Results of my Flying Mole Tweaks!

Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

146.148.99.40

OK, so last night I went ahead and swapped out the standard Si diodes in the amp switching section for Cree SiC Schottkys and...
First, some background. I have the Flying Mole DAD-M100proHT digital amps, which sound pretty good right out of the box, but since I never leave well enough alone, I soon felt the need to tweak. In order, I changed the binding posts from the crap stock ones to the Premium 5-way gold-plated ones from Dayton, changed the RCA jack to the premium gold-plated from Dayton, bypassed the volume pot so that the input signal goes directly into the board, and replaced the input coupling cap with a Black Gate 10uF, 50V N-type. Then I decided to go to work on the power supply, so I replaced the stock D3SBA60 rectifier bridge with an IXYS 600V, 22A HyperFRED bridge, and finally, replaced the stock Si switching diodes with 600V, 4 A Cree SiC Schottkys.
The Results:
Bypassing the volume pot made a big difference in the clarity and transparency - not surprising since it is a poor quality pot that doesn't belong in a decent amp.
The Black Gate had a more minor effect - I could hear a little more clarity in the upper treble region, but it was much more subtle than the change from the volume pot removal.
The binding posts and RCA jack made no appreciable difference in the sound, but sure made it easier to hook up, and they look a lot nicer than the stock ones.
The IXYS HyperFRED replaced the stock Shindengen D3SBA60 bridge (D1 on the board) and definitely brought out more details, probably due to a lower noise background - the modded Mole seemed less rolled off at the top than the stock version, and cymbals had more shimmer. The install is a little complicated, since the pinouts are different between the stock and the IXYS: Pin 1 goes in slot 1, pin 2 in slot 4, pin 4 in slot 3 and pin 5 in slot 2. Pin 3 isn't used. I ended up cutting off pins 2, 3 and 5, and soldering hookup wire to pins 2 and 5 since the leads would have had to be twisted so much they would probably break (in fact I did break one on the first try).
The Cree SiC Schottkys are much easier to install, as they fit right into the eight board slots from the original 4 switching diodes (D2-D5), and they make a VERY noticable difference in the sound. The modded Mole had a much crisper, more detailed sound than the stock, with more emphasis on the upper mid and treble regions, where the stock is a little rolled off. I like the new sound a lot, but I prefer more detail - those who want a warmer, fuzzier sound most likely won't like it. Snare drums have more impact and brushes sound almost like they do live - I'm impressed.
All that said, the sound of the modded Moles is definitely more forward in the treble than it was previously. I like it, but others may not. When I get 4 more Moles to complete my 6.1 system, I will definitley mod them as well.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

K&K Audio / Lundahl Transformers

[ K&K Audio / Lundahl Transformers Forum ]

Topic - Results of my Flying Mole Tweaks! - Audiophile-in-Training 05:50:00 11/18/05 (6)

Re: Results of my Flying Mole Tweaks! - Jacques 09:01:34 11/19/05 (0)

Thanks much for the detailed description. - Al Sekela 15:19:00 11/18/05 (1)

New Observations (and NEW Speakers!) - Audiophile-in-Training 07:11:08 11/21/05 (0)

IXYS HyperFRED - tommytube 07:33:28 11/18/05 (2)

Re: IXYS HyperFRED Link - Audiophile-in-Training 08:05:10 11/18/05 (1)

Re: IXYS HyperFRED Link - tommytube 15:12:09 11/18/05 (0)

You can not post to an archived thread.