THIS is the level of built quality and consideration I expect from High End equipment! Unlike the Tom Evans pre amp in Mark's recent video with its flimsy interior and "I don't believe in metal cases and proper shielding" snakeoil, looking like something slapped together in a hobby basemant, for about ten times the price!
Yup, thought the exact same thing... the design of this thing is beautiful. Is it all necessary? maybe, maybe not... I'll let other folks debate the benefits of the discrete components and ladder network of resistors. But there's some talented artists behind the design of this gear. bravo.
At the end of the day they both still failed though and this one failed for far worse reasons - cheap enameled winding wire. Tantilum caps aren't that cheap.
I thought the same thing :-) THIS is how things can look like, if you're not proud of just fiddeling together 10 pieces a year. And we're talking a 10th of the cost. How weird. And, no @fx-studio - there is no way to draw the conclusion, that this was a cheap transformer.
I dont think he will learn anything. Such persons are probably metally ill or hard on drugs to belief in such nosense they spread. If he builds 10 of theese junkyards every year he has a good income. Sad there are still idiots buying this crapbox.
Soo much effort, sooo much complexity, such an overkill for what basically is a 4-way switch with a potentiometer, albeit audiophile and with balanced I/Os, extreme filtering, magnetic shielding and all... Now, I wish they'd have gone the last few steps to perfection, like constructing the backplate to go in without bending and stressing the PCB, having transformers made properly with a healthy amount of reserve (say, leave a margin for like 260V mains, heck, why not even make it 300?) It's not like price is of any concern. I remember seeing some old broadcasting or recording studio equipment which is sometimes built like a tank. Not with tons of capacitors, but it can handle abuse and will work overhead and underwater 😁
More parts is more chances for failure. I get the approach of paralleling caps for lower output impedance of the PSU but I really fail to see how a *preamp* can really benefit from that. The preamp is not delivering any appreciable current so the approach is less than useless., it will only result in worse reliability and more expensive repairs. So basically standard practice for this corner of the audio market lol.
It does reduce supply impedance, but also reduces ripple far more effectively than using a couple of massive capacitors. The lower impedance is actually important lowering harmonic noise on the regulators. Granted, it is a bit showy and grabs attention in marketing material, but it is good engineering theory!
@@peterlarkin762 Not necessary. Good amp designs have massive PSRR. This is really bad engineering practice and a perfect example of audio phoolery. It's a waste of resources and about as useful as homeopathy. The resulting products are for people with weak egos who think that massive alumin(i)um cases and a collection of caps and relays would impress someone. I worked for a similar company for much too long and I quit because it's just stupid and also a waste of engineering. We have real issues to solve.
This thing has "just because you could does not mean you should" written all over it. Anything that breaks the KISS principle has an audiofoolery aura glowing above it. Good video again, Mark. From Mark.
Interesting fact: You put three feet on the bottom of box, it will not wobble if the surface it is sitting on is not flat, so it is always stable - effectively self levelling!
Notwithstanding the smart army of Elna caps ready for duty in that thing, there's enough SMD and flimsy ribbon cables to annoy my old eyes. Glad you nabbed that errant blob of solder. I saw a fellow earlier doing a TH-cam video about arc welding and how not to die. He picked up his welder and shook it around. Something was rattling around inside. He said it had done that since day and he proceeded to do precisely nothing about it!
I run a Furman power conditioner in front of my valve amps. Before anybody beats me up for being an audio snob, these are guitar amps. UK mains supply voltage and permitted tolerances are 230 volts -6%, +10%
we had a complete new central heating system fitted all the way back to the gas meter,on the meter there was like an alloy pipe that was shaped to fit the gas inlet pipe,my plumber did the soldered joints and everything worked great 4 weeks later theres a small smell of gas a bit of solder had fallen into the flexi on the alloy pipe and according to gas board had caused it to corrode through I relayed this information to my plumber with his best intentions at heart and I think he felt offended whenever I did welding or cutting at work I always did a safety assessment first and covered anything vulnerable as I didnt want my workshop burning down like I nearly did in 87 but that's another story😅
Another interesting fact: Toroid transformers give out a distinct magnetic field which can be picked up by sensitive electronics n the front end of amplifiers. Some Amplifiers where the transformer is not particularly well shielded can induce a slight hum. This can sometimes be 'tuned out' by turning the the toroid slightly and effectively changing where the magnetic field lobes are pointing. I had this demonstrated on an Ashdown Mag 300 Bass amplifier!
What a lovely piece of kit. Nicely machined, no horrible wiring looms and the designers have obviously spent a lot of time getting the PCB layout looking beautiful even though you can't see it. That is the work of real professionals unlike a certain other product we could mention.
This preamp only costs about $2000. Therefore, one probably had to save a little in the selection of components. A short circuit in the primary winding of a presumably little loaded transformer suggests an inferior quality. Overall, I classify the device as audiophile silliness.
You get what you pay for. No audiophool should expect to get good sound quality for the silly 2 grand. This thing’s connectors aren’t even lubed with snake oil!
Beautifully made machine. And the video, the time to film just one bolt being tighten just made it complete and beyond great. Excellent filming and editing.
