You still need to trace it, usually the big value electrolytic caps is the supply caps for opamps, the other smaller value (like under 1uF value) near them are for filtering, and near the output jack is the output coupling caps, could be wrong though.

The Solen caps you talking about is usually put on output coupling caps, and crossover on speaker

Dear All,
Good New!!! The OPA627APs just reached my place this afternoon. I will pack them nicely over the weekend and sent out by early next week.
For those who haven't email me your FULL shipping detail, please kindly do so. My email is: shawn_tew at hot mail dot com

4th Bulk list:
1) RAV4 - 1 set (Paid RM106 )
2) sakuragi01 - 1 set (Paid RM106 )
3) yehlai - 1 set (Paid RM106 )
4) tan01 - 1 set (Paid RM110, Balance to refund )
5) mADmAN - 1 set (Paid RM106 )

@mikelanding
Thank you. Thank you !!

Thanks for making this bulk possible

off topic:
anyone her use NAD amp? can share some review?

Obviously spoken from experience! BTW, now I have to help him find the OPA627 or else he don't want the Zero coz "if Marantz uses Burr Brown on their CDP, it can't go wrong".

So mikelanding, any chance of getting another set? ANYBODY out there who wants to sell your OPA627??? Thanks.

Sell OPA627 and then get the HDAM ?

Yes HDAM is poisoning. I am waiting for Penchuum to give review.

OPA 627 is very useful. Who knows u might need it again.

I think we should contact Lawrence and see if he could give a "special" price for the HDAM since the new ZERO comes with standard OPA627 and LT1364.

wht? New batch original Zero stock opamp is OPA627?

Well GodluvSxs has said that a better version of HDAM is coming out, in 6 weeks time. The designer of that HDAM said this.

Those spec are set by retailer, stock is still the OPA2604, the OPA627ed ZERO is few ten USD expensive than original factory setup

---

Added on July 18, 2008, 9:49 pm

I think your friend should listen to ZERO with OPA627 first, if he's more into vocal, he should really listen to ZERO with OPA627 first before insist on OPA627




Hope that Mr. Ho really true to his word, i hate after all waiting yet nothing gonna realize!

OAP627 is more suitable for wht kind of music? Instead of vocals.

music with high dynamic like classical? That's what other forummer mentioned?

opa627 give u dynamic sound
if u like vocal can try for LT1057 or DY2000

I wonder anyone can come out with a mod of the unit. any suggestion to better it

empire23 ----
1. Diode Bypass (reduce noise)
2. Stability and Noise killing mod for digital section (PS bypass replaced with Silver Mica)
3. Ground loop breaker mod (better caps)
4. More capacitance for the main analog stage, from 4400uF to 6600uF
5. More capacitance for the digital stage with Silmic II parallel, from 2000uF to 2330uF and bypass.
6. Cap replacement on analog output stage
7. Film cap replacement with german Wimas near the clock, DAC and supply lines.

wait a minuite......

isnt that what he did to mine?

Yeah. I am just wondering how smooth is the sound after the mod. In fact, I just wonder any more improvement to mod can be done.

I wish during the Aug 3rd bulk, I could listen to your mod and hear the difference, with DY2000 as well.

ermm i just order some cap n ready to mod
hope August can meet u all n compare ... i also wanna listen to madman unit u must come that day hehehe alot ppl miss u hehee

how S730 pair with zero dac?

Want to Mod and keep zero now? Actually how much Zero improve the SQ of Marantz CD-5001 cdp?
Marantz CD-5001 is quite nice alrdy.

lemme know where and when the meetup is and ill try my best to make it. PM me in case i dont check this thread.

anyway, according to empy theres quite abit more that could be done....but due to lack of parts and lack of time to order the parts (he was leaving for aussie) he didnt manage to do the mods.

ohhh haiz now headache , empy he not in malaysia now
now i just replace the cap for the power supply just replace with low esr cap not going to heavy mod like empy did bcoz no knowledge on Electronics circuit or design if not later burn my Zero

i also wanna listen to madman DAC

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Added on July 21, 2008, 1:46 pm

yeah bcoz tot wanna change others DAC but never audit before soo scared buy already not ngam than sell again
soo think how to improve my DAC and see.

