# A modified Gizmo - first impressions



## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

Through the generosity of Dweekie here and on AV123, I am trying out a modified Gizmo. He had read my posts regarding the distortion I was hearing, and touched base to discuss his plans to mod this amp.

Overall, the tweaks performed are as follows:

- Bypass opamps on input (but they are still in the sub out path)
- Speaker outputs are full range, bypass x-over
- Sub out functional with front panel volume
- Replaced Electrolytic caps and input/output caps

Some specifics 



Dweekie said:


> The speaker outputs are full range, and the sub-out still goes through the opamps/crossover. You will likely get a startup pop on the sub when you first plug it in because I used some larger input/output caps on the sub portion (I didn't have the exact value I wanted to use handy). Again, this is untested by me, so I suggest using a test sub first
> 
> I was mostly held back by size constraints with part selection. Mod parts are:
> 
> ...


Other discussions, regarding power



Dweekie said:


> The stock power supply is 28V / 33 Watts. After reading your pm, I thought I would try out my 24V 650 Watt power supply ($800 at allied electronics ). You can clearly hear the original stock power supply limitations. My 12V / 60W power supply I sent you before will run the Gizmo at a slightly lower power output (minus the subwoofer function), although the difference in power isn't that much compared to the stock 28V supply.


So, with all that in mind, I played the Modded Gizmo (MG) off and on for a few days, listening more critically every now and then.

This weekend, I got some good time in with it, and was able to compare it a bit to the Stock Gizmo (SG). Since I have the issue of overload with line level input, I used the SG with a Belles Soloist 3 preamp. So a bit apples to oranges, but I think a useful comparison, since most would need some sort of variable output source for SG.

Is the MG a success? Absolutely! Functionally, it cured the issue of overload for me. The sub out, something Dweekie was not able to test, works fine with the front panel volume control.

For subjective results, I'd say there is a stronger and tighter bass, more transparency, and a more extended upper treble (a TINY bit harsh at times, but I fully expect this to abate with more playing time. It may be my imagination, but it already seemed better after perhaps just 20-30 hours worth of running/listening).

The bass is tough to compare, since the SG rolls off speaker output, even with bass boosted. I felt, though, that the MG had not only some expected deeper extension, but that the quality was better: tighter, more integrated with the rest of the signal. Maybe the caps that were replaced?

The Belles-driven SG was no slouch by any means. A little elss transparent/detailed, a slightly softer top end, but a slightly fuller sound with a certain weighty presence. I used to own 2 other Belles products (250i integrated, 20A preamp), and both had this presence in spades. The Soloist 3 has some family resemblance, even if not the same level as the other two products I had.

I am going to also try the 12V PS Dweekie mentioned in my quoted PM above. It has driven a NuForce Icon and a magiDAC very well. Of course, I won't be testing the sub out with it, since the opamps require higher voltage.

So first and second impressions are great, a big thanks to Dweekie for the work he did. I'm hoping the pics below show some of it well enough, though I did notice some of his wires looked to be soldered under the board, so it may not be 100% clear via the pics. Thanks, too, to Craig, I felt I should get his OK to post this, and he was fine with it.

Not sure when I'll get another good chunk of time to continue the listening, but the bottom line message I wanted to get out is that the Gizmo responds well to mods. It makes the v1.0 an even greater deal for those DIY-inclined, especially with the $50 off a future product deal for those 1.0 buyers keeping theirs.

Accessing the board is easy enough: simply remove the front 4 screws and take off the plate - careful of the small buttons, they are loose. You can or can choose not to remove the board shown in the pic below; the cover slides out, albeit with a bit of difficulty. Removing the board may make it easier.