It couldn't cope with UK power supply? Not very well designed. 🤣 "Audiophile" anagram of "saw you coming"! Welcome back. Entertaining and informative as ever.
Well, I'd put that on the quality of that toroidal transformer. A good 230V transformer should have absolutely no problem accepting 240V... That's only 5% above the rated voltage.
@@pnnielsen I believe the current (lol) standard works out at anything between 216v and 253v being acceptable - anything outside of that your supplier will be interested to know about and likely would fix ASAP I've seen over 250v in a few places - it depends on the local supply setup and it's obviously much higher at off-peak times (like 4am) - at least it was until everyone started charging their bloody cars at that time :)
@@dizzy2020 A "good power supply with " transformer should handle a 20% over- or undervoltage, but any regular piece of gear needs to be able to handle 10% overvoltage (or undervoltage)
Excellent. Seeing all that, those banks of capacitors and host of relays, I'm left wondering how much better this unit is than an ordinary mid-budget HiFi preamp. I think it's rather about diminishing returns, that you spend five times as much to gain a 0.01% improvement in signal quality! As for me, my 65 year old ears would never tell the difference...
This company builds amazing, truly 'esoteric' gear like discrete resistor R 2-R high-resolution DACs - almost unbelievable, not just in terms of the value of the parts but the man-hours to put them together. The absolute antithesis of that now-infamous phono amp. In fact I'm honestly surprised they could sell something like this for $£2K and pay their own salaries, whatever you think about such fanatical over-engineering you've got to admire what must be extraordinary passion and dedication.
Nice vid Mark, good job as always. It seems that the Denafrips design philosophy is 'more is more' and 'complicated is better'. I mostly find that electronics are better kept as simple as possible with the best suited materials of high quality and components for audio selected on sound rather then operating principle. But everybody should do as they please :)
I agree. In fact, I find there is something quite distasteful about this level of misguided over engineering for little or no benefit. The gratuitous use of materials....and after all that, did they really just drop a switcher in the bottom? I have to admit though, the volume control is kinda slick and silly at the same time. Hope those relays have gold contacts...
@@gadgetwob The switcher will be for the display, and control chip, etc. The other supply is for the audio stages. It's not necessarily over-engineering - the performance of analogue preamps very sensitive to the quality of the power supply.
Wasn't expecting it to be the transformer but the 220/240V issue is a real problem. In Aus we also have 240V mains and I'll bet 99% of people with 220V devices are totally unaware. Great video as usual.
I'm in the UK and my mains often exceeds 250V. It's blown up numerous computers including three on the same day. I've got UPSs, and I hear their relays disconnect and reconnect every few seconds when the mains is really high.
Most of Australia changed to 230 volt nominal in 2000 for the National Electricity Market. Only the Western Australian power grid is still 240 volt nominal after QLD changes to 230 in 2020.
I''m always amazed at how Mark can take a device he has no experience with and go to a diagnosis in short order. Mark you are a truly amazing electronic technician. I enjoyed you going through this bit of audio overkill. To think this complex circuitry is zero gain is just bonkers. Makes one wonder what it might look like if it also had a gain stage?
Thanks Mark, you have really helped me to understand the old analog circuits and have been able to fix a few pieces for my friends. Keep up the good work. Cheers from the US.
I'm looking your channel in Hannover Germany. It is a pleasure to see how you solve the technical problems. Continue in this way. I love your channel. Best wishes Dirk Hauke
When you opened-that-up I thought I was playing one of those factory-building games! That rotary encoder engaging relays is INSANELY cool - I wonder if it's actually sensible or practical but it is INSANELY cool and that MIGHT be enough...
Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same. Open this thing up and you wouldn't feel like you've been ripped off (even if you have) - open up that Tom Evans POS, on the other hand, you'd want to end it all.
Hi Mr. Mark. You are the ultimate Rockstar to me in your field with your videos on this channel. You are the best of everyone else. Respect! Karsten from Hanover... (an old electrician from germany)
Here is a quick tech tip. Instead of unsoldering the primary wires on the power transformer to find the short just put an amp clamp meter on the primary (while using the dim bulb in series with the primary) and see which one is pulling the excess current.
Thank you! Hope your channel get more audiophile equipment in for repair as things do go wrong regardless of QC and it's good to know the weak parts in the product. Subbed :)
Great video, what a crazy device. Anything sold for the European market should be able to cope with 240V though (230V +/- 10%) - but then again if someone is paying for a preamp like that they can probably afford a power conitioner too.
With so many expensive audiophile products you really feel that you are not getting your money's worth but this device is a thing of beauty. I wonder how many people who buy or sell this product know just how much workmanship there is inside. Only drawback is I doubt that it offers any benefit over a well made conventional design with high quality components.
That pre-amp is absolutely crazy! The volume control being controlled by an array of independent relays?!! Who dreams up this kind of voodoo magic? Nice fix again 😀
9:05 I'm surprised by this. The UK and Europe now have the same voltage range of 230+/-23 (so 217-253), so why would they sell a product that couldn't sit comfortably anywhere in this range? Even if it was sold before the standards were harmonised, the old UK range was 240+/-14 (226-254), not that much higher than the old European range of 220+/-22 (198-242). Did they just cheap out on the transformers or something?