now sound more forward n relax not soo harsh compare to previous opamp, now i want more warmth sounding.

hi all,
i'm another proud owner of zero dac. got it from mr ccs chua( a very nice gentleman) with opa627.tried out dy 2000 but i choose opa 627 more for the dynamic sound and better details.
my set up:

cd player- marantz cd 5001( from hi fi shop one utama)
zero dac with opa 627 (stock optical cabe to/from dac)
sound stage 1.5 with mullard tubes / qed qunex 2 interconnect and supra lorand power cord (from accoustic solution amcorp mall , cmy sunway pyramid for qed and desa low yat for supra power cord)
speaker - arcam alpha (used speaker and got it from smart home solution)
speaker stand soundstyle zs2 (from cmy sunway pyramid)
speaker cable - chord co carnival silver biwire (from accoustic solution ,amcorp mall)
( all of them cost me less than rm 4500)

test cd: eva cassidy( autumn leaves), aaron neville(everybody plays a fool),jack johnson( all at once).
we(myself) and mr chua spent 2 hours for the audition( in my house) before i decided to get zero dac and opa 627.

for my set up, 4 items that really change the sound characteristic:
1) supra lorad power cable for soundstage amp- could hear some more details and dynamic.
2) mullard tubes- more details and better music seperation
3) sandfilled speaker stand- tighter and firmer bass
4) zero dac with opa 627 - better dynamic sound and details

i must say that with the zero dac/opa657 really gave some improvement on my system ...with small investment only.
regards.
rey.

ccschua sold his Zero already?

i don't mind of getting second hand stuff with good price.
chua will get new tube amp...he he.
he called me last night
btw zero dac really made some improvement to my system. from "c" to "b".just 1 rung above and i'm happy with the money that i spent on dac.
my next project is to get new hardware for dynamic sound. marantz,rotel and b&w will be on my wish list.

cheers.
rey.

So you mean that the Zero DAC actually gives better sound than your Marantz CDP?

This should be your config right? :
Marantz CDP -> Zero DAC -> Amp

wah,you so fast deal with ccschua already.enjoy your DAC.

ohhh ccschua sold his DAC already

ccschua sold his Zero to focus on a better DAC? I just came across DIY Paradise's Monica DAC, which got RAVE reviews from lots of people. Another relatively cheap DAC that can compete with the likes of Naim, Musical Fidelity and even Chord! They will be at the AV Show and perhaps ccschua will be on a shopping spree?

haha,Zero Fan clun got new member already.

Yes. That was a promise to gatevalve that I sold my DAC. I have in fact bought 2 more ZERO DAC from GodluvsXs, refer to the bulk thread. 1 ZERO DAC is for a nice guy who has a >RM 30k setup in his possession. (not nice to disclose who lah, he just want to use it for headphone)

Somebody dont believe in changing opamp, but for me I can change opamp to suit the taste of the type of system, a matching process.

Dont forget, ZERO dac still has room for improvement. component upgrade/output stage bypass as well as HDAM, and a mysterious opamp someone is working on, headphone like Grado reference, etc

zero fan is growing to ZERO clan.

I believe in value for money, Zero is proof. and they are many other things that can be value for money, such as Asylum power cord.

Hi all in the list,
I just sent out your set. Hope U enjoy as I am with the opa627ap...

3rd bulk list:
1) RAV4 - 1 set (Sent)
2) sakuragi01 - 1 set (sent)
3) yehlai - 1 set (Sent)
4) tan01 - 1 set (Sent)
5) mADmAN - 1 set (Sent)

mikelanding, thanks bro! Can't wait till our Zero land!!! Arrghhh... 12 days seem so far away now...

went to hifi shop at one utama.asked uncle marantz to hook up marantz cd 6002 , marantz pm 6002 and epos 12.2.
results- midrange and high----good
bass---so and so only.
conclusion- amp not good enough to drive epos.volume knob at 11 o'clock position and the bass still not there. this amp got 5stars from what hi fi magazine.

next, we used same set up but changed amp to denon pma-700ae (this amp got 3 stars only from what hi fi magazine)
results- midrange and high---- good
bass-good

according to uncle, my marantz cd 5001 with zero dac(with opa 657) should perform on par or slightly better than marantz cd 6002.
now my wallet already itchy to get that epos and maybe will pair it with cambridge audio azur 640a v2.0 and 640cv2.0.
for another set up i.e. for dynamic.

cheers.
rey

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Added on July 22, 2008, 5:48 pm

i'm using marantz cd 50001 and i have to say that i will give you better details and more dynamic.
am i right chua?

