[mrwurf]

Hi guys

I have gone down the TL-WR902AC path on my system and been very happy with the results.

I now have a:

• TL-WR902AC V4 (so no bob smith terminal to worry about)
• Battery powered with an external power bank

I had bought a Ian Canada LifePO4 mini 3.3V kit and had attempted to DIY the enhancement to the TL-WR902AC but my first attempt was a failure and I am back to running my TL-WR902AC off the battery pack.

I have a few questions I would love some advice on if you can help me please in the following areas:

Soldering:

• I seem to suck at soldering this thing (I am a complete beginner so it is not surprising) but if someone could point me towards a good instructional video for this type of connection and/or some photos of their finished product it would be great to know what good looks like. It’s super tight to solder the wires to the
• Which gauge of wire should I be using? Does the stripped wire go directly through the Gnd and the 3.3V “holes” in the GPIO interface on the circuit board or are you using a crimped connector?
• Can you give advice on which dc plugs you used to fit the USB port on the TL-WR902AC so neatly?
• Is there anything else that I need to buy to do this?

Housing

• Does anyone have any solutions for anything more “finished” for the LifePO4 device?

Switch

• I presume that in day to day use you switch the mains power supply to the battery bank “off” when listening to the system (powering the TL-WR902AC via batteries) and then you switch the lifePO4 mini “on” to recharge the batteries from the grid? I find the switch on the underside of the circuit board very difficult to operate. It’s very small. I find it impossible to operate even with my fingernail and have to find a safety pin or something similar to operate it. Am I doing it wrong? What is everyone else’s solution to this problem?

If you can help point me in the right direction with the soldering I’ll give it one more try.

 

However, if its not successful it seems like a better option than the battery bank might be to buy a product like this:

https://www.beatechnik.com/product-page/lhy-batt-v1-2

I would sacrifice the sound quality benefit from direct 3.3V power supply but would have a more “finished” product that would have a bit better user experience than the existing battery pack. Would this perform as well as a battery pack solution? Are there other superior power supply options to consider?

One last question – should I be considering cable quality or ferrites when it comes to the USB cable that runs from the battery pack to the WR902AC?

Thanks for your patience if you are still reading till now and thanks in advance for any advice you can share.

Leon

[mrwurf]

Very exciting!!

No email from DHL yet but I’m sure it’ll arrive soon.

 

 

[mrwurf]

Thanks for keeping us updated Eric!

[mrwurf]

Thank you for the updates Eric!

 

Really excited

[mrwurf]

I’m very excited thanks Eric!

Without meaning to be pushy do you have any idea how long it will take before you receive them?

[mrwurf]

Eric – I have paid the 41.80 difference. Please let me know if I got the amount wrong.

 

I saw your thread about needing a new probe for testing etc. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to paying for a margin on top of the isolators so that you can offset new measurement gear in order to continue sharing amazing research with us!

[mrwurf]

Hi Eric

Glad I decided to jump back into the forum today!

I have registered for 4 units. I am based in the USA so please let me know if I have to send you some more $$$ to cover extra shipping costs.

Sorry couldn’t figure out how to dm you on here.

Leon

[mrwurf]

Hi everyone

I completed my V3 cable last night and wanted to report back.

Big improvement in my system! Bigger and more detailed bass, wider and more 3D soundstage, improved dynamics. Really really happy with it.

Thank you again Eric 🙂

[mrwurf]

Eric!

I’ll buy a few isolators! Put me down for 3-4

 

An update on my journey. I tried the V2.5 vs the V2 last night. Clear improvement! Better authority and much more precise placement of instruments. Amazing! Very grateful for this upgrade Eric, thank you for adding some joy into my listening experience.

I am now going to try the V3 cable (which I potentially should have started with all along) and will report back 🙂

[mrwurf]

Eric – a side question that is somewhat related.

Have you ever considered a HDMI eARC connection being a potential source of interference for streamers/DACs etc with this connection?

Thanks

Leon

[mrwurf]

Hello Jurgen

Can I ask a question about your experience?

When you were A/B testing the V2 against the V3 were you powering your WLAN client (e.g. WR902AC) via battery pack or Ian Canada LIFEPO4? Or were you running from mains power?

Your answer may immediately prompt me to complete my outstanding Digikey order haha.

Thanks

Leon

[mrwurf]

Eric – sorry for asking so many questions and imposing on your time but there was one more thing.

I remember reading that you have a KEF LS50 Wireless 2 system. For those speakers there is an ethernet connection between the left and right speaker. Do you do use any kind of throttle cable in the connection between the speakers? Is there anything else that you have done there to improve performance?

I am asking because one of my friends has my old KEF LS50 Wireless 1 system and I was thinking about doing a throttle cable upgrade for him.

Leon

[mrwurf]

Thanks for your feedback Eric! I think I’ll give a V3 a try and see what it does. You are completely correct that I will be able to find a home for the cables regardless, and it is fun trying out all of these different options.

Stephan – it always amazes me how the idiosyncrasies of different systems mean that the best upgrade is such an individual thing. I recently did an A/B/C/D test of 4 different speaker cables at my home over 3 weeks, all of the cables were very highly reviewed but two of them sounded mediocre whereas the other two sounded amazing.

I’ll keep going on the quest for incremental improvement 🙂

Leon

 

[mrwurf]

Thank you for your reply Eric.

I am totally convinced about the throttle cable now.

I realise that your recommendation is for those with a battery pack powered WLAN client to use the V2.5 cable. However you mention that you use the V3 cable and I am assuming that you are using an Ian Canada / WR902AC combination. Can you perceive a difference in performance between the V2.5 and V3 cables? I am happy to spend extra for an incremental gain so am thinking I’ll jump to the V3 if it is even marginally superior.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to support your continued research. I have benefitted a lot from your work.

Leon

[mrwurf]

Hello Eric and happy new year!

I have made some progress. The v2 cable seems to be an awesome little upgrade for my system. The descriptions of it adding “calmness” to the sound ring true for me based on my experiences so far and it does seem to be a significant and noticeable upgrade from the Wireworld Starlight cable as you suggested.

I’m jumping straight in to the 2.5 cable while I wait for my Ian Canada kit to arrive (10th of January). I have a couple of questions from your post that you linked me to:

• What length LAN cable are you using?
• Do you plug the end with the ferrites into the source?
• Just a note that the 74272222 product page on digikey appears to show the incorrect product picture when I compare it to your photos and to the product specification sheet (which is also hosted on digikey). It’s nothing to do with you but wanted to mention it as others may be confused when they look at it.

Thank you so much for your time and research with this!

Leon

[Autor]

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