The Voltage harmonisation was nothing more than a bureaucratic exercise - nothing physically changed with the grid in the UK, meaning our voltage is usually between 240/250v and very rarely goes below 240v. If the equipment isn't built specifically for the higher voltage or (as was more common years ago) a switch fitted to select the appropriate voltage ( 220-230/240-250) it will cause all types of issues such as burning out transformers.
@@chrisd6719the vast majority of consumers just assume the 220/240v or they don't even care as long as the appliance works...my mains supply is probably lower than average at a constant 242v...every time i check it's 242 and quite stable...some areas get voltage spikes...mains doesn't come with a warning "can be over 250volts a/c!" most appliances can take it...Vacuum cleaners..freezers..washing machines..hair crimping tongs..blow dryers..heaters..even most TV's and set top boxes..delicate super HiFi Amps not so much..i've only ever owned cheap budget LoFi...
@@chrisd6719 "if the equipment isn't built specifically for the higher voltage" this is the part that is confusing me. Why would an amp sold in the UK either a) if built pre-harmonisation not meet the UK voltage range, or b) if built post-harmonisation not meet the full extent of the range and only be comfortable in the lower half of it? I wonder if it's an European product that they just wired a British plug on and didn't think anything of it... But given that it seems to be very high quality construction otherwise, I'm amazed they would have this oversight...
I remember these Mark, at the Hi Fi fair at Earls Court. Sounded absolutely gorgeous on the end of the right Kit. Very high end that came with a huge price, Probably worth twice as much now. Thanks for sharing, and Keep 'Em Coming.
Fun fact... It's possible to make a mains voltage dropper using a relatively cheap bucking transformer. I have done this experimentally for 220v devices, dropping my 240v mains down to 220v. I highly recommend looking for 'Rod Elliot bucking transformer'. Also, it's not really denafrips' fault. It's an industry standard to make transformers that are "theoretically" work from 220 to 240v. Some do and some don't. I've made the same issue with devices made in the UK too so it's not a China thing. In fact, Denafrips' make their own transformers in house. They are very high quality O Ring toroidals. Not like standard toroidals. They are literally handmade. They also have great customer support!
Hello, amazing design, I have never seen a potentiometer made like this using an "n"-coder and resistance dividers switched with signal relays, that battery of capacitors is also impressive. You're lucky you have the cordless screwdriver, otherwise you'll be screwing at least until tomorrow 😂 Thanks for the example. Nice day 🙂 Tom
Also, that attenuator design is just atrocious. If they were so worried about distortion and stuff, they should not have put EMF-generating components anywhere near the signal path.
An audiophool's delight. I'm not sure if there are enough capacitors to handle the massive preamp current from those little transformers :-) I see they carefully sandwiched that noisy switch mode supply under the board. Can't have the purists noticing that red flag.
@@tenmillionvolts Yeah tenmega, I wonder if the double layer anti-interference sheets were required just to keep out the interference from that SMPS? It really is a stupid unit! It would be more useful modified into a power supply! I don't know if Mark even showed us the 'audio preamp' part of this white elephant? And what about the bs useless digital display? They would been better off installing signal bargraph meters there instead! Good on Mark for fixing it, & he should have charged the idiot owner $1000 for the repair for the insult! The owner would have been rich & dumb enough to pay without question.
@@nevillegoddard4966 SMPSs or DC/DC converters aren't necessarily noisy. I've seen them being used in extremely sensitive measuring equipment, stuff that would put most "high end" audio to absolute shame when it comes to noise or interference.
@@Lenny-kt2th In principle OF COURSE they are noisy! It's just how well you can shield them, to keep all that noise contained. They generate high voltage, high frequency AC = high interference! Don't you get that? Then in the pursuit of keeping the noise in, the risk of overheating has to be considered. 3 acres of capacitors, & an SMPS the size of 2 matchboxes it must have been designed by an obsessive sociopath. The whole concept of this piece of crap is stupid. 4,350 electrolytic capacitors for filtering, then they put in an SMPS? Fucking idiocy!
Thanks Mark, I hope you told Alvin you were going to make a video of this so he can pass it on to Denafrips. Think they might not like a lot of the feedback that's been given but it hopefully might stir them into correcting what seems to be quite a few faults with this expensive piece of kit. Glad to see you back on form, great video. Looks like I need a step down transformer then 😁😉👍
Yep. Alvin is a star. Lot of Sinophobes in the comments who still associate China with poor quality. In fact you are much more likely to get ripped off by European hifi brands, most of whom manufacture in China anyway. My Terminator Plus, Aries G2 and Kinki amp are remarkable pieces of engineering.
Might LOOK beautiful, but something that regularly fails catastrophically & expensively with a slight mains overvoltage, is a disgrace to the world of electronic engineering.
Wow, you were super lucky to get that replacement transformer. Although it is not that difficult to rewind it yourself if you have some free time and patience. Thanks, Mark, brilliant as usual.
They likely realised it was going to be bad PR if a primary blew with such over-enginnering, it's clearly the QC that's lacking not the UK power. A case of reputation management for the manufacturer.