---

Added on July 22, 2008, 5:53 pm


for me yes, because even my wife would be able to tell me that my humble set up sound better.
i'm using that config.
now happy with midrange/vocal and bass...zero dac c/w opa 657
but the high still need to be improved.
any idea?

Hi Abel, empire dude mentioned to me before, ZERO's PCB board is kinda hard to work with, use wick to clean solder instead of solder sucker when desoldering



Hi gatevalve, welcome to the ZERO dac club. I think with the upgrade of discrete opamp and some component upgrade, you will dig out more potential from ZERO dac

Opps... and I thought ccschua was going to abandon ship and move to more expensive DAC. Thanks for sharing all these precious info on moddings. I hope to start upgrading soon after burning in my unit.

BTW, i found Asylum from www.diycable.com. Are they available locally with UK plug?

Thanks bro Mike, hope to see you during Zero gathering!

owners list updated....if i missed anyone, then tough luck

heheheheh

lemme know and ill add u in

Zero + OP627 is one of the good combination and best buy, I reckon.

actually depends on your own taste and combination .....

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Added on July 23, 2008, 10:32 am

at first i use sucker but seem not fully clean the lead soo i use the wick to clean but i found the board not very good quality must be very patient n becareful when desolder if not will spoil the track ... i use below 200c to desoldering

mikelanding, 2 x OPA627AP on double socket received via POS Laju. Thanks again for organizing the bulk!!! Let me know if got any spare. Friend of mine wants 1 set too.

NO ready stock, but can organize another bulk. MOQ still 3 sets to proceed.

For those who want to swap opamp, please ensure the orientation is correct. Dun want any bad thing happen to yr precious opamp..

That is why, I nvr say it's the best combination.. well, don't expect RM1000 sound quality worth on Zero + 627 when you only paid RM500. therefore swapping opamp will not guarantee u get the type of music that you prefer, perhaps the more u swap the more u confuse.

bro mike.....

opamp received

thanks

yeah i take long time to listen n try with several opamp
nothing is the best if that one suite ur ear that the best for u




ermm i heard from chua that u not happy with the highs its too laid back check with the speaker sensitivity .... if too low than ur amp not enuf power to push the speaker.

Below is the speaker details. (it is not difficult to drive actually)
Arcam Alpha Loudspeaker.
20-70 watts, 2-way infinite baffle, 200mm cone bass/mid, 25mm soft dome tweeter. Frequency response: 55-20kHz. VIFA driver. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 89dB. If speaker sensitivity is below 86 dB, that will be tough. When the amp is under power, you would normally hear the bass is loose, and can also affect the high freq (become harsh). you will feel the soundstaging rather limited, and starts to distort.

This speaker is rather warm and laid back, even tested with OPA 627. I think further experiement can be done with RCA/better power cord but I think the improvement will be marginal (no more value for money), due to its warm and laid back characteristics. I think HDAM would be too expensive at this moment, but the result is very good.

back to the basics, the speaker stand has to be firm, so that when touch, it does not move much, real solid. Next the speaker tweeter level should be around the ear level when u listen to it at your comfortable sofa level.

speaker stand positioning also important, how close it is, and how far apart, near to u, far from u. try to experiment it. Also if u can get the blue tag, tag the speaker to the stand, it will help too. sometimes it is painstakingly difficult to find the right spot, and later on moved when someone mop the floor.

Those speaker and speaker stand positioning can affect the bass, imaging and separation.

However, if you want a lot of detail, I think u will find that listening to it for long time will become fatigue. A lot of good speakers are based on soft dome, which it is intended for.

---

Added on July 23, 2008, 7:33 pm

The one available with the UK plug on sale at Ebay is very expensive, about RM 200.

