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Buffalo II - Assembly for the Electronically Bewildered.

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I spent most of today putting all the bits into the Modushop case - can't quite finish it yet 'cos I need another Placid to power MUX & TOS -

P1010105-Edit.jpg


finished-buff-rear.jpg


I think I'll also have the front panel engraved, rather than do my usual crooked Lectroset job...
 
Tony that's bloody good work that is :) Glad you got the trident issue sorted.

This UK company might be good to try for the engraving. The prices seem reasonable and the quality looks good. I'm going to get quotes for my Buffalo and NCC amp.

http://www.thebeast.co.uk/cnc/

However you might need to submit your design in .dxf or .dwg format for the CNC machine. I might be able to help with this if I can find some free design software to use. Does anybody have any recommendations?
 
Suffolk Tony said:
I spent most of today putting all the bits into the Modushop case - can't quite finish it yet 'cos I need another Placid to power MUX & TOS -
I think I'll also have the front panel engraved, rather than do my usual crooked Lectroset job...
Click to expand...


Very nice work Tony. I have to confess that I am getting my Case engraved by Modushop :D

I have my boards all ready to go but have been stymied by having no TOSLINK cable. On order now and waiting for music to play!

Cheers

Gareth
 
LoBo said:
Tony that's bloody good work that is :) Glad you got the trident issue sorted.

This UK company might be good to try for the engraving. The prices seem reasonable and the quality looks good. I'm going to get quotes for my Buffalo and NCC amp.

http://www.thebeast.co.uk/cnc/

However you might need to submit your design in .dxf or .dwg format for the CNC machine. I might be able to help with this if I can find some free design software to use. Does anybody have any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link Rich. I note he'll only do anodised, not brushed aluminium so I wouldn't be able to send him my 10mm front panel.

(From sq225917) "That's a 555 beater right there."
Click to expand...

What's the obsession with beating the sound quality of a 555? :D

Lots of digital replay I've heard comes desperately close, really close; and the Buffalo's up there. But a 555 has a certain effortless, musical quality that always wins with me. Sometimes this isn't evident until you've listened for a while, and given the 555's horrendous cost these days I perhaps wouldn't lash out on one now. But there ain't nothing like one around at the moment...

The Buffalo sounds a heck of a lot better now it's all been fixed in its case and the cabling properly done - I've been enjoying it at very substantial volume levels which is always a good test.

Wonder what the dual-mono version brings to the party?
 
Suffolk Tony said:
What's the obsession with beating the sound quality of a 555? :D
Click to expand...

Whilst noting your smiley - Very few on here have heard let alone owned the almost mythical 555 and the possibility that with a bit of DIY effort and 300 quid or so, it could be approached, matched or even beaten is a very appealing thought. I have a tweaked CD3 which is reckoned by a few to exceed the performance of much higher range Naim CDP's and I am very interested to compare the Buffalo fed with my media PC to it.

We love to get a bargain I guess :D
 
Suffolk Tony said:
You're always welcome to come & have a listen!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the invitation, but i am few thousands kilometers from You. Maybe one day, when i will visit GB ...

Today i finished soldering. It took much longer, than i thought. First cleaning the legs of each component with lighter fuel, than checking if the component is right labeled (in my case the resistors R17-R20 where labeled as R25-R26 and there was another pair of R25-R26), than carefully soldering and checking with the magnifying glass if everything is OK. Always repeating this procedure for four-six components, begining with the smallest parts.

I was also trying to have resistors and mkp caps in both channels (if possible) oriented in the same way, because from my experience there is always a very small audible difference depending on the direction of the component and i want to have both channels absolutely identical.

I think that soldering of Placid + BP Placid + Legato + few parts on DAC PCB took me alltogether ~ 12 hours in few days.

Here the pictures:

1. Placid
IMG_4727.jpg


2. BP Placid

IMG_4729.jpg


3. Legato

IMG_4731.jpg


4. Possible configuration, version 1

IMG_4734.jpg


5. Possible configuration, version 2

IMG_4737.jpg


6. Royal Wedding :) Legato married to Buffalo:

IMG_4739.jpg


I wanted to check it and connect it during this weekend, but i need few days off, so i will continue next week ;)

Have a nice weekend :cool::D
 
A few days behind Tony but the TOSLINK cable turned up this morning so here is the prototype board setup.


IMG00081-20110430-1559.jpg


And plugged into my DIY dominated system

IMG00083-20110430-1559-1.jpg


So how did I get on - The setup was purchased second hand from the US a few weeks ago and was working but setup without the BAL/SE or the buffer and using I2I input. I also purchased the Legato 3 FET's from Tony and my board is a Legato ver I so I had to bodge the fets to get 12 where once there were 4. So a fair bit of soldering and making the Optical interface for the SPDIF input later I was able to setup and test the Placids successfully.

I don't have a DAC other than the Buffalo so my media PC was outputting to the analog outputs currently running J River. I reconfigured the PC to use the SPDIF and J River setup for Digital output.