My Denafrips Venus 2 also suffers the same fate. This is a common issue with Denafrips units. There is no fuse protection in the circuitry. I have to send my unit back for a repair but I end up with another issue, intermittent white noise. They denied there was an issue because the noise was intermittent. I insist they need to listen to it for over an hour. They have attempted to fix it but to no avail. I have asked for a replacement.They have agreed to this. When asked for the procedure for the replacement, they have not replied to my multiple emails. They went silent. I won't be buying another Denafrips product again. I may have to ask Vincent about this. He is great so far.
Mark I'm recalling my teenage college years from the 80s... Breadboards with timer and alarm circuits - building your own burglar alarm was a must back then... My god how things have moved on 😂 and... Whomever laid that preamp board has some serious OCD, like a work of art ❤
I made several amplifiers in my life, and I've always thought that they were an engineering overkill. This amplifier is a true overkill dwarfing my perceived achievement. 😢😂
This $2k amp is shockingly better designed and built, than that $25k wiring jungle gym.
Maybe not so good for maintenaince- you have to basically disassemble it into parts whereas the £25k one falls apart with a moderate shaking.
@jacklav1 🤣
You're correct.
I had not considered the time savings by taking the mail service as part of the disassembly process.
If 2k euros can buy you this beautiful and very well designed pre-amp. just imagine what a 25k could have bought you
A free copyright strike 😂
A Mr Shame Evans! 😂
Some folded up bits of paper holding together a plastic box?
.... SHOULD have bought you ;)
The same placebo, but carved out of a gold ingot?
THIS is the level of built quality and consideration I expect from High End equipment!
Unlike the Tom Evans pre amp in Mark's recent video with its flimsy interior and "I don't believe in metal cases and proper shielding" snakeoil, looking like something slapped together in a hobby basemant, for about ten times the price!
Yup, thought the exact same thing... the design of this thing is beautiful. Is it all necessary? maybe, maybe not... I'll let other folks debate the benefits of the discrete components and ladder network of resistors. But there's some talented artists behind the design of this gear. bravo.
At the end of the day they both still failed though and this one failed for far worse reasons - cheap enameled winding wire.
Tantilum caps aren't that cheap.
I thought the same thing :-) THIS is how things can look like, if you're not proud of just fiddeling together 10 pieces a year. And we're talking a 10th of the cost. How weird.
And, no @fx-studio - there is no way to draw the conclusion, that this was a cheap transformer.
@@richmond411 Read my other comment -cheap Chinese enameled wire is the cause - I explained it in detail there.
Luckily Denafrips didn’t file a copyright claim. Now Tom Evans can learn a lot from this video about how to make quality equipment….
Exactly what I thought..😅
@@thijsvdakker1615Denafrips construction probably worth 2K, Shame Evans construction not worth 250…
Makes the Tom Evans look like a pile of junk!
worth its price... still lower than evans preamp
I dont think he will learn anything. Such persons are probably metally ill or hard on drugs to belief in such nosense they spread. If he builds 10 of theese junkyards every year he has a good income. Sad there are still idiots buying this crapbox.
I’ve absolutely no idea what this chap is talking about but his cheery, knowledgable presentations are a real pick-me-up. Welcome back.
That’s the best part about him, it doesn’t matter what your level of knowledge is, it’s enjoyable for everyone!
Me neither but I think he knows something about electronics and optimism.
Same!
all the world loves a smiling face.
i need to put this knowledge to use in my own life
😂😅😂😅😅
Those distributors deserve kudos for finding you a replacement part.
Thank God You are back 🎉
That’s what I thought!
He's NOT God, you know! 🤣
I second that
@@marcse7en
Didn’t say he was did I !
@@metalman4141 Well, my comment got a like, and yours hasn't, thus far!
Probably the highest quality device I've ever seen with the label "Made in China".
True, absolute quality!
hopefully there aren't many chinese insulted now ;)
"Chi-Fi" has come a long way! They make some excellent products now that as you can see are not cheap either!
They always will be a lot more pissed of by cheer number of people
Soo much effort, sooo much complexity, such an overkill for what basically is a 4-way switch with a potentiometer, albeit audiophile and with balanced I/Os, extreme filtering, magnetic shielding and all... Now, I wish they'd have gone the last few steps to perfection, like constructing the backplate to go in without bending and stressing the PCB, having transformers made properly with a healthy amount of reserve (say, leave a margin for like 260V mains, heck, why not even make it 300?) It's not like price is of any concern.
I remember seeing some old broadcasting or recording studio equipment which is sometimes built like a tank. Not with tons of capacitors, but it can handle abuse and will work overhead and underwater 😁
I've never seen the inside of an amp this beautifly made.
beautifully
flutybully@@HansDelbruck53
@@HansDelbruck53 He might have been talking about a colourful wasp.
It's a pre-amp.
@@E-raticWarrior yes sweetie, it is
When you took that top cover off my jaw hit the floor. Wow!
I’d have put a Perspex lid on the amp. It’s beautiful in there!
That's a VERY THICK aluminum cover, though. It's a beauty of her own
New (old) rule: Overkill construction does not always equal trouble-free longevity. Fine work, Mark. Glad I subbed.
More parts is more chances for failure. I get the approach of paralleling caps for lower output impedance of the PSU but I really fail to see how a *preamp* can really benefit from that. The preamp is not delivering any appreciable current so the approach is less than useless., it will only result in worse reliability and more expensive repairs. So basically standard practice for this corner of the audio market lol.
