and change I'll probably order both, start with a clean stock sms200 demo for about a week, then switch to the Nichon for a week, and finally to the AN for another week to gauge differences.

 

As for the actual impact of the cap, I'm powering mine with the (now discontinued) battery power supply from SotM. In light of that information, do these changes seem moot? Or should I still expect some musical improvement?

[Scuba]

The capacitor has an impact regardless the source used to feed the SMS200.

I have used Panasonic FC, 3900 uF

[kostas6a3]

Hi Guys

On Friday I received the SOTM SMS 200 NEO to replace an Odroid C2 with the Volumio.
Does replacing the 3300μF / 25V capacitor make such a difference?
Thanks

[kostas6a3]

Do the other four electrolytic capacitors on the two boards (200μF & 470μF / 6,3V) need replacement?

Were they changed by anyone?

[NellyWhads]

 

5 hours ago, kostas6a3 said:

Do the other four electrolytic capacitors on the two boards (200μF & 470μF / 6,3V) need replacement?

Were they changed by anyone?

I done believe they have, but I'm in touch with SOtM. When they reach out about upgrade cap availability for me I'll be sure to ask them about the other caps on the power board as well.

[kostas6a3]

Has anyone used the eABS-200 on SMS-200 ΝΕΟ or some other similar material (3M etc)?

If so, where is this placed?

 

(Sorry for my bad English)

[NellyWhads]

On 3/11/2021 at 5:31 AM, kostas6a3 said:

Do the other four electrolytic capacitors on the two boards (200μF & 470μF / 6,3V) need replacement?

Were they changed by anyone?

SOtM says the other caps can be replaced if you like but the sound impact is significantly less audible compared to the Neo cap that is replaced.

 

 

46 minutes ago, kostas6a3 said:

Has anyone used the eABS-200 on SMS-200 ΝΕΟ or some other similar material (3M etc)?

If so, where is this placed?

 

(Sorry for my bad English)

I will be receiving some eABS-200 from SOtM as well to install inside the SMS-200 Neo. Right now, they have just suggested I line the inside of the chassis walls with it, and by using a small strip to cover the connectors of my USB cable (similar effect to a ferrite bead).

[kostas6a3]

Do you mean the connectors of the USB cable or the internal wiring of SOTM?

[kostas6a3]

On 10/26/2019 at 7:45 AM, electrafixion said:

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. 

I would like to ask what external power supply is used?
If there is an external linear power supply (such as SΒooster,  SOtM SPS 500, etc.) is a capacitor change required?

[NellyWhads]

1 hour ago, kostas6a3 said:

I would like to ask what external power supply is used?
If there is an external linear power supply (such as SΒooster,  SOtM SPS 500, etc.) is a capacitor change required?

This was also in my list of questions to ask SOtM.

 

They mentioned that the capacitor is still important because the SMS200 internally creates multiple voltage rails with a switching supply. That internal switching supply depends on this cap.

[rhale64l7]

Does anybody have a picture of a 200 ultra special edition  internals? I just bought a special edition 200 ultra neo. And supposedly it is supposed to have this ers cloth in it and I just had to take it apart and couldn't find any. Wondering what the deal is? I looked everywhere. It does have different wiring than my old 200 ultra neo non se. All the screws were really loose also. Kind of suspicious on this. Don't see ers cloth any where.

 

[rhale64l7]

Does anybody have a picture of a 200 ultra special edition  internals? I just bought a special edition 200 ultra neo. And supposedly it is supposed to have this ers cloth in it and I just had to take it apart and couldn't find any. Wondering what the deal is? I looked everywhere. It does have different wiring than my old 200 ultra neo non se. All the screws were really loose also. Kind of suspicious on this. Don't see ers cloth anywhere.

 

Edit I found it. It is actually in two spots. It is on the top of the chassis. Not on the boards.

 

[NellyWhads]

 

24 minutes ago, rhale64l7 said:

Edit I found it. It is actually in two spots. It is on the top of the chassis. Not on the boards

Would you mind sending pics of the placement? I received some of the same material I believe to install inside my non-Ultra SMS-200 and was wondering about placement.

[rhale64l7]

Sorry I fixed it and put it back in the system. It is in two places on the top right in front and back of where the vents start and end. They are about 1 inch wide and run from side to side. I hope this helps.

[TopQuark]

This is off-topic but related.  To those interested in upgrading the tX-USBultra, the positive leg of the Evox cap is connected to the positive leg of the orange ceramic cap close to the edge sCLK-EX board (encircled) and the negative (ground) leg of the Evox cap connected to any ground point in the board.  This is not replacing but adding the Evox cap or equivalent cap.

 

 

I have not done this mod yet.  I'm still searching for a suitable cap to add it in.  I hope this helps someone whos is interested in modding their tX-USBultra.  If there is any owner here with with the Evox cap nice enough to provide a photo, that will be awesome.

[ZeusOdin]

This is a great thread and I am so glad that I found it. I have the SOtM sMS-200 Ultra Neo with all upgrades except the clock input. What is the best way to add a 50 Ohm clock input? I contacted SOtM and they simply stopped responding. When I open up my unit, I will check all capacitors per this thread. Thanks.

[zoltan]

On 3/6/2023 at 12:19 AM, ZeusOdin said:

This is a great thread and I am so glad that I found it. I have the SOtM sMS-200 Ultra Neo with all upgrades except the clock input. What is the best way to add a 50 Ohm clock input? I contacted SOtM and they simply stopped responding. When I open up my unit, I will check all capacitors per this thread. Thanks.

That's very unusual from SOtM not replying. I have very good experience regarding their communication. 
Anyhow, the clock input upgrade is not possible to implement at home to my knowledge. You can install the connectors but the clock board needs to be programmed. At least that's what I was told by SOtM and I sent it back to Korea to have it done. 

[ZeusOdin]

Thanks, @zoltan. Jos from Magna Hifi in in the Netherlands confirmed that the upgrade needs an SOtM installation license, specialized tools, hardware upgrade, and software upgrade. Two days later Kamal from SOtM USA finally contacted me. They are swamped with work. I will send the unit to OR for service.

[creativepart]

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.

[electrafixion]

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.)