Of course, all caveats about modding apply! IE, no way in **** would I try this myself... :nervous:

Misc note:

Associated equipment:
- Toshiba SD-4000 DVD player, digital out to Promitheus NOS DAC
- Oritek X-1 IC's to MG, or to Belles
- (When Belles in) DIY magnet wire IC's to SG
- Kimber 8TC speaker cable to ELT525M's
- Sub is older Infinity 10" Servo

Music:
- Loreena McKennitt - An Ancient Muse
- Ani Difranco - Up Up Up Up Up Up
- Einsturzende Neubauten - Alles Wieder Offen

Pics 1 through 4 of stock Gizmo (SG), 5 through 9 of modded Gizmo (MG) - as if one couldn't tell! Not a lot of room to do the mods, so it may not be pretty; but the sound speaks for itself.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

Whoa, looks like a trainwreck in there. You can notice some mistakes and poor soldering and poor wire management as I tried a few different mods. I feel like I need to do another one so these pictures can be replaced :embarass: 

Thanks for the review. Did you notice a significant pop on for the subwoofer?
If anyone wants to tackle the mods themselves, I'll try to answer your questions. 

For a different mod, I've been trying to convince some people to run dual mono power amps with these. The crossover and volume control will be rendered useless, but it will sound a lot better. It should match well with a DacMan in a triple stack since it has volume functions. If you have a pair or want to get a pair done for the cost of parts, send me a message. I'm pretty sure you will be very surprised at how good these things can sound. At $200 - $100 in credit for a pair, it is one **** of a deal before supplies run out.


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## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

No worries, Dweekie, the sound is what matters first! :thumbsup: To be able to fit anything of good quality in there is a small miracle.

In regards to sub popping noise, I kept the volume of the sub down when first plugged in, so no issue. I did get a pop with the stock, and just this minute tried the modded one without turning the sub down. Yes, a pop; not really much worse than stock. I'd still recommend turning sub down before powering, just in case (for modded AND stock, actually).


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## craigsub (Sep 9, 2006)

Dweekie ... Thank you for not only starting this, but for being willing to support this. 

This Mono-Bloc idea is outstanding. Waf-1's are going to be an honest 50 Hz bookshelf speaker ... and DAC-Man, Waf-1's and 2 Mono Blocks modded will be ... let's use a "high estimate" for the DAC-Man and Waf-1's ... with shipping

Two Gizmos............ $215
Pair of WAF-1's ...... $229
DAC-Man .............. $199

Total ................... $643
Credit ................. $100

Net for a true High end system ... $543. 

Plus of course, the cost of the mods.


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## craigsub (Sep 9, 2006)

Todd ... Thank you for all the hard work. One thing that riled me up was the change in power supply from our OEM. 

This little amp has a lot of potential, and your (with dweekie's help) tweaking also makes me excited for the 45 WPC integrated we are planning.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

craigsub said:


> One thing that riled me up was the change in power supply from our OEM.


This was what I played around with for fun. http://www.alliedelec.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?SKU=800-0225

It's a bit overkill and not very cost effective, but where's the fun if you don't overdo it? :crazy: It certeinly sounded better, but I really wouldn't recommend purchasing one.......


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## emac (Feb 13, 2008)

This is terrific work, dweekie! It does look like a trainwreck in there, but that's to be expected since it's the first time that you'd worked on it and there's not as much space available as you'd like. I know that some of my projects have ended up looking a lot worse. 

As a thought, since it's pretty difficult to figure out what you did just by looking at the pics, is it possible to give a bit clearer instructions for those people who are interested in doing the mods? 

And I'm all for the idea of modding them to be mono-blocks. Definitely be among the best cost effective monos available.


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## craigsub (Sep 9, 2006)

I just looked at the power supply that was with the Prototype, and it is a 24 V x 3.5 Amp supply.

I have only been using the prototype ... What power supply did Stephen put into the production units ?


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## mditty (Oct 9, 2010)

Output is rated: 28V 2000ma


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

Let me see if I can put some basic details out. The goal was to simplify the signal path as much as possible. What I wanted to do was to reroute the signal in this manner:

RCA - dc blocking cap - resistor - volume chip - dc blocking cap - amp chip - inductor - binding post

Starting from the beginning, I needed to isolate the RCA inputs from the rest of the circuit. I did this by removing R2 and R4 closest to the RCA sockets. Since the RCA sockets are through-hole, I soldered a wire to the left and right RCA socket legs protruding from the bottom of the board. 