For the zero club owners, I will be getting my similar asylum power cord and after test I will report here. stay tune.

i think i almost solve the problem with lack of high/details.
went to subang parade rock music and bought 3 good cd which cost me rm 210.
listened to all of them for 4 hours and got back the thing that been looking for...the high just nice to "my ears"
lesson learnt: buy only audiophile grade cd...maybe applicable to me only due to my decent set up.
i will get some more cd during this av show at jw marriot.
chua, i think u need a "real" cd instead of burnt ones since you got aad reference silver.

next project on epos set up will commence after hari raya.will get epos m12.2 and pair with cambridge audio azur 640 (amp and cdp combo).
chua will be my mentor.

cheers
rey

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Added on July 23, 2008, 10:36 pmI think HDAM would be too expensive at this moment, but the result is very good.
what is HDAM?how much ? what it can do?

I will be getting my similar asylum power cord and after test I will report here.
mmm, samelah i still waiting for russ andrew power cord.will hook up to system and share the result.

Those considered harsh cd recording will give u sound that is more polished. At the end of day, warm sounding is like that. If you put those cd back to the bright system, u will feel harsh.

So I guess the EPOS is without the crossover network.

here is the review of HDAM, taken from Head-fi thread (yes, pete)

---

When it came time to re-install the HDAM and power the Zero back up....The first and most obvious distinction is the HDAM's utterly unrestrained liquid smooth delivery of dynamics. I can't stress enough how impressive the HDAM module handles extremely complex passages without a hint of strain while maintaining the imaging and air. There is no compression of any kind, the instruments seem to breath along with the artist handling them. From the faintest whisper to a thundering climax, the HDAM just cranks it out as it is recorded (for good or bad) without additional color. The HDAM can sound both powerful and delicate at the same time, basically whatever you throw at it the HDAM doesn't seem to break a sweat. Piano sounds superb with the HDAM, absolutely life like, the complex harmonics of this instrument notorious for being difficult to reproduce even with the best gear is handled by the HDAM without batting an eye. Mozart sounds wonderful.....The layering aspect of modern multi tracked recordings is both a blessing and a curse with the HDAM. Fortunately there aren't all that many really horrid CD's/LP's out there. Let's focus on the what was mentioned earlier in the 627's config. Where it is possible to see into the Artist/Engineers concept of the recording the HDAM takes that level of insight all the way. Not only is left and right placement clearly rendered you get height,depth and individual FX types used on overdubs etc etc. Astounding realism. With electric guitars you can easily distinguish between the bright/sweet sound of a strat maple neck/alder body set at the neck pick up, and with all those sounds in between the 5 way switch. You can also recognize the difference between a Les Paul Standard with it's darker sounding cousin, the 57 Les Paul "Black Beauty". Very subtle shadings like these are the HDAM's hallmark IMO. Effortless is a word that keeps popping into my head every time I listen to Zero with the HDAM installed in the DAC section. I can't seem to find a single negative trait for the HDAM SQ wise.....
I've tried to find something...for days and days I've thrown every type of music I have at it. It doesn't blink at all. I have to wonder what a LD MKV would sound like with it's opamps swapped for HDAM modules. The more I think about that the more I want to try it .....Back to the Zero....Mids are outstanding,highs are outstanding,bass is outstanding.........you get the picture. My conclusion is thus....the HDAM is simply in another league all it's own. I don't think it's fair to expect the 627 to compete with the HDAM at half it's cost and yet if you decide to go with the 627's in the DAC section you'll be getting about 75% of what HDAM offers. Is that last 25% worth of performance worth double the cost of the HDAM over the BBOPA627's ? An unequivocal YES IMHO.

I've been researching on the HDAM at Head-Fi since ccschua mentioned it a few days earlier. Everyone who has tried it seems to be very happy with the SQ. But ccschua also mentioned that a new opamp that can be even better will be out in a few months....

So... ccschua, we wait for the new opamp or we start a bulk on the HDAM?

I'm interested to join if someone want's to bulk the HDAM...

I suggest we wait for coming soon discrete opamp for one more month, if things wont come out, we only conduct a bulk of HDAM, I will keep on tracking with the designer, no worries