[viggen]

Can someone please tell me how to disconnect the ribbon cable in the second video below?  Thanks.

I thought I found a good video on it here.  But, turns out the pcb in the D50 is slightly different than the one in the D50s.  Mainly, the lcd ribbon cable is connected to the pcb differently as shown here.

Trying to swap the opamp from lme49720 to muses02.  According to Passion for Sound, an YT audio reviewer, the opamp is swappable without soldering.

[Mike B.]

Looks like he squeezed both ends of the white connector to release it. I don't see any IC's that are removable. They all look soldered in place. Maybe I missed it?

[WGH]

The safest way is to contact the manufacturer unless someone here recognizes that particular ribbon cable connector.

Google search "How-To Detach Surface Mount Ribbon Cables" until you find a match, usually there is some sort of clamp involved like this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9PwK9eGrCY

A clear closeup photo of the connector instead of a slightly out of focus video would help.

[viggen]

Looks like he squeezed both ends of the white connector to release it. I don't see any IC's that are removable. They all look soldered in place. Maybe I missed it?

The guy in the first video has the D50 not D50s.  According to Passion for Sound, the D50s' opamp is swappable.  I need to get to the other side of my dac's pcb to see whether that's true.

[viggen]

The safest way is to contact the manufacturer unless someone here recognizes that particular ribbon cable connector.

Google search "How-To Detach Surface Mount Ribbon Cables" until you find a match, usually there is some sort of clamp involved like this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9PwK9eGrCY

A clear closeup photo of the connector instead of a slightly out of focus video would help.

Will do after I get off work.

[timind]

Have you tried to remove the cable? Probably some sort of locking mechanism. It may be obvious once you get a good look at it.

[viggen]

The safest way is to contact the manufacturer unless someone here recognizes that particular ribbon cable connector.

Google search "How-To Detach Surface Mount Ribbon Cables" until you find a match, usually there is some sort of clamp involved like this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9PwK9eGrCY

A clear closeup photo of the connector instead of a slightly out of focus video would help.

Thanks to your video, the opamp transplant is a success!



Just flip that little black thing upwards and the ribbon loosens up.



This is the LME opamp before pulling it out.  As you can see, the opamp is swappable with a little effort.

Only had a 15 second listening session with my wife's TV blaring in the background, the dac's sound with muses02 installed has more flavor now, more tangible, less techno/spacy/splashy. 

[WGH]

That's good news, gotta love youtube for learning to fix things you have never seen before.

[timind]

Love youtube, but you probably would've figured it out on your own. Great job. Makes me want to open up my D70 and have a look inside.

[viggen]

Love youtube, but you probably would've figured it out on your own. Great job. Makes me want to open up my D70 and have a look inside.

Thanks.  I think Topper has made their newest series more easy for tinkerers  I am tempted to try out the D70s or D90.

[mhconley]

The Topping D50s is one of the best measuring inexpensive DACs on the market. How does the new opamp change the measured performance? Where does it make improvements? 

Martin

[viggen]

Through headphones, the sound is very much more enjoyable to listen after the mod.  I couldn't really replicate the same amount of increased enjoyment through speakers.  But, the day after I did the mod, I had to disassemble my stereo as I moved it to another wall and haven't had a chance to hook it back up yet.  And, it's hard to compare the dac pre and post mod since I've heard them days apart.  I just remember I was immediately happy with the sound of it when I plugged it in right after the mod without even giving the opamp a chance to burn in.

I do have a D90 coming my way and can compare between the modded D50s and the D90.

btw, D50s is the first sabre dac that doesn't give me nausea. 

[HT cOz]

I’m interested in hearing about your D90

[viggen]

Jotting down some notes.

Received D90 today.  For reference, I only have about 10 hours on the D50s and a few hours less with the muses02 installed.  So, they both are relatively new.  D90 is connected to a power strip via a carbon powercord I forgot who made it I think Grover Huffman.  D50s is powered by a RavPower battery charger while it's not charging.  I think DAC sounds better when the RavPower powering it is not charging, but it could be in my head.

Just hooked both D90 and D50s into LTA MZ2's input one and two.  Speakers are Altec 601C based.

Using Essential PH1 as source via LDAC BT connection streaming Tidal premium (CD quality).  When playing, both dacs are showing 96khz PCM connection.

First song I played is Blow Monkey's Forbidden Fruit since it's the last song.  It's horribly recorded.  Dry and flat.  And, that's how it sounded on the D90.  On the D50s, I now notice the muses02's benefit.  It wraps the dryness in a coat of bee's wax of tonality. 

Second song I played is Blow Monkey's Forbidden Fruit.  D90 is sounding better this time around.  Did the sound change or am I acclimating to it?  The dryness is still there but has more character.  The brass has more color.  It's less boring than the first time around.

Third song is Blow Monkey's Forbidden Fruit.  D50s now sounds like it has a bit of glare.  The vocals are slightly rough and recessed especially when Dr. Roberts' voice is hitting his higher notes.  After switching to D90, I do not detect the glare in D50s.  There is a bit more tone in the lower register giving the overall sound a bit more warmness and smoothness.  The midbass hits both harder and fluffier.    The jazz guitar solo sounds a has a bit of heavy metal sound.

