Firstly, just "paralleling small caps to big caps is a failed bypass". Simply put, it's not enough to just "parallel them" alone. You have to make sure the smaller bypass (decoupling) caps are close enough to the main circuit such as the OPAMP.

This is so that you give as low as possible impedance over a larger frequency of AC.

Smaller film caps and other variants have a lower impedance at much higher frequencies comparing to big electrolytics. This is why we parallel them. Of course ideally if we have huge capacitance values of film caps we'll ditch electrolytics completely. However this is not the case and we still need electrolytics because they offer huge capacitance on a much smaller footprint.


Looking at the pictures, only one thing to complain, LEADS TOO LONG. Not only you raise impedance but you also increase the susceptibility to magnetic field induced noise. So honestly don't follow whatever that guy did and if you want to make sure the leads are much shorter.



Bypass caps just use whatever you see fit. I normally just use a maximum of three stages of caps. Silver micas are VERY good but they are usually too small in capacitance. I only use Silver Micas for the signal path usually for limiting bandwidth. As for power supply decoupling, my favourites are Metal Polyesters, Metal Polyproplenes, Ceramics (X7R, C0G/NP0 grade), and good quality Tantalums. I usually use ceramics and tantalums paralleled to electrolytics these days due to space constraint. Another good configuration would be metal Polyproelenes paralleled to electrolytics. The idea is to parallel these type of caps to electrolytics and yet make them very close to the main circuit that you're decoupling. The type of configurations is up to your tastes and depends on the circuit you're trying to decouple.

On the point of wires and lead lengths.

Just like i've always said, anything longer 5mm is an antenna. (although the real formula is Lamda = C / Frequency). Thus if you have a 15cm unshielded cable like many do with their Sun/Moon opamps, using the half wave model, generally 15 cm will net you about give or take 10 Mhz noise.

The fact the wires are straight adds to the loop size where magnetically induced noise and electromagnetic radiation can go in.

On the issue of caps i use large value silver micas but they cost a bomb which is hard to justify in the eyes of most of my customers, but i think Madman's Zero is one of the only mods in which i used them because he told me to go wild. Usually in signal path filters or for DC bypass.

Just like any good Electronics person, choose the capacitor that fits the bill.

Sorry I jump the component.

DIODE, ULTRA-FAST, 1A, 1000V as compare to FAST UF4007, any gain or not. I was told putting the ultra-fast, <5nS will give tighter bass.

Empy,

the silver mica is daylight robbery. if it serve a purpose I dont mind.

Can I use 220pF for the ZERO DAC signal decoupling or I just stick to the design 22pF silver mica.

fun stuff to do over your weekend =)
i did this mod because i cannot afford the expensive capacitors and opapms
nobody taught me how to happy.gif just do it at own risk but it was fun!

ok here is the original cheapo jamicon,wincap and some nichicon

if you are noobie at this like me then you might want to do this soldering technique
if you leave the solder there for too long, you might burn your precious component

to desolder the original caps, first you must apply a little more flux cored solder on each leg real fast (don't let it get too hot) then you heat both legs stimutanously while using your fingers to pull the capacitor out over the other side. If you burn your fingers, it means its getting too hot =) so its a free warning. try to do this real quick (you can practice this with broken stuff if available) apply flux paste a little round the area before soldering helps not burning your components. do not worry about the mess, you can clean up with alcohol later.

hehe i forgot that you need to source for capacitors of the same value before actually dismantling your sound card. i got most of my elnas and panasonics from old car cassette head units donated, stolen and discarded. =)
i bought a few sblives from garage sales just in case i killed something, but i got right on the 2nd try. YAY!



earlier, i put in big caps at the output but not really happening cause the sounds strange.
you get most big difference if you change the caps at the output but if you change all, of course better la. don't let the 1 bad apple ruin your whole basket right? no? i don't know... i just try to hantam change as many as i can =)

ok now comes the hard part. leave a small amount of solder on the holes from the previous cap or add some more until you can 'double' solder to melt both while pushing the new cap in from the other side. make sure you do it fast as not to burn anything. again, practice makes perfect! the suck suck thingy helps when you get to much solder on your crap.

it might look like a random recap job but i started to replace caps from the big chip thingy to the outputs first because i do not have enough parts =(

a few burnt fingers later (imanoob). i tested it on a 'disposable' computer. and HEY! it works on the first go!
i don't bother to clean up hehe cause im lazy and went sampling sounds to songs on my headphones! wooo hoooo~ sounds great!!! sounds much more awesomer than the stock ones.



no need long to 'burn-in' caps haha so fast rolling oledi.

if you think you can help me improve my mod please do post replies! =)
THANK YOU　Najmods

This post has been edited by beggarmaster2000: Jul 9 2010, 09:18 PM

No problem, now here is some tips. To get the most from SB Live! you must use kX driver. Get it from here. Its a bit hard to use the driver but don't get ahead of yourself. Just use the stock setting first.

First after installing kX driver it will automatically change the default output to the rear channel (the black jack, not the green one). Why? Because the rear channel have separate Phillips DAC which are higher quality than the front AC-97 DAC

Your card is CT4830 which is the older SB Live! model but everything should work. I have the newer SB0100

version varies la! but i'll watch out for it =) i bought a few of it all no standard lol thanks neway

Yea there is other version of the card as well, SB0220 etc. But the core component are all the same

watch the price you paid for the mod, if it cross over RM60~RM80, its better to get urself a PCM270X and it's sound better.

heheh its almost free cause i scrap from dead stuffs =)

anyway i bought too many sblives just in case i screw up. but i haven't yet!
so here is more entertaiment for you guys =)

my cousin's xplod exploded YAY so here goes.....

hmmn sounds MUCH better than original even though not change all yet
and i'm getting better at it.

so much fun! =)

ok i found some more parts for my crap


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Where you guys get those caps and op-amps? Any shop to introduce around pj area?

i'm looking for such components

hmmn i am poor, i just use 2nd hand parts scrapped from broken or dead or stolen haha
sorry, but i hope this helps for your smaller scale mods
and i also don't know where to buy those stuff other than rs-malysia and farnell which requires credits card

RS and Farnell got a few payment modes. Beside cc, you also bank in and mail them the bank in slip and M2U. Beside these 2 you can also find online at ebay, lelong, a few other web sites.

You can also find it at Jalan Pasar or Octave. There are many just use search to help you in this forum.

too aspensive la and limited range for begginers oct*ve,lel*ng bla bla ^_*
the market for this thing monopolice oleid =(

Thanks for the info...
Will try to search it again at Jalan Pasar...

Don't expect to find high quality product at Jalan Pasar. If there is some of those boutique caps/opamp you find, there is high probability that its fake

Yea agree...but fake op-amp i never seen before...
op-amp like LT1364 and LM4562 maybe need to try my luck.

@Cosef:I think at here can find,around RM20 per piece..for LT1364 IINM.

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1059717?hl=LT1364

Thanks to search engine.

Does anyone own an Auzen card ? Here's my mod.

This post has been edited by modteam: Jul 16 2010, 04:59 PM


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