Eastern Electric DAC

Gopher · « **Reply #780 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 03:08 pm »

If anyone is looking for a Siemens Silverplate, drop me a PM.

I have a clear preference of the Silverplate over the Pavane in the stock dac, but slight preference for the Pavane in the modded tour unit and am raising funds for some mods of my own.

Levi · « **Reply #781 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 03:42 pm »

Did you try the 4003 compared to the Pavane? I find the stock EE DAC less lively compared to my Esoteric universal player. EE DAC was great if you listen to slow Jazz songs but with Avril Lavigne and fast paced Cds that I have etc...the stock EE is not as lively. This has plenty to do with the stock low S/N. I wonder if the modded one increased the tube's S/N!?!

Gopher · « **Reply #782 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 04:12 pm »

Never compared the two, but I preferred the Silverplate to the 4003 by a wide margin. I think I sold my 4003--I know I meant to, though I don't recall doing so. But I sure as heck can't find it...

nocrapman · « **Reply #783 on:** 3 Jan 2011, 04:36 pm »

I have ordered a pair of the Pavanes also. If anyone is interested in getting the 2nd tube from the pair, pls PM me.

andy71 · « **Reply #784 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 10:00 pm »

see this link on op-amp rolling http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=841

I just go this dac 2 weeks ago and am enjoying it a lot - while also looking for ways to extract more performance for not a lot of money. I haven't tried the op amp roll suggested nor have i even tried tube rolling but am looking for thoughts and opinions.

Andy

PeteG · « **Reply #785 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 02:53 am »

I had Wayne from Bolder Cable send me a Acme fuse and Pavane tube, I matched that with an LME49720 op-amp and the sound is getting better every day. So far, I am really enjoying the change.

Bill O'Connell · « **Reply #786 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 05:05 am »

Quote from: andy71 on 7 Jan 2011, 10:00 pm

see this link on op-amp rolling http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=841

I just go this dac 2 weeks ago and am enjoying it a lot - while also looking for ways to extract more performance for not a lot of money. I haven't tried the op amp roll suggested nor have i even tried tube rolling but am looking for thoughts and opinions.

Andy

Warning, I just received my first email from a customer who tried the op-amp rolling that Doug suggested . Now his DAC has stopped working. He then tried to reinstall the original op-amps. DAC still not working. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid have happen. Now what? He knows he has voided his warranty, but now it is a big pain in my

roscoeiii · « **Reply #787 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 05:46 am »

Bill,
I would not worry. You have been more than clear that this voids the warranty. Multiple times. And the article mentions the same. It is great that the socketed opamps make things easier for the tinkering types. But since you have been clear that this voids the warranty, tinkerers have been forewarned. I applaud you for offering a socketed design. But you made it clear that those who swapped opamps did so at their own risk. The opamp article made this clear as well IMHO.

goldlizsts · « **Reply #788 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 11:39 am »

Quote from: Bill O'Connell on 8 Jan 2011, 05:05 am

Warning, I just received my first email from a customer who tried the op-amp rolling that Doug suggested . Now his DAC has stopped working. He then tried to reinstall the original op-amps. DAC still not working. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid have happen. Now what? He knows he has voided his warranty, but now it is a big pain in my

So Bill, let me get it 100% clear, DOES YOU MEAN THAT "ALL" mods, including those tricks mentioned in Wayne's MOD thread, including replacing the fuse, etc..... VOID the warranty? Somebody is saying I'm putting words in your mouth. You and I are on good terms, I don't want somebody to ruin this relationship.

Shek

JohnR · « **Reply #789 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 11:51 am »

Quote from: goldlizsts on 8 Jan 2011, 11:39 am

So Bill, let me get it 100% clear, "ALL" mods, including those tricks mentioned in Wayne's MOD thread, including replacing the fuse, etc..... VOID the warranty?

Shek

Where did he say that replacing the fuse voids the warranty? You're putting words into his mouth.

Bill O'Connell · « **Reply #790 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 05:41 pm »

Quote from: goldlizsts on 8 Jan 2011, 11:39 am

So Bill, let me get it 100% clear, DOES YOU MEAN THAT "ALL" mods, including those tricks mentioned in Wayne's MOD thread, including replacing the fuse, etc..... VOID the warranty? Somebody is saying I'm putting words in your mouth. You and I are on good terms, I don't want somebody to ruin this relationship.

