'Hotrodding the X-Fi' Upgrading an X-Fi in to a competitive DAC.

2010-06-10 23:12:19

#1

Defiance: Member; +438|6929

I'm in the market for a good DAC/Headphone amp and came across this topic on Head-Fi.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/226 … ide-no-56k

Essentially, you upgrade the primary channels opamp, the power supply cap, and put some EMI shielding on the whole card.

This looks like an interesting project, and definitely cheaper than buying a whole new DAC, so once I figure out why my car won't start, I'll pick up the parts needed for this stuff and report back.

In the meantime, here's this link if it interests you, and has anyone else done this already? From what I can read, swapping the opamp is easy but the power supply cap is a bitch.

2010-06-11 01:49:26

#2

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6455|Winland

The only thing that makes sense out of those is the use of extra shielding, and even that is quite far-fetched, seeing how most of the X-Fi cards live up to the noise floor spec of the components on them.

The op-amps are, while not being the best ones around, quite well suited for the task at hand. There is a potential for some performance gain by replacing them if you're driving something like high-impedance headphones hard, but if you're just using the card as a line source for a speaker system, it's negligible.

470µF is more than adequate for a filter cap for such low-power devices, especially since the voltage regulator is running at a quite high frequency.

In short, don't waste your time, it's just audiophile bullshit.

Edit:

After looking into the devices a little more, I must admit that the op-amps on the higher end X-Fi cards (the ones that use the CS4398) actually do make up a bit of a bottleneck. However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead. They're very well fit to the specs of that DAC.

Last edited by Freezer7Pro (2010-06-11 02:16:30)

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2010-06-11 03:43:47

#3

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6781|...

seems to me that the shielding would just contribute to cooking the card

2010-06-11 03:47:02

#4

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7030|PNW

In short, don't waste your time, it's just audiophile bullshit.

2010-06-11 23:53:20

#5

Defiance: Member; +438|6929

Freezer7Pro wrote:
However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead.

What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?

2010-06-12 02:46:44

#6

jsnipy: ...; +3,277|6781|...

Defiance wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead.
What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?

Disproportionately excessive effort to benefit

2010-06-12 06:40:29

#7

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6455|Winland

Defiance wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead.
What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?

There's no point in having a super duper op-amp acting as the output stage of a DAC that's already adding tenfold the distortion of it.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2010-06-12 07:19:11

#8

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7030|PNW

Freezer7Pro wrote:
Defiance wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead.
What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?
There's no point in having a super duper op-amp acting as the output stage of a DAC that's already adding tenfold the distortion of it.

Basically, the only point to doing it is from a hobbiest's point of view, and to get the experience of having done it under your belt. But if you just want to practice soldering, there's cheaper ways.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2010-06-12 07:20:55)

2010-06-12 11:23:47

#9

Freezer7Pro: I don't come here a lot anymore.; +1,447|6455|Winland

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
Defiance wrote:

What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?
There's no point in having a super duper op-amp acting as the output stage of a DAC that's already adding tenfold the distortion of it.
Basically, the only point to doing it is from a hobbiest's point of view, and to get the experience of having done it under your belt. But if you just want to practice soldering, there's cheaper ways.

No, there could very well be a point to it in some cases. It's just that the replacement parts the Head-Fi poster suggested are far more expensive than they need to be.

The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

2010-06-12 14:39:19

#10

Defiance: Member; +438|6929

jsnipy wrote:
Defiance wrote:
Freezer7Pro wrote:
However, I wouldn't recommend the LM4562 as replacements -- they're way overkill. I'd put something like 4580's there instead.
What do you mean when you say it would be overkill?
Disproportionately excessive effort to benefit

That doesn't seem right when an alternative device, being just as difficult to install, is recommended instead.

Freezer7Pro wrote:
It's just that the replacement parts the Head-Fi poster suggested are far more expensive than they need to be.

The opamp itself is free, so I'm not worried about that being overkill. The only cost I'm looking at right now is maybe the Cap, so this is either a $5 project or a $10 project depending on if I replace the cap, since I'm being told it is in fact disproportionately excessive effort to benefit.

...or a $250 project if I fuck up and get a desk DAC/Amp as I was originally planning instead.

BF2S Forums 'Hotrodding the X-Fi' Upgrading an X-Fi in to a competitive DAC.

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Defiance wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Defiance wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Defiance wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Defiance wrote:

jsnipy wrote:

Defiance wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

Freezer7Pro wrote:

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