Set a track playing and .............. nothing - bugger! Then spent about an hour checking all the settings in the software and had reluctantly - with a sinking feeling in my stomach - come to the conclusion that there was an issue with the DAC. Disconnected it and took it into the workshop and happened to notice the switch to select SPDIF was turned the other way - Doh! That will teach me not to read the instructions thoroughly

Switched it over, plugged in again and heavens to Betsy, it worked and FMOB what Bass!!!!!!!!! (more of that later). Once I finished leaping around the room I setup a CD in my modded CD3 and the same track in J River for a quick comparison.

My modded CD does have the Naim boogie still and the Buffalo/Media player does not quite match the initial excitement but instantly you can tell it is is a classy act and does seem to soften the edge of the CD3. The volume crept up and up as I dug deeper into the analysis. as I mentioned before the bass is astonishing, even better than the Xerxes, the top end is very sweet and beguiling and a clear midrange. Attack with a Buddy Rich drum solo was visceral and the whole system is grooving like a B*****d.

Very happy with it, I will clearly be keeping the CD3 and continuing to modify it as it does bring something to the party but the convenience of the Media PC with Buffalo II allayed to the quality will see it used a very large percentage of the time.

Cheers

Gareth

PS Tony, I would love to hear your system someday if possible - I can bring wine/beer/sacrificial virgins :cool:
 
Hi,

Today i am adjusting all the modules of the Buffalo. I already adjusted Placid without load & with load, BP Placid without load & with load. Everythings seems to work perfect :)

Now i have to adjust the Legato module, and i have a question.

In the Legato manual it is written:

"Adjust VR1 and VR2 until the + and – inputs measure approximately 0V DC (do not worry if it is not exactly 0V, it is not critical)."

At which points exactly should i measure the DC ? Across the "+" an "-" of the three legs inputs ? Or across "+" and GND and than across "-" and GND ?

And then :

"To go the extra mile:
(Very carefully) Measure AVCC (on the Buffalo, at the output of the AVCC module)
Adjust VR1 and VR2 on the Legato until each of the inputs sit as close to AVCC/2 as possible.
Don't sweat over this very much. Testing has shown that anything close is just fine."

Should i connect Buffalo PCB only to Placid and measure the output ?

Should i measure the DC on the AVCC outputs across the "+" an "-" of the outputs ? Or across "+" and GND and than across "-" and GND ?

Any hints ?
 
tomek said:
Hi,

Today i am adjusting all the modules of the Buffalo. I already adjusted Placid without load & with load, BP Placid without load & with load. Everythings seems to work perfect :)

Now i have to adjust the Legato module, and i have a question.

In the Legato manual it is written:

"Adjust VR1 and VR2 until the + and – inputs measure approximately 0V DC (do not worry if it is not exactly 0V, it is not critical)."

At which points exactly should i measure the DC ? Across the "+" an "-" of the three legs inputs ? Or across "+" and GND and than across "-" and GND ?
Click to expand...

Across "+" and GND and than across "-" and GND. They will be symmetrical around GND, so you really only need to measure the one half.


tomek said:
And then :

"To go the extra mile:
(Very carefully) Measure AVCC (on the Buffalo, at the output of the AVCC module)
Adjust VR1 and VR2 on the Legato until each of the inputs sit as close to AVCC/2 as possible.
Don't sweat over this very much. Testing has shown that anything close is just fine."

Should i connect Buffalo PCB only to Placid and measure the output ?

Should i measure the DC on the AVCC outputs across the "+" an "-" of the outputs ? Or across "+" and GND and than across "-" and GND ?

Any hints ?
Click to expand...

AVCC is single ended, and you will prob. see around 3.4v. Then measure the input pins of the Legato (just do +IN to GVD) and adjust to AVCC/2 - with the DAC unconnected.

Above is from memory, but it used to be ok - the memory.
 
Thanks avr300 :)

I measured around 1.75V across the + and GND at AVCC output. It is the half of the voltage you have mentionned :( ?

Anyway - i set the DC on Legato L and R input to 1,75/2=0,875V and connected everything.

The DAC is playing the music !

Sound quality is very, very good.

The best compliment was from my girlfriend. She heard a music being in another room and she was thinking, that i am again doing experiments with some expensive turntable :)

The only critical point at the moment - sound is little to slow, there is not so much of famous "PRAT", but i believe, that later i can play with some caps on Legato and change it and probabably after few few days of "burn in" the sound will change in a positive way.

Here some pics:

IMG_1913.jpg


IMG_1916.jpg


IMG_1918.jpg


OK, now i have listen to some music :D:D:D
 
Tomek, if you can draw yourself away from it I'd double check the avcc output voltage again. From memory I was getting around 3.5v, avr mentions 3.4v above.
 
Ouch !

I looked at the AVCC module and i have probaly measured the wrong output close to AVCC out - something like DVCC ?

I will check it and adjust properly tomorrow.

Thanks for this really great SUPPORT !

Now i have to see the fresh downloaded House S07E20 :)
 
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