@@jaymz168 Totally bonkers design
It does reduce supply impedance, but also reduces ripple far more effectively than using a couple of massive capacitors. The lower impedance is actually important lowering harmonic noise on the regulators. Granted, it is a bit showy and grabs attention in marketing material, but it is good engineering theory!
@@peterlarkin762 Not necessary. Good amp designs have massive PSRR. This is really bad engineering practice and a perfect example of audio phoolery. It's a waste of resources and about as useful as homeopathy. The resulting products are for people with weak egos who think that massive alumin(i)um cases and a collection of caps and relays would impress someone. I worked for a similar company for much too long and I quit because it's just stupid and also a waste of engineering. We have real issues to solve.
@@cls9474 I agree with you on the over-engineering - Homeopathy HGH does actually work though.
This thing has "just because you could does not mean you should" written all over it. Anything that breaks the KISS principle has an audiofoolery aura glowing above it. Good video again, Mark. From Mark.
Interesting fact: You put three feet on the bottom of box, it will not wobble if the surface it is sitting on is not flat, so it is always stable - effectively self levelling!
Yes. Triangles are amazing, aren't they?!
Yes, I have sit in 3 feet chair, real hifi!
Yeah Audiophiles already know that.🙄
every 4th pre amp they build the legs are free😂
Glad to see you back! Love watching your videos. Even the wife recognises your theme tune and sits down to watch with me!
Mark is back.....All is well with the world 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Too long of a period of time passed. I miss this guy's repairs.
Notwithstanding the smart army of Elna caps ready for duty in that thing, there's enough SMD and flimsy ribbon cables to annoy my old eyes. Glad you nabbed that errant blob of solder. I saw a fellow earlier doing a TH-cam video about arc welding and how not to die. He picked up his welder and shook it around. Something was rattling around inside. He said it had done that since day and he proceeded to do precisely nothing about it!
I run a Furman power conditioner in front of my valve amps. Before anybody beats me up for being an audio snob, these are guitar amps. UK mains supply voltage and permitted tolerances are 230 volts -6%, +10%
we had a complete new central heating system fitted all the way back to the gas meter,on the meter there was like an alloy pipe that was shaped to fit the gas inlet pipe,my plumber did the soldered joints and everything worked great
4 weeks later theres a small smell of gas
a bit of solder had fallen into the flexi on the alloy pipe and according to gas board had caused it to corrode through
I relayed this information to my plumber with his best intentions at heart and I think he felt offended
whenever I did welding or cutting at work I always did a safety assessment first and covered anything vulnerable as I didnt want my workshop burning down like I nearly did in 87 but that's another story😅
@@hydorah That is the same across the EU
Another interesting fact: Toroid transformers give out a distinct magnetic field which can be picked up by sensitive electronics n the front end of amplifiers. Some Amplifiers where the transformer is not particularly well shielded can induce a slight hum. This can sometimes be 'tuned out' by turning the the toroid slightly and effectively changing where the magnetic field lobes are pointing. I had this demonstrated on an Ashdown Mag 300 Bass amplifier!
OMG look at all those. Caps Shango would love that lol another enjoyable post 👍
And all those relaytercoclickers.
@@jerryspann8713 Absolutely
the VAC short circuit protection with light bulbs is classic, nice 🙂
Nice. There is something very satisfying in opening a dead device, troubleshooting it and finding the problem. Then, tada !!, make it work again.
That is an absolutely gorgeous bit of kit.
What a lovely piece of kit. Nicely machined, no horrible wiring looms and the designers have obviously spent a lot of time getting the PCB layout looking beautiful even though you can't see it. That is the work of real professionals unlike a certain other product we could mention.
Another brilliant episode from my favorite electronics repair guru! Thank you sir!
This preamp only costs about $2000. Therefore, one probably had to save a little in the selection of components. A short circuit in the primary winding of a presumably little loaded transformer suggests an inferior quality. Overall, I classify the device as audiophile silliness.
Especially the volume relays (no messy pots, ow no!) and the custom chip or was it an FPGA.
You get what you pay for. No audiophool should expect to get good sound quality for the silly 2 grand. This thing’s connectors aren’t even lubed with snake oil!
Beautifully made machine. And the video, the time to film just one bolt being tighten just made it complete and beyond great. Excellent filming and editing.
Except it seems not to handle UK mains voltage very well!
Now this is a beautifully designed piece of equipment. This is what a manufacturer who cares about what they are building does!
Nice to see you back, hope you’re feeling better.
I have the Denafrips Pontus II. Very well built and has zero digital glare. Love it.
Nice piece of audiofool hardware there! Great vid as always.
@@macstar8317 Audiofool lol! Aint THAT the truth!
lol!
I think the correct spelling is Audiophool. 😃
A very satisfying repair. Thank you for sharing.
It couldn't cope with UK power supply? Not very well designed. 🤣 "Audiophile" anagram of "saw you coming"!
Welcome back. Entertaining and informative as ever.
Well, I'd put that on the quality of that toroidal transformer. A good 230V transformer should have absolutely no problem accepting 240V... That's only 5% above the rated voltage.
