HL tears the ES9038 DAC down to the bones for a full hardware upgrade! In stage 1 of upgrades, I worked on the analog side of the board, replacing nearly all the stock parts, including: resistors, DIP-8 sockets, and capacitors. The results have been impressive, giving a much more reference leaning tone. (ELNA SILMIC Super Gold included)
Update On Dual-DIP SS2590 + Loose DAC DIP8 (Peek at New IsoRegen)
After spending weeks trying to figure out why I was getting random noise, coming out of my digital equipment, I found the cause. I noticed that it kept coming through, with nearly every op-amp. I figured out my DIP8 socket (on the ES9038 DAC) was faulty. It feels like it has lost all pin tension. The larger op-amps, especially those with lifted DIP8 adapters, tended to fall out of the socket. The review should be out in September. This is mainly due to the number of op-amps involved in the testing process. Which is also why, these sockets are very important.
I also acquired an UpTone Audio IsoRegen, as this is a must for HiFi on a Home-HPC. This totally isolates the USB 2.0 line from the power supply in the computer itself. This is something I had been wanting to get for a while. Got lucky and found one for less than half the normal cost. It looks to be barely used, with the stock power supply, all in great condition.
More Sansui AU-517 (10D7C Diode -> MUR1520 Latching Fix)
Tore down the AU-517 once again, to get at the Power & Protection circuit. I made a mistake in replacing the 10D7C silicon diodes and hoping this fixes the relay issue.
Update to Kenwood C-2 Pre-Amp Page (Re-Cap Complete)
You can find the complete C-2 page here. Capacitors Used Include: ELNA SILMIC-II/SILMIC-II ARS/ToneRex, Nichicon Muse/Muse-ES/Fine Gold/FW and a Siemens/EPCOS 1uF MKP output capacitor. Previous Mod: 16V Zener Diode Mod to allow Modern Discrete Op-Amps from Burson Audio.
Sansui AU-517 Complete Re-Cap/Restoration | It’s Alive; Updated 3/27/19
The first part of my Sansui AU-517/717 restore guide, from recapping to finding those pesky shorted diodes. Not to mention how daunting it is just to remove and then rewire all the PCB’s! Here I hope to help shed some light on the subject.