Conrad Johnson Owners.com

finished my dna 1 power amp, recapped all the lytics,
silver interconnect and speaker wire with cardas jacks!
sounds allot better!
was fun updating too!

why would they be cj in disguise?

Nice one mate, that should definitely sound a lot better.
You should also be experiencing a better depth in the soundstage, plus more controlled dynamics and stronger transient impact. Once they have settled in nicely, all this should begin to smooth out even further, blending in very nicely giving you that power with finesse.

I can't remember McCormack's first name, I think it was John... anyway, way back when he was about to finish up and close shop, as he made his mark and decided to go fishing... He approached the CJ crew (close mates) and came to an agreement where they would continue to make his products under the same roof. Hence, if you are to visit the CJ factory, you will be able to see quite a few McCormacks coming out of the assembly line with the McCormack badge.

At the end of the day, designers, music lovers, engineering experts and all, if their main passion is music and creating equipment that is the true essence of reproduced music, then why not help each other out and arrive at a solution to create the finest! And this mate is what CJ & McCormack are all about, you are getting one of the best possible sound for your money.

I have listened to a very powerul McCormack solid state power amp driving a pair of Apogee ribbons in tri-amp config, with CJ valve amps driving the mids and highs, it was stunning! In terms of total true dynamics, transparency, speed, articulation in the midband, soundstage and depth was superb, and the bass was slam on and fast! Massive impact with very palpable mid - bass that you can feel. Sort of hits you in the chest with a solid thump, and then when the mids and highs come in to play, just glorious. In terms of total synergy, it was not too shabby at all, since the chap was using a special kind of servo controlled active cross-over unit that adjust as the signals passes through, hence creating a near perfect sonic wave. Similar to what they use now with DSP built in to the speakers.

Bi-amping is tricky and tri-amping is as complicated but this is one system that I admired with McCormack monoblocks and a pair of CJ monoblocks driving the mids and highs, in total 4 power amplifiers rated at 200w for the mids and highs and 600w on the bass. Although it was not all about the watts/power, this system could recreate all the subtle dynamic shadings, plus deliver bullet like transients with superb acceleration and stop in a whisper. I guess all that power was probably required to drive this Apogee model, and later on we bought this similar speaker after a while. It was the Apogee Diva, just awesome.

So, yes McCormack is outstanding no doubt, since it is made in the same outstanding factory as CJ!
Cheers and enjoy your music mate,
RJ

dam, that big system sounds cool!

yes the dna 1 sounds way better and the protection mode dosen't go on any more since the entire cap upgrade!!
I do favor my belles 150a hot rod.. for what ever reason, ( mids & realistic sound ) that is with smaller speakers.
i love that belles stuff too!

Hi Auriian,

I am planning to DIY recap and replace all needed lytics, gounding and rear inputs dor my DNA 1. Could you please suggest me where I can order thoses needed stuffs? I have small work bench which have all soldering, scope, VOM, etc

Thanks in advanced,
Chan

Auriian wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:02 pm why would they be cj in disguise?

Legitimate question. When you dig in to the history, which is now complete, it would have been more accurate to say that the CJ solid state offerings during their last stab at SS were actually McCormick in disguise. During their formal relationship, CJ had far more “entry level” offerings. But along the way, it was noticed that the revenue stream was dominated by the top of the line products. So the McCormick dna has literally been spliced out of the forward going CJ gene pool.

Seattlerepairhobby wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2024 12:55 am Hi Auriian,

I am planning to DIY recap and replace all needed lytics, gounding and rear inputs dor my DNA 1. Could you please suggest me where I can order thoses needed stuffs? I have small work bench which have all soldering, scope, VOM, etc

Thanks in advanced,
Chan

CJ won't sell authentic parts. They do all work in house (perhaps international customers they may allow the local official retailer to do work). So you are left with replacing the caps with alternatives if you do not want CJ to do the work themselves.

There are a bunch of good cap manufacturers. I've used Solen in some DIY projects myself and they offer a variety of caps at different price points and quality. But there are many options.

AnotherJohnson wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2024 7:29 am

Auriian wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:02 pm why would they be cj in disguise?

Legitimate question. When you dig in to the history, which is now complete, it would have been more accurate to say that the CJ solid state offerings during their last stab at SS were actually McCormick in disguise. During their formal relationship, CJ had far more “entry level” offerings. But along the way, it was noticed that the revenue stream was dominated by the top of the line products. So the McCormick dna has literally been spliced out of the forward going CJ gene pool.

So this was a little play on some childhood nostalgia. A cartoon I watched when I was a kid was Transformers. This was from the 80's before the Michael Bay big budget movies. The tag line in the song was "Transformers,.. robots in disguise." So when I titled the subforum, I figured much like the transformers where it was the same robot, but in two different forms, CJ and McCormack were the same entity but in different form/appearance. Kind of dumb now that I think about it, but it was one of those "I need a catch line for this part of the website" and I wrote it in 5 seconds and didn't think much of it after.