Next came the dc blocking caps (Vitamin Q bypassing 2.2uf Nichicon ES). I glued these to an empty spot on the board and connected them to the RCA sockets. I needed a spot to tap back into the signal path, so I removed C2 and C29 and attached a wire to the ground (striped) leads of where those caps used to be, and I connected the other end of the wire to the Vitamin Q/Muse caps. This completes the path from the RCA to the volume chip since a resistor is already in place on the board between the newly attached wire and the volume chip.

From here, the work left to do is on the underside of the board. A smd capacitor and smd resistor is already in place between the volume chip and the amplifier. What we want to do is replace these comonents with a single high quaity cap. The smd caps can be identified as the closet smd caps to the cutout portion of the board. Immediately following the caps are the resistors, then the amp chip itself. I removed these caps and resistors, and I used the input pad of the smd cap and the output pad of the resistor to put my dc blocking caps into the circuilt path (Vitamin Q bypassing 4.7uf Nichicon ES) using wire leads. 

The last major cap in the signal path is the large 470uf electrolytic cap right next to the connectors for the speaker outputs (C35, C36). This is the final dc blockiing cap that needs to be addressed. The 470uf value is only good enough to be -3db at 40hz on an 8ohm speaker. Since I wanted a true full range output, I decided on 1000uf (Elna Silmic II) to get me -3db at 20hz. For 4ohm speakers at the same rolloff point, you would need 2200uf caps. A substitute for the Silmics will be the smaller Nichicon ES caps. 

Because the caps were so large, I could not fit them on the board as direct replacements. I removed the orginal C35 and C36 caps and put wire links in their place. Then, I cut the red leads of the speaker output wire and put the new caps in the pathway. I used some 2.2uf and 0.001uf caps I had on hand to bypass this cap. 

This sums up my method for full range conversion for the Gizmo. I'll sum up the subwoofer mod later.


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

Do you have a "no more blinking display when off" mod figured out yet? 

I figure if I get some free time this winter I might attempt the subwoofer volume control mod and maybe some cap upgrades, but I will want to keep the crossover in place (perhaps mod it though). While I am in there, fixing the blink would be icing on a very nice little cake.


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

craigsub said:


> This Mono-Bloc idea is outstanding.


You can't be serious?

Going into the winter and with Christmas on the horrizon, I would think any real man would be looking more toward the Doppelbock or "double bocks" saving the standard bocks or "mono-bocks" for the springtime.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

m-fine said:


> Do you have a "no more blinking display when off" mod figured out yet?
> 
> I figure if I get some free time this winter I might attempt the subwoofer volume control mod and maybe some cap upgrades, but I will want to keep the crossover in place (perhaps mod it though). While I am in there, fixing the blink would be icing on a very nice little cake.


Blinking light? Some duct tape will fix that  The properties of the display need to be programmed, and I am not one to do that sort of thing. But seriously, if you don't mind losing the dots, put a form fitting black electrical tape over them after taking off the plexiglass. I'm sure your brain will be able to figure out most of the numbers without them.....

As for the buffer/crossover portion, I haven't traced it and measured parts values, and I don't intend to. If you don't get distortion from the source, then it certeinly is a nice option to keep.


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

dweekie said:


> As for the buffer/crossover portion, I haven't traced it and measured parts values, and I don't intend to. If you don't get distortion from the source, then it certeinly is a nice option to keep.



So the input distortion is generated in the crosover portion of the circuit? I figured it was a too hot signal hitting the amp, but I guess you did not add any restance to the input chain. Hmmmm.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

You'll have to ask Skullguise how the volume levels differ between the two. I thought the modded one played quieter at the same indicated volume number, which would point to the buffer/crossover having a hot output. Just my guess though; other factors could be invovled.


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## woofersus (May 6, 2008)

So with these mods, the speakers will always play full range, right? I take it the idea would be to just adjust your sub to whatever the natural roll-off frequency of your speakers is.