@@pnnielsen I believe the current (lol) standard works out at anything between 216v and 253v being acceptable - anything outside of that your supplier will be interested to know about and likely would fix ASAP
I've seen over 250v in a few places - it depends on the local supply setup and it's obviously much higher at off-peak times (like 4am) - at least it was until everyone started charging their bloody cars at that time :)
@@dizzy2020 A "good power supply with " transformer should handle a 20% over- or undervoltage, but any regular piece of gear needs to be able to handle 10% overvoltage (or undervoltage)
Excellent. Seeing all that, those banks of capacitors and host of relays, I'm left wondering how much better this unit is than an ordinary mid-budget HiFi preamp. I think it's rather about diminishing returns, that you spend five times as much to gain a 0.01% improvement in signal quality! As for me, my 65 year old ears would never tell the difference...
Yes, I thought the same. But it makes a show piece for your audiophile friends!
Probably 99% of these products would fail in a proper blind A/B test. And their owners as well :)
well, you might be surprised at what is possible.
high resolution audio devices change the way you listen
If I had a top end audiophile product or similar that required repair, you'd undoubtedly be the chap I'd send it to. Great work. 👌🏼
I always learn something from watching Mark's Channel
This company builds amazing, truly 'esoteric' gear like discrete resistor R 2-R high-resolution DACs - almost unbelievable, not just in terms of the value of the parts but the man-hours to put them together. The absolute antithesis of that now-infamous phono amp. In fact I'm honestly surprised they could sell something like this for $£2K and pay their own salaries, whatever you think about such fanatical over-engineering you've got to admire what must be extraordinary passion and dedication.
Wow all those counterfi …beautiful genuine Elna caps! Nice work!
Why have they used a hundred capacitors, is it to reduce the height?
@@ncooper8438might be to reduce the atrocious ESR to acceptable levels.
But are they real ? Chinese fake everything, maybe they have a fake clone Mark there repairing fake USA clones of Chinese stuff.
Nice vid Mark, good job as always. It seems that the Denafrips design philosophy is 'more is more' and 'complicated is better'. I mostly find that electronics are better kept as simple as possible with the best suited materials of high quality and components for audio selected on sound rather then operating principle. But everybody should do as they please :)
I agree. In fact, I find there is something quite distasteful about this level of misguided over engineering for little or no benefit. The gratuitous use of materials....and after all that, did they really just drop a switcher in the bottom?
I have to admit though, the volume control is kinda slick and silly at the same time. Hope those relays have gold contacts...
@@gadgetwob The switcher will be for the display, and control chip, etc. The other supply is for the audio stages. It's not necessarily over-engineering - the performance of analogue preamps very sensitive to the quality of the power supply.
Wasn't expecting it to be the transformer but the 220/240V issue is a real problem. In Aus we also have 240V mains and I'll bet 99% of people with 220V devices are totally unaware. Great video as usual.
In Spain IS most normal more of 240Vac...
I'm in the UK and my mains often exceeds 250V. It's blown up numerous computers including three on the same day. I've got UPSs, and I hear their relays disconnect and reconnect every few seconds when the mains is really high.
Its not the 10V difference that is the problem its the enameling on the coper wire is substandard.
Most of Australia changed to 230 volt nominal in 2000 for the National Electricity Market. Only the Western Australian power grid is still 240 volt nominal after QLD changes to 230 in 2020.
Scroo Tom Evans! He's why I am here and thanks for the vids. They are grate. I love them.
Always a pleasure watching you repairing stuff Mark. "Thank You"😅
I''m always amazed at how Mark can take a device he has no experience with and go to a diagnosis in short order. Mark you are a truly amazing electronic technician. I enjoyed you going through this bit of audio overkill. To think this complex circuitry is zero gain is just bonkers. Makes one wonder what it might look like if it also had a gain stage?
Thanks Mark, you have really helped me to understand the old analog circuits and have been able to fix a few pieces for my friends. Keep up the good work. Cheers from the US.
I'm looking your channel in Hannover Germany. It is a pleasure to see how you solve the technical problems. Continue in this way. I love your channel.
Best wishes
Dirk Hauke
When you opened-that-up I thought I was playing one of those factory-building games!
That rotary encoder engaging relays is INSANELY cool - I wonder if it's actually sensible or practical but it is INSANELY cool and that MIGHT be enough...
Nicely done Mark. That's a fancy piece of equipment for sure.
Nice work. I feel so satisfied even though I did nothing except watch you fix this thing :)
Having seen the internals of the other amps you have fixed, this thing looks like a masterpiece. It'd want a clear top on it.
Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same. Open this thing up and you wouldn't feel like you've been ripped off (even if you have) - open up that Tom Evans POS, on the other hand, you'd want to end it all.
Hi Mr. Mark. You are the ultimate Rockstar to me in your field with your videos on this channel. You are the best of everyone else. Respect!
Karsten from Hanover...
(an old electrician from germany)
What a distribution of components, really nice. Good job on the repair.
Mark, you get a thumbs up just for the intro, your happy face always cheers me up.
The clicking from the relays is so satisfying
Here is a quick tech tip. Instead of unsoldering the primary wires on the power transformer to find the short just put an amp clamp meter on the primary (while using the dim bulb in series with the primary) and see which one is pulling the excess current.
