Singapore NoiSING 2005 DIY Audio Gathering

Report By Christopher Tan  

 

  Welcome to Enjoy the Music.com's second consecutive year covering the Singapore NoiSING -- DIY Audio Gathering. Their 2005 event was held on March 12th from 2pm to 6pm at the Sheraton Towers. Last year's show was a resounding success with both rooms crowded all day long! Due to that, and the call from more people wanting to exhibit their latest DIY creations, this year's show was literally inevitable! As before the show was split into two rooms; one mainly for high efficiency loudspeakers and vacuum state amplifiers, the other for CD players, transports, DACs and solid state amplifiers. I have to apologize first as I did not manage to get pictures of all gear that was demonstrated, the crowds that flocked to the show didn't provide much time to even stay in the rooms! Click here to see last years show report.

 

Pearl Room (Sources and Solid-State Amplifiers)

 

The exhibitors and friends help setup the stereo for the next audition. The reference speakers for most of the time were a pair of modified Gale 401s. The speakers were isolated from the table with some cones.

Various DACs and amplifiers on display in an adjoining lounge room.

 

A neatly assembled amplifier based on the LM3886TF power opamp from www.chipamp.com. Choice components include 1% Dale resistors; Elna electrolytic capacitors, silver mica and Philips MKP by pass capacitors.

 

Another "chipamp" design. This one uses the TDA7294 power opamp with a very generous power supply. The power supply & line stage is housed in the chassis directly beneath the amplifier circuit board and heatsink.

 

An opamp based line stage that uses the Burr-brown OPA2134 opamp, Elna Cerafine and Evox PP capacitors.

 

A zero over-sampling experiment using the TDA1545A DAC chip, CS8412 SPDIF decoder a tube based buffer.

 

A neatly assembled based on an Elektor kit. It uses PM1704 DAC, CS8414 S/PDIF decoder and AD1896 asynchronous sampling rate converter.

 

Another zero oversampling DAC in a cute little box! It uses the TDA1543 DAC chip and CS8412 S/PDIF decoder. Premium parts were used including Black Gate, Elna Cerafine capacitors, Riken Ohm & Dale resistors.

 

Alas the owner was too shy to show us the innings. This is a very heavily modified Denon DVD player. It has a clock upgrade that has an external battery power supply. The power supply, output stage opamps, bypass capacitors, resistors, fuse, wiring, IEC inlet and RCA jacks were all replaced. Chassis and CD drive was dampened and feet replaced.

 

A modified Pioneer CD player with the stable platter transport mechanism. It has a modified power supply, upgraded capacitors and opamps in the output stage.

 

On showcase was a modified Shanling CD player. Few of us have seen this player and most were impressed at the build quality. The CD player has an improved clock with its own power supply.

 

This Sony CD player has in effect, gone through a makeover, coming out with Elna Cerafine and Sanyo Os-Con capacitors and Burr Brown opamps in the output stage.

 

With the current interest in Sonic Impact's battery powered Tripath amplifier, there was no surprise a pair was brought to the show. The mods if any, were unknown but it is hooked to a large SLA battery and has some short lengths of ???.

 

This is also a Tripath based amplifier, a Japanese kit using the TA2020 chip. Housed in a very smart aluminum case, its used by the owner to drive just the midrange and highs in his loudspeaker system.

 

An amplifier based on Nelson Pass' Zen V7 design.

 

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