Will DAC-Man have any xover functions? It would be nice to be able to high-pass the speakers somewhere for somebody who does intend to use a sub, especially for somebody like me who wants to use the setup for reference purposes rather than recreational listening. (of course I could just buy a much more expensive amp, but I'm not in that place just now)

The dual mono idea is a cool one. It's a **** cheap way to double your power at the current pricing of 1st gen gizmos. I keep trying to think of an excuse to buy another but haven't found a use yet.


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

That DAC-MAN will probably not have a crossover. You would not want it too since it would be before the split to the sub and it would simply kill all bass (unless they added a separate sub out). 

My thought is to modify the gizmo in a way that leaves the crossover in place, and possibly add a switchable bypass for when I want it full range. It should not be much harder than what Dweekie did, although you will need to drill a new port for the switch and the cramped quarters may be even more cramped depending on what size caps you try to pile in there.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

I think I can visualize a way to get the full range/highpass switch in there. M-fine, are you going to give the mods a go on your unit?


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

dweekie said:


> I think I can visualize a way to get the full range/highpass switch in there. M-fine, are you going to give the mods a go on your unit?


Yes, but not until Decmber at the earliest, and more likely in January or February when I get some time off from work. I'll send you some PM's when I get ready to order parts.


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## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

dweekie said:


> You'll have to ask Skullguise how the volume levels differ between the two. I thought the modded one played quieter at the same indicated volume number, which would point to the buffer/crossover having a hot output. Just my guess though; other factors could be invovled.


Sorry, just saw this. I have to say, I'm getting quite impressive volume from the MG and ELT525's, and the MG is only on 08-10! 

It's tough to compare to SG, as any full-volume input distorts for me, no matter what level it is.....


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## imported_m-fine (Mar 15, 2008)

To compare (if you want to indulge our curiosity) setup the SG with the pre-amp and some volume that works for you. Using the pre-amp, volume level untouched, move the inputs and speaker connections to MG (set at some volume as SG on the front panel) and check if it is louder or softer.

Or, if you are lazy, you can just pretend you did all that and just tell us louder or softer and we will probably believe you.


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## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

m-fine said:


> To compare (if you want to indulge our curiosity) setup the SG with the pre-amp and some volume that works for you. Using the pre-amp, volume level untouched, move the inputs and speaker connections to MG (set at some volume as SG on the front panel) and check if it is louder or softer.
> 
> Or, if you are lazy, you can just pretend you did all that and just tell us louder or softer and we will probably believe you.


Well, I AM lazy - at least according to the wife - but can certainly do this. Will try to get to it tonight.


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## Superior Audio (Feb 27, 2008)

m-fine said:


> To compare (if you want to indulge our curiosity) setup the SG with the pre-amp and some volume that works for you. Using the pre-amp, volume level untouched, move the inputs and speaker connections to MG (set at some volume as SG on the front panel) and check if it is louder or softer.
> 
> Or, if you are lazy, you can just pretend you did all that and just tell us louder or softer and we will probably believe you.


Now thats funny right there! :rock::applause::thumbsup:


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## skullguise (Apr 17, 2008)

Well, the SG is definitely more powerful.

Set both SG and MG at 30 level. Drove with my Belles pre at volume control on midnight, and the SG has a good bit more power.

Don't have an SPL meter available, but I'd say it's at least 4-6db more powerful! However, when I turn up the MG to attain about the same volume, it definitely sounds better to me.


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## dweeke (Oct 30, 2006)

skullguise said:


> Well, the SG is definitely more powerful.
> 
> Set both SG and MG at 30 level. Drove with my Belles pre at volume control on midnight, and the SG has a good bit more power.
> 
> Don't have an SPL meter available, but I'd say it's at least 4-6db more powerful! However, when I turn up the MG to attain about the same volume, it definitely sounds better to me.


Thanks for doing the test. It's good to know I still have some short term memory left in me :idea:

I guess now we know a boost is located in the buffer/crossover.


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## mobileusa (Jan 15, 2010)

dweekie, 
you are the Ninja of the Gizmo world....


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