Sdecker,
Just saw this... I'm thinking of trying this mod on my Line 1. Anything to add since your original post?
Maggie3
Just saw this... I'm thinking of trying this mod on my Line 1. Anything to add since your original post?
Maggie3
Drop-in upgrade to CS3310 volume control
I'm surprised that searches here and audio asylum make no mention of the Burr Brown PGA2311 chip that's been available for as much as a year now. It's a drop-in replacement to the 10-year-old Crystal CS3310 volume controller chip used in many fine preamps of the past 8 years. Chip design moves forward so it's no surprise a better-sounding version would come from Burr Brown.
I just put a pair into my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 SE (it's fully balanced thus requiring two chips) and the results were a noticeable improvement, perhaps the best $11 (each) you could spend. At least Sonic Frontiers makes it easy as the chips are socketed and it took less than 5 minutes to swap them. So for all you Line 1/2/3 owners out there it's a no-brainer. I can't say if all the other preamps that use the 3310 have it socketed or soldered, or if you'll hear the same improvements from it that I did.
I heard a greater sense of presence and a bit more detail. And, notably, a wider deeper soundstage. Kinda like upgrading to a much better interconnect from the same mfg, but a whole lot cheaper! I ordered from Digi-Key, it's a normally stocked item.
Anybody know why this hasn't gotten any attention or reports until now? My thanks to Steve McCormack for bringing this to my attention during a discussion of my power amp upgrade. This new chip is the basis for his own RLD-1 preamp SMc Audio upgrades.
I just put a pair into my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 SE (it's fully balanced thus requiring two chips) and the results were a noticeable improvement, perhaps the best $11 (each) you could spend. At least Sonic Frontiers makes it easy as the chips are socketed and it took less than 5 minutes to swap them. So for all you Line 1/2/3 owners out there it's a no-brainer. I can't say if all the other preamps that use the 3310 have it socketed or soldered, or if you'll hear the same improvements from it that I did.
I heard a greater sense of presence and a bit more detail. And, notably, a wider deeper soundstage. Kinda like upgrading to a much better interconnect from the same mfg, but a whole lot cheaper! I ordered from Digi-Key, it's a normally stocked item.
Anybody know why this hasn't gotten any attention or reports until now? My thanks to Steve McCormack for bringing this to my attention during a discussion of my power amp upgrade. This new chip is the basis for his own RLD-1 preamp SMc Audio upgrades.