Hello, I'm sorry for crossposting this... I also posted this in DIY forum, since I'm not sure if all DIY-ers come often to Audiophiles forum.
I'm a happy SB3 owner for almost three years. I use it exclusively through its coax digital out, connected to Pedja Rogic's NOS TDA1541 DAC. http://www.hifi-forumi.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=4846&p=56506 My DAC has the optional reclocker board installed. Recently I tried Stereovox digital cable instead of my Bandridge Profigold digital IC. I've got noticeable improvements, especially in bass definition. For a long time now I had been toying with the idea of improving SPDIF out on my SB3. If I had such an improvement with a new cable, I might get more of the good thing by tweaking SB's digital out... Right? The problem is that when I started searching, I got swamped with numerous variations of similar soultions. It is hard to tell which solutions will actually improve things... Some of them could make them even worse? There is this (now legendary) thread on Audio Circle that I'm sure everybody knows about: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=45330 Pat (art) did a great job analyzing SB3's digital output with a scope. He proved that some non competent tweaking can make things worse. Also, he said that he did not listen to the results of his mods... There is a big difference on scope screen, but how this translate to actual sound? He suggested that a simplest and most effective mod is removing two inductors (L8 and L9) and adding a BNC instead of RCA socket. As I understood those inductors are there for reducing EMI, so that SB can meet some regulations (and that has nothing to do with sound quality). The big question is: if I remove them, is increased EMI going to do some harm to SPDIF signal going to my DAC? Osciloscope trace might look flatter, but the resulting sound coming out of my DAC could be worse? DID ANYBODY HERE MODDED SB3 BY ONLY REMOVING THOSE INDUCTORS? IF YES, CAN YOU DESCRIBE CHANGES IN SOUND IN DETAIL? Pat has suggested that this mod (together with adding BNC socket) might be all that average listener needs to do. The simplest mod that brings the biggest improvement! Exactly the thing I'm looking for. :) The next modding level would be adding a transformer... As I understood, the role of transformer is to galvanically isolate SB form DAC by separating their grounds? Can transformer protect my DAC from EMI polluted SPDIF signal (if there is such a thing) after those inductors are removed?! Or... the EMI had induced some garbage in a SPDIF signal... since the transformer does not "know" the difference between this garbage and the pure signal, it juss passes them together without any change to DAC, where some bad things happen? I'm sorry If I'm asking stupid questions!!! I'm not a modder/tweaker type of person. :) I just want get as good results as possible with the minimal ammount of modding. If removing inductors will bring 80% of improvement and adding transformer will bring additional 20%, I will be more than happy to live with those first 80%, since I'm not sure that in everyday listening I will be always able to appreciate the additional 20% of improvement. Thanks in advance, Aleksandar PS If this is important, my DAC is connected through Sansui AU-alpha 707DR integrated amplifier to restored vintage Acoustic Research AR-90 speakers. http://www.kujucev.com/ar90sansui/ar90-6-sistem.jpg . -- Kuja ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kuja's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=32935 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=68192 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