CJ has obviously produced solid state gear in the past and the McCormack brand for all intents and purposes is retired. And as AJ mentioned, the company has shifted toward the "high end" and away from the entry level gear. The world changes and companies need to shift with the demand or they will go out of business.

admin wrote: Sat Jun 08, 2024 8:45 am
So this was a little play on some childhood nostalgia. A cartoon I watched when I was a kid was Transformers. This was from the 80's before the Michael Bay big budget movies. The tag line in the song was "Transformers,.. robots in disguise." So when I titled the subforum, I figured much like the transformers where it was the same robot, but in two different forms, CJ and McCormack were the same entity but in different form/appearance. Kind of dumb now that I think about it, but it was one of those "I need a catch line for this part of the website" and I wrote it in 5 seconds and didn't think much of it after.

My boys, now 44 and 46, grew up with the Transformers too. Great toys!

I’ve always thought that the “CJ in disguise” idea was clear enough. It is only in hindsight that it looks more like McCormick in disguise to me. I wish the relationship with McCormick had continued. There were some nice, modestly priced, solid state pieces. But a very small company is wise to find the juiciest piece of the proverbial audiophile elephant, and concentrate on biting off that. It’s more than enough to chew.

Thanks admin.

I bought a good price DNA-1 few year ago for just $800. It is still good but I think it is time to recap and upgrade all ground cabls, input cables/terminals.

I research some suppliers that they carry electrolytic capacitors, resistors. I am EE with repair experience in fixing laptops TVs, power amp, cellphones. Hope I can do the job well. I will order all the parts tonight.

I am trying to get a copy schematic from Steve SMc but no luck yet. I will try to draw out the circuit if possible.

Chan

Let us know how it goes. If you do get a copy of the schematic, please let me know so I can update our database. I'm sure others would appreciate it.

I am on business trip for my main job for two weeks. I ordered the capacitors already. Sure I will update the status.

Chan

Hello @Admin, I found the schematic for original DNA-1. How can I send it to you? The file is BMP with 22M size that can’t attach here.

I ordered all Nichicon capacitors and ready to do recaps.

My question is my DNA-1 poweramp is still working very well. Sound perfectly with original input board and power amp output board. It is only real hotter than before. A friend of mine suggested to add cool pads and cooling fan on the unit to cool it down instead of recapping. Any suggestion/idea?

Chan

Seattlerepairhobby wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2024 10:01 am Hello @Admin, I found the schematic for original DNA-1. How can I send it to you? The file is BMP with 22M size that can’t attach here.

That's right about the limit for an email, but can you try to email it to me at: admin@conradjohnsonowners.com

If it doesn't go through I can come up with something else. I know the other schematics have been very helpful for users so definitely would like to get it added to the database.

Seattlerepairhobby wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2024 10:04 am I ordered all Nichicon capacitors and ready to do recaps.

My question is my DNA-1 poweramp is still working very well. Sound perfectly with original input board and power amp output board. It is only real hotter than before. A friend of mine suggested to add cool pads and cooling fan on the unit to cool it down instead of recapping. Any suggestion/idea?

Chan

A recap could add many years/decades onto the life of the unit so it's not just about heat. If you are worried about heat, then active cooling can make a big difference. I'm not familiar with "cool pads" but I would typically go with active cooling if you really wanted to drop the temperature significantly. One thing you could do is use an IR thermometer gun to actually check the temperature of the components. I think you may find that the components are actually not that hot in which case you don't even have to worry about the cooling.

I sent the schematic to the email.

I have IR thermometer. I will check it.

I also contacted Steve and Pat from Mccormack. Pat is guiding me checking around the simple steps before going further upgrade.

Abosutely the recapping is needed to get it last longer.
Chan

I got the file. Thanks for sharing and I will get it into our database.

What I meant the cooling pads were those insulation adhesives between the power output transistors and cooling heatsink to separate the connections with the cooling chassis and GND.

https://a.co/d/04qxM6T4

Hmmm. I don't know what to think. If the unit needed those, they would have come with it preinstalled. If they are not needed, why mess with it? Again, if you really want significant cooling, active cooling will always be better than passive so a fan would be the way to go.

Cooling pads, heat sinks, gels, and/or fans are not a substitute for recapping a unit with suspect caps.

AnotherJohnson wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2024 8:04 pm Cooling pads, heat sinks, gels, and/or fans are not a substitute for recapping a unit with suspect caps.

100% this. I do know that some people like to add extra cooling on well functioning stock units. I think that's fine, although not needed. But if there is a malfunctioning component, that needs to be replaced, not cooled.

admin wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2024 8:08 pm

AnotherJohnson wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2024 8:04 pm Cooling pads, heat sinks, gels, and/or fans are not a substitute for recapping a unit with suspect caps.

100% this. I do know that some people like to add extra cooling on well functioning stock units. I think that's fine, although not needed. But if there is a malfunctioning component, that needs to be replaced, not cooled.

Actually extra cooling is ok for gear that’s not fully designed. But if the manufacturer is on top of their thermal design in solid state (Burmester for example), there is probably a target temperature for peak performance.

Even my old Krell class A amps had target temperatures. Ray Muchler had me using an IR gun type temperature meter on the heat sinks as a diagnostic technique.

My Burmester and McIntosh gear is never too hot to touch even after a day of use. I leave the Burmester on 24/7.

My old McCormick derived CJ gear ran cool too.

Extra cooling would not be a plus. But, as usual … your ears, your system.