Thank you! Hope your channel get more audiophile equipment in for repair as things do go wrong regardless of QC and it's good to know the weak parts in the product. Subbed :)
Lovely work Mark.
This is the kind of construction that helps a piece of equipment maintain it’s resale value.
Thank you great job from a fellow repair guy.
Nicely built but rusty screws in the IEC mains socket
I noticed that too. A bit worrying. Moisture ?
and Mark didn't do anything with them! Ususally he would create new ones from titanium on his lathe and anodize them with gold ;)
@@tommeier2299
@@tommeier2299 hahaha!
Great video, what a crazy device. Anything sold for the European market should be able to cope with 240V though (230V +/- 10%) - but then again if someone is paying for a preamp like that they can probably afford a power conitioner too.
A nice easy fix for you, Mark. But what a piece of engineering. Thanks for sharing.
A nice piece of (bad) engineering, indeed...
I’m officially addicted to watch you fix things I know nothing about 😂 I can maybe splice a wire (maybe) 😂
Yess, he's back. Will watch this tonight after kids are in bed.
With so many expensive audiophile products you really feel that you are not getting your money's worth but this device is a thing of beauty. I wonder how many people who buy or sell this product know just how much workmanship there is inside. Only drawback is I doubt that it offers any benefit over a well made conventional design with high quality components.
Look at their promotional material.
They make absolutely sure everyone knows what is inside.
The placebo effect works better that way...
You got to applaud the so very neat and organized design
This is so great! Great channel, great Mark, great Amp! Thank you!
Short but sweet one this time...excellent as always.
That pre-amp is absolutely crazy! The volume control being controlled by an array of independent relays?!! Who dreams up this kind of voodoo magic?
Nice fix again 😀
It's to not use a volume control stereo potentiometer. Those don't work perfectly evenly all the way from quiet to loud.
Brilliant, I love it when we get a new video, thanks Mark.
9:05 I'm surprised by this. The UK and Europe now have the same voltage range of 230+/-23 (so 217-253), so why would they sell a product that couldn't sit comfortably anywhere in this range? Even if it was sold before the standards were harmonised, the old UK range was 240+/-14 (226-254), not that much higher than the old European range of 220+/-22 (198-242). Did they just cheap out on the transformers or something?
Used toroidal transformers rated at 230v, my 35 year old Welsh made amp has 240v toroidal thats run at 253 to 257v for years.
The Voltage harmonisation was nothing more than a bureaucratic exercise - nothing physically changed with the grid in the UK, meaning our voltage is usually between 240/250v and very rarely goes below 240v.
If the equipment isn't built specifically for the higher voltage or (as was more common years ago) a switch fitted to select the appropriate voltage ( 220-230/240-250) it will cause all types of issues such as burning out transformers.
@@chrisd6719the vast majority of consumers just assume the 220/240v or they don't even care as long as the appliance works...my mains supply is probably lower than average at a constant 242v...every time i check it's 242 and quite stable...some areas get voltage spikes...mains doesn't come with a warning "can be over 250volts a/c!" most appliances can take it...Vacuum cleaners..freezers..washing machines..hair crimping tongs..blow dryers..heaters..even most TV's and set top boxes..delicate super HiFi Amps not so much..i've only ever owned cheap budget LoFi...
@@chrisd6719 +1 i get 245v from my sockets
@@chrisd6719 "if the equipment isn't built specifically for the higher voltage" this is the part that is confusing me. Why would an amp sold in the UK either a) if built pre-harmonisation not meet the UK voltage range, or b) if built post-harmonisation not meet the full extent of the range and only be comfortable in the lower half of it?
I wonder if it's an European product that they just wired a British plug on and didn't think anything of it... But given that it seems to be very high quality construction otherwise, I'm amazed they would have this oversight...
Intereting!This is why I often look at the better UK made amps; at least they can handle 240-250V
Superb… As always Mark.. Love your channel 😊
Thanks for sharing what a wonderful enjoyable video I always appreciated your insight.
You have some of the most enjoyable vids to watch. Keep them coming!
Gdzie byłeś tak długo mam nadzieję że na urlopie. Dziękuję za twój kanał. Pozdrawiam Roman
Keep them coming mark very interesting
I remember these Mark, at the Hi Fi fair at Earls Court. Sounded absolutely gorgeous on the end of the right Kit. Very high end that came with a huge price, Probably worth twice as much now. Thanks for sharing, and Keep 'Em Coming.
No idea what that does, but its beautiful, that has been crafted like art. I love the volume clicks, very cool.
I love your skills and thorough repairs
I love your videos more than most Mark. You are just a ray od sunshine!
Fun fact... It's possible to make a mains voltage dropper using a relatively cheap bucking transformer. I have done this experimentally for 220v devices, dropping my 240v mains down to 220v. I highly recommend looking for 'Rod Elliot bucking transformer'.
Also, it's not really denafrips' fault. It's an industry standard to make transformers that are "theoretically" work from 220 to 240v. Some do and some don't. I've made the same issue with devices made in the UK too so it's not a China thing.
In fact, Denafrips' make their own transformers in house. They are very high quality O Ring toroidals. Not like standard toroidals. They are literally handmade. They also have great customer support!
