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Fidelizer’s next year server

 in News

Nimitra server was introduced in TAV 2016 event in Thailand for the first time as an affordable highend server that worked its way to be reach Stereophile’s cover page in just a year. This accomplishment means a lot for products to be released in future.

I started receiving custom version of Nimitra server inquiries right after launching Nimitra and build a few custom units from time to time. This time is quite special with some unique features and has potentials for next year’s plan so I’d like to share the results before shipping today.

 

Fidelizer's Next Year Server - 1

Fidelizer's Next Year Server - 2

Fidelizer's Next Year Server - 3

 

This special custom server unit will be sent to our special guest who’s been patiently waiting for 3 months. I normally ship Nimitra and Nikola in 1-2 weeks but this boy needs a lot of research and development for new features so it is actually quite fast.

This is the first single box solution packed with a lot of new features. It’s quite a surprise that I found myself working on custom builds for customers wanting to afford more for better qualities and I’ll have my next custom server in car audio for the first time.

Fidelizer Mod’s inspection for Cowon Plenue 1

 in News

I’ve been modifying audio gear for clients in Thailand for many years as a hobby. I figured I should share my research in Fidelizer website from now on so I’ll start the first one with Cowon Plenue 1. I’ll write my past projects in future when I have time.

I received Cowon Plenue 1 from my client for about a month now. He said it sounds quite bland and narrow requiring EQ to make it Plenue more juicy. Now it’s time for Plenue 1 to shine after modifying a few DX200 and X5iii with Fidelizer Ultimate Mod.

 

Fidelizer Mod - Cowon Plenue 1

 

Cowon Plenue 1 has quite interesting digital audio implementation. It uses Burrbrown PCM1792A DAC chipset with Wolfson WM8998 audio hub for interface. Before we continue with analog stage implementation, let’s see how PCM1792A works.

 

 

As you can see, PCM1792A has balanced output configuration requiring I/V stage for output stage. From our inspection, we found 3 x OPA1612 op amp doing the following jobs.

2 x OPA1612: I/V and LPF stage
1 x OPA1612: Output and buffer stage

The I/V stage will have two small pot for each channel to adjust voltage output. I thought about calibrating voltage output too as I did before with FX-Audio DAC-X6 DAC but the board was put behind display panel so I can’t do measurements during operation, let alone listening.

So I decided to use different opamps with similar specifications from different models instead. Output and buffer stage can be replaced with more powerful ones but I’ll pick ones that won’t draw too much current and retain similar sound signature.

I also thought about upgrading capacitors too but it needs to be very thin so I’ll look around for a while and see if I can find better capacitors to upgrade. I’ll upgrade battery wiring with high quality ones that should keep Cowon sound signature with other internal tweaks.

I thought using dedicated audio hub WM8998 with separated clock will have potentials for upgrading clock modules inside but it doesn’t look like I can find any information about its frequency like I did on Oppo UDP-205 recently (Will post about that later).

I think I can modify Cowon Plenue 1 DAP up to Signature level if I can find any worthwhile parts for additional improvements. For Reference level, I think upgrading opamps alone would be suffice for important parts. He should be happy without having to keep changing EQ now.

Added X5iii Enhanced ROM feedback from Yasuaki

 in Feedback

Here’s another feedback today from Fiio X5iii customer. He sent me his feedback after troubleshooting ROM support with his Android application project.

Hello

Enhanced ROM is impressed with the wonderful sound. X5 3rd has been reborn as DAP with over $1000. I’m really glad to purchase it. I really appreciate your contribution.

Best Regards,
Yasuaki

So glad to hear $50 Enhanced ROM can make Fiio X5iii reborn as DAP with over $1,000 for customer. 🙂

Added Nimitra feedback from Vaughan

 in Feedback

Here’s a new feedback today from Fidelizer Nimitra customer in United Kingdom. I received his feedback after assisting him with Nimitra setup with Roon.

Hi Keetakawee

The Nimitra is sounding very good indeed. With the usb drive plugged into the USB 2.0 input, the sound is much more cohesive and musical. It also works well with Roon – very smooth interface.

Regards
Vaughan

I’m glad to hear more good things about Nimitra from customers in UK. Elite Audio is also our distributor too. 🙂

Added Nikola linear power supply feedback from Hein

 in Feedback

Here’s another feedback today for Nikola linear power supply. He’s a customer who bought Nikola from Elite Audio distributor.

I’m very happy with the Nikola Power Supply Unit which I bought at Elite Audio in Europe… It is truely amazing what it does while ‘only’ delivering 12 Volt… To be honest: as a scientist I never believed very much in power supplies but apparently there is a lot of noise and other stuff that influences the signal from the DAC. So the Elite guys persuaded me to do a trial for 30 days.
It was a very good decision! The sound is more clear and you hear much more details, even for my older ears. There is much more refinement and so many things I never heard. Even on albums which I have heard intensively more than a hundred times!!

During the first impression I was a bit confused since the details were there as I described above but on the other hand: it was as if the music was a bit restricted. But this appears to be the effect of the burn-in of the PSU! After one day it was already gone and after two days the stage was better than I ever heard. I emailed Keetakawee and he answered that the burn-in takes up to 200 hours. So I had still some improvement ahead!! What I heard in the days that followed is that nearly every day the sound stage and the body of the music become broader and deeper. Of course this ends in a few weeks but the effect is phenomenal!
I’m thrilled by the clarity, the position of instruments and voices, the richness of the sound and the fine musical detail that I can now hear in my recordings: truly recommended!! Give it a trial..

Nikola linear power supply is the best engineering design tested with Esoteric/dCS/Emm Labs as reference sources.