Shek

Replacing a fuse does not void the warranty.
Going inside of the unit and trying to replace 8 pin op-amp's does as you can short something out just by a single slip or not installing them correctly or whatever.
If you want to have a qualified technician put in the op-amp, when I say qualified I mean only one guy at this time and that would be Wayne from Bolder as he is very familiar with the circuit, your more then welcome to have him do the work.
I just don't want anybody who thinks he can try this by being careful and is willing to take the chance to Do It Himself to even attempt this. All it can possibly cause for me is a big headache for repairs and an extra expense for my customers if they do. The excuse of I'm not sure what is wrong with it now as it just won't play definetly has disadvantages. I'm not sure of the hourly rate of a qualified technition but trying to analize or determine and trace what he messed up does not come cheaply.

As it turns out, I received an email from my customer this morning saying that the DAC is now playing fine as he reinstalled the op-amps. He was lucky.
What was even luckier was having a gentleman like Wayne offer to look at the DAC for me for no charge to help out my customer.

It doesn't get any better then that as a member of the human race looking out for one another.
Kindest Regards,
Bill

rklein · « **Reply #791 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 06:54 pm »

Getting back to tube rolling.....

I recently bought a EE DAC(used) and which was delivered with the stock tube. I bought a PSVANE tube from Grant Fidelity which was very grainy when I inserted it into my DAC. However, after about 50 hours, I did a comparison again and the PSVANE really settled down quite nicely and I do prefer it over the stock tube.

My "problem" is that I am losing feeling in my right thumb and index finger trying to pull the darn tubes out of the DAC!! Is there a "technique" that I don't know about? I know the tube is in a tight place, but there is enough room for even by fat-ass fingers to get in there. The tube socket just won't let go of its death grip on the tube

Thanks,

Randy

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #792 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 07:12 pm »

Hey, where's the fuse hiding? I cannot find it.

srb · « **Reply #793 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 07:19 pm »

Quote from: rklein on 8 Jan 2011, 06:54 pm

My "problem" is that I am losing feeling in my right thumb and index finger trying to pull the darn tubes out of the DAC!! Is there a "technique" that I don't know about? I know the tube is in a tight place, but there is enough room for even by fat-ass fingers to get in there. The tube socket just won't let go of its death grip on the tube

You need as good a grip on the tube as the socket has. A ~ 3" X 1" strip of thin grippy rubber (silicone is ideal) held in a "U" should give you the grip you need to easily pull it from the socket.

Steve

rklein · « **Reply #794 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 07:27 pm »

Thank's Steve. I did put on some latex gloves my wife had laying around and it did make it somewhat easier but still too difficult. On top of that, she saw me with the gloves on so I had to then go and clean all the toilets in the house.

I will try and find a silicone type material as you suggest.

Randy

srb · « **Reply #795 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 07:30 pm »

Quote from: Big Red Machine on 8 Jan 2011, 07:12 pm

Hey, where's the fuse hiding? I cannot find it.

Is it not built into the bottom of the IEC power connector?

Steve

PeteG · « **Reply #796 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 07:35 pm »

Quote from: srb on 8 Jan 2011, 07:30 pm

Is it not built into the bottom of the IEC power connector?

Steve

Yes it is.

Pete,
Its right underneath the IEC inlet.

andy71 · « **Reply #797 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 08:21 pm »

anybody else with thoughts on a psvane tube in a stock dac? particularly in comparison to the tube that came with the dac and otehr tube in a $30-50 price range (probably the ballpark i'd be willing to spend for a tube right now as this is my first experience with tubes - other than a musical fidelity tube buffer - where the tube is soldered in and not easily changed.

Gopher · « **Reply #798 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 08:29 pm »

I'd check out the Siemens Silverplate over the Pavane in that price range. I have both and its a definite preference for me.

Although I did like what I heard with the Pavane in the modified DAC, I never revisited my Siemens after the modded tour dac had stabilized and never played with different ICs to make it work. I suspect my preference on the moded dac may swing back to the Siemens again when my personal DAC gets back from Wayne.

I did pick up a Mullard Longhorn which was strongly recommended to me by someone who has the Pavane and Siemens and drew the same conclusions as me, but thats well above $50.

andy71 · « **Reply #799 on:** 8 Jan 2011, 09:28 pm »

My only problem with buying NOS tubes is I know absolutely nothing about tubes - so when somebody posts the testing numbers I have know idea if that is good, mediocre or bad. I've also heard that NOS tubes are kind of a mixed bag because of people faking tubes (both now and some tubes that were faked 50 years ago) That was the particular appeal of psvane - they are new and a known quantity. I was also looking at a E80cc (at the top of my price range)

Is there a good tutorial on tubes and any reliable sources? (upscale audio seems to be the only one i've see consistently) Do I need upscale audio platinum or gold rating?