Saved from the scrap heap again. Great stuff Mark.
Hello, amazing design, I have never seen a potentiometer made like this using an "n"-coder and resistance dividers switched with signal relays, that battery of capacitors is also impressive. You're lucky you have the cordless screwdriver, otherwise you'll be screwing at least until tomorrow 😂 Thanks for the example.
Nice day 🙂 Tom
it would be a b%tch to have to find a bad capacitor in this arrangement.
@@tjtreinen7381 Or replace all capacitors due to their age 😂
Nothing wrong with screwing until tomorrow.
@@HansDelbruck53 Haha screwing like there is no tomorrow.
Also, that attenuator design is just atrocious. If they were so worried about distortion and stuff, they should not have put EMF-generating components anywhere near the signal path.
An audiophool's delight. I'm not sure if there are enough capacitors to handle the massive preamp current from those little transformers :-) I see they carefully sandwiched that noisy switch mode supply under the board. Can't have the purists noticing that red flag.
surprised they even use smps !
@@tenmillionvolts Yeah tenmega, I wonder if the double layer anti-interference sheets were required just to keep out the interference from that SMPS?
It really is a stupid unit! It would be more useful modified into a power supply! I don't know if Mark even showed us the 'audio preamp' part of this white elephant?
And what about the bs useless digital display? They would been better off installing signal bargraph meters there instead!
Good on Mark for fixing it, & he should have charged the idiot owner $1000 for the repair for the insult! The owner would have been rich & dumb enough to pay without question.
@@nevillegoddard4966 SMPSs or DC/DC converters aren't necessarily noisy. I've seen them being used in extremely sensitive measuring equipment, stuff that would put most "high end" audio to absolute shame when it comes to noise or interference.
@@Lenny-kt2th In principle OF COURSE they are noisy! It's just how well you can shield them, to keep all that noise contained. They generate high voltage, high frequency AC = high interference! Don't you get that?
Then in the pursuit of keeping the noise in, the risk of overheating has to be considered. 3 acres of capacitors, & an SMPS the size of 2 matchboxes it must have been designed by an obsessive sociopath.
The whole concept of this piece of crap is stupid. 4,350 electrolytic capacitors for filtering, then they put in an SMPS? Fucking idiocy!
@Lenny-kt2th True that. But i am hard pressed to understand why a designer would choose to take both approaches simultaneously!
such an (unnecessarily probably!) beautiful machine! Great to see you found a spare, those would be almost impossible to find! Thanks for the video!
Welcome back Mark!
Thats one of the most beautifull amplifier i have ever seen
Great job! And tremendous good fortune on that find... nice landfill rescue!
thank you for showing how to test things and I hope your batteries on the screw driver are ok , thanks for the video
Congrats on your new workshop! Looks great!
Thanks Mark, I hope you told Alvin you were going to make a video of this so he can pass it on to Denafrips. Think they might not like a lot of the feedback that's been given but it hopefully might stir them into correcting what seems to be quite a few faults with this expensive piece of kit. Glad to see you back on form, great video. Looks like I need a step down transformer then 😁😉👍
absolutely in awe of this man!!
Denafrips and Alvin. good stuff guys. I'm very happy with my Denafrip. It only took you 13 minutes Mark...well done.
Yep. Alvin is a star. Lot of Sinophobes in the comments who still associate China with poor quality. In fact you are much more likely to get ripped off by European hifi brands, most of whom manufacture in China anyway. My Terminator Plus, Aries G2 and Kinki amp are remarkable pieces of engineering.
That was one beautiful piece of kit ! That volume knob !!!!! Great to see you back Mark ! Hope your back is doing better ! Well done as always !
Might LOOK beautiful, but something that regularly fails catastrophically & expensively with a slight mains overvoltage, is a disgrace to the world of electronic engineering.
Wow, you were super lucky to get that replacement transformer. Although it is not that difficult to rewind it yourself if you have some free time and patience. Thanks, Mark, brilliant as usual.
They likely realised it was going to be bad PR if a primary blew with such over-enginnering, it's clearly the QC that's lacking not the UK power. A case of reputation management for the manufacturer.
Thanks Mark, excellent vid. Peter
Love watching your subscriber count grow. Another great video.
Welcome back Mark
Great video, no idea what's what but I find it all very fascinating ❤
My Denafrips Venus 2 also suffers the same fate. This is a common issue with Denafrips units. There is no fuse protection in the circuitry. I have to send my unit back for a repair but I end up with another issue, intermittent white noise. They denied there was an issue because the noise was intermittent. I insist they need to listen to it for over an hour. They have attempted to fix it but to no avail. I have asked for a replacement.They have agreed to this. When asked for the procedure for the replacement, they have not replied to my multiple emails. They went silent. I won't be buying another Denafrips product again. I may have to ask Vincent about this. He is great so far.
Mark I'm recalling my teenage college years from the 80s... Breadboards with timer and alarm circuits - building your own burglar alarm was a must back then... My god how things have moved on 😂 and... Whomever laid that preamp board has some serious OCD, like a work of art ❤
Not sure of its age, but computerised layouts are possible.
I made several amplifiers in my life, and I've always thought that they were an engineering overkill. This amplifier is a true overkill dwarfing my perceived achievement. 😢😂