So far, it's hard to say which dac is better with this awfully recorded track.  D90 has more meat.  D50s seem to be more true to the recording.  Off to the next song.

[viggen]

Second song is Space Age Long Song by A Flock of Seagulls.  To note, I always thought this band sucked until a few years ago when I listened to this song intently for the first time when I found the video of it on YT with Jennifer Connelly dancing in it.  I think Paul Reynold's guitar is something special.  The rest of the band chokes. 

First up is D90.  Bass guitar has more tone than I am accustomed to.  The lead guitar seems a bit more recessed like he's a few steps back than what I am accustomed to.  Usually Paul Reynold's guitar is more in my face which the reason why I like this song so much.  Switching to D50s, I instantly hear the lead guitar plucking his strings with the bass guitar more in the background while sounding slightly more monotone. 

I am noticing myself getting lost in the music with the D50s despite how annoying the lead singer's voice is.  Too bad Paul didn't join a band with Alison Moyet.

Switching back to D90.. btw I used to have a Nikon D90.  I am starting to think there is slightly more synergy between the LTA amp and the D50s.  Maybe it's a bit calmer since it's battery powered.  Maybe because the LTA is a bit too meaty for me already, so the D90 is bringing a little bit too much.  I will come back after I switch amps.

[viggen]

And, I am back.

Musical Paradise 301MK3 with no time to warm up is now in place of LTA MZ2.   D90 is up first.  Back to Forbidden Fruit.

The Altecs has more of a natural "California" sound with the Musical Paradise and this allows more room for the meatier D90 to play.  But, it does have a bit of a garage band twang to it.  But, I still prefer the Altecs with the MP than the LTA.  D50s sounds a bit lazy compared to D90 in this set up.  A bit aloof. 

And now, Space Age Love Song with D50s.  The lead guitars are front and prominent again with the strings plucking like bees swarming around the ear.  D90, lead guitar slightly drowned out again by bass guitar and synth.  But, not totally in a bad way.  Sound is probably more balanced this way with righter amount of everything.  I don't get lost in the music tho.  I think the MP amp and the D50s after the opamp mod has a bit more synergy in the tone department that allows me to more lose myself in the music though the sound is flatter and less balanced overall.

Next, going to open up the D90 and see whether opamp is swappable.

[viggen]

I am saddened to report... the opamps are soldered on.  And, they are different pin type than the muses02 I purchased.  So, they will be wasted (probably hard to resell this) if I decide to keep the D90.  D90 uses 3 pieces of LME49720.  The look much smaller than the muses02.

[viggen]

D90 sounds very precise.  It's very tight in that there's a lot of controlled drive. But, it's not very melodic and is lacking in tone.  Perhaps what I enjoy is more distortion?  I don't know.  But, I do slightly enjoy the D50s more.  It lacks focus but makes up for it in musicality.  Does it benefit from being battery powered and has a $50 opamp vs a $2 opamp? 

I've tested the two dacs in three different amp setups so far.  1) LTA MZ2 2) MP301mk3 and 3) MZ2 pre and MP3 pwr. 

I have two more amps to try but am only going to try one more.  This amp is a gift from a friend/neighbor who built it 40 yrs ago and didn't know what to do with it when his wife told him to clean out the garage.  Lucky me.  Anyways, going to take it out of storage now.  Didn't want to use it because I like little black chatzkies and the Fisher amp doesn't fit the scene.  But, am trying to get out of the audio hardware merry go around.

[mresseguie]

Hi, viggen.

Thank you for your input and experimentation. I enjoy tinkering myself when I have the time (little free time now). By any chance, have you heard the Sabaj D5 DAC w/volume control?

Regards,

Michael

[viggen]

During the past two days, I left both dacs on but not playing anything.  I think this should suffice in terms of charging up the caps a bit.

The Fisher amp is plugged in with MZ2 performing as pre and dac switcher.  It's the KX100.  The last time I used this amp was at a different house, so the sound is slightly different.  But, also, I was using a Metrum Amethyst.  Wasn't apparent to me then or I probably wouldn't have sold it, but there appears to be a bit of synergy between the Metrum and the Fisher that I am not getting with the Topping D50s.  I wasn't expecting this.  I was so for sure that I can live with the D50s and maybe even the D90 that I went ahead to sell the Metrum to fund the D90. 

Maybe it's the MZ2 in the mix?

Anyways, with Spaceage Love Song, the sound is better yet more pedestrian.  Nothing is particularly great.  Nothing is particularly bad.  Everything is just there but softer than before.  I think this is better for long term listening and doesn't leave the heart yearning for more yet well cognizant that better is out there.

There is more roll off in both the lows and highs.  But, it seems to compensate with the speakers' relative weaknesses. 

OK no more poor recordings.  Next song is Arlo Park's Paperbacks because it's the next song on my playlist.

My ears are not putting up any resistance to her vocals.  It simply hits my ear drums then melds in with it.  Mid bass is mellow and enveloping.  Lower bass is rounded off and slightly shortened perhaps due more to my speakers' limitation but the amp ameliorates it well.  Switching to D90 now.

Where there was rolling off in the highs and lows, I don't sense it now.  Bass line is fleshed out... organic.  Only criticism is comparing to D50s there is a lack of a sense of ease.  I am not certain this is better for long term listening.