Help What Cd Sacd Player You Rec.

[jpvnnvpj]

Hi every one i want to up grade my cd player i own a sony dvp s9000es,sound very good but i figuer that new tec is out there. i do not need dvd. Thanks for your help. :

[dtb300]

Why not have your current player modded by Allen Wright of Vacuum State? It will improve the player so much you would have to spend 2-3 times the cost to get an equal player.

http://www.vacuumstate.com/

Contact Allen or one of his agents about cost for upgrades.

Another individual also doing mods to your current player is Dan Wright of Modwright (no relation to Allen). He also offers some tremendous mods to your player.

http://www.modwright.com

Each of these people are not just part swappers like most of the modders are, they actually put in whole new audio output sections into the players for significant improvements in sound.

There are many reviews out there for both of these people on their modded players and reviews are very glowing. But go out and read them yourself and decide. But consider getting it modded instead of spending the same amount of money or more on a stock player. The modded ones will perform better than 2-3 times the cost stock players. BTW, they also offer new players modded if you are concerned about having an older player modded.

Just something to consider when choosing a new player for yourself.

[zmanbands]

Has Anyone Had this VACUUMSTATE mod made to their s9000es?

I would be interested in Redbook CD improvement only. I have a vacuum state agent near me. That's the level 4 mod that might be worth it.

[dtb300]

Level 5+ is current and the new Level 6 is coming out. All the mods are for two channel playback so they would be for SACD or Redbook. But check with Allen or a representative to get the best bang for your buck. People who have had the 4 and went to 5+ loved the improvements.

Dan

[jpvnnvpj]

Thanks for your help i,am looking into it,do you think that doing the mod on the sony is beter than say a used krell showcase Thanks.

[dtb300]

I do not think they mod the Krell - but an email sent to them would get the real answer. They both have excellent customer service. And the cost of the player in question used plus mods would about equal the price of a used Krell Standand.

Remember they are installing new output stages and not part swapping, so the mods are for specific players. This new output stage is what makes both Modwright and Vacuum State two of the leaders in players mods.

Make sure whatever mods you decide to have done include the new clock for the player - but the Wrights have this as part of their packages.

[Briz vegas]

I tried one of those vacuum state modded players - first night it sounded amazing - next morning it was "Ivan the Treble" when I realised that I could not live with the highs.

I was told that the reason that it sounds so open is that they dump alot of the filters and such (not very techical but basically the components that stop the occasional nasty getting through to the rest of your system - which is why Sony will not honour the warrantee). This was a level 4 mod I think so it is possible things have changed - check the reviews online - some are scathing and go into a lot of detail as to why and what to listen for.

I would suggest that those more expensive players are more expensive because you get the higher quality output stage after the DAC as opposed to a bugger all passive output stage.

I have heard a modified Shanling T80 that sounded pretty good, but they sound good anyway. It was in my system and (sorry to the proud owner) but my Naim5x/flatcap proved it was worth the extra dollars - to me at least -much more natural and analogue sounding in comparison. (I can get away with saying that as he laughed at my power amp - and after hearing his mini Krell I had to agree)

That being said - for the money the Shanling is excellent.

[dtb300]

I tried one of those vacuum state modded players - first night it sounded amazing - next morning it was "Ivan the Treble" when I realised that I could not live with the highs.

That is a first hearing someone state a VSE player to sound bright - revealing yes, but not bright. Could it have been the player was just revealing the source more accurately with your setup or room? After you put in the Shanling, then it sounded better, which is a warmer sounding player as stated by most people who own it - so that makes sense.

Besides the Shanling, what other players have you used and what were your thoughts on those? Just curious and not ment to be a flame. Since you liked the Shanling, you probably would have liked the Modwright better than the VSE player.

I would suggest that those more expensive players are more expensive because you get the higher quality output stage after the DAC as opposed to a bugger all passive output stage.

When considering all the parts involved in a player, I cannot see how a player should cost big $$$$. The only player which should cost more are the Esoteric's which have the special drive assemblies in them. I realize companies have to make a $$$ for all their design, testing, etc. etc., but those high end players just should not cost that much money.

[zmanbands]

Modwright Mods

I just looked at the Modwright mods thru Signiture Truth, and don't see any clock change. Did I miss it in the nomenclature?

[zmanbands]

Shanling T80Cd Obsevations

On the very informative thread here, everyone praised this T80CD player as having astonishing build,looks and sound. Then there were all these tube and chip upgrades which took the $400 range CD player into the $1000 plus range if I followed the money trail properly. I see the T200 is around $2500. Quite a jump from T80 original USA price. Any comments? Is this made in China?

[dtb300]

I just looked at the Modwright mods thru Signiture Truth, and don't see any clock change. Did I miss it in the nomenclature?

Email Dan at Modwright and he can give you all the information. He will be very prompt in his reply and information for you, as he has great customer service.

To answer your question, not sure if the Truth mods include the clock or not.

Dan

[Briz vegas]

On the very informative thread here, everyone praised this T80CD player as having astonishing build,looks and sound. Then there were all these tube and chip upgrades which took the $400 range CD player into the $1000 plus range if I followed the money trail properly. I see the T200 is around $2500. Quite a jump from T80 original USA price. Any comments? Is this made in China?

Shanling is proudly chinese from the ground up, just like Opera Audio. The T80 is definitely the bang for your buck player. The 100 was about double the price with very similar internals (some said identical except for the lack of tubes in the headphone output area, others said the 100 had a bigger power supply) and a fancy case. Shanling modding is almost a craze amongst its owners - I guess they feel because it is not a big name high-end brand they can play with it - you might trick up a Ford but you would think twice (8 times maybe) before touching a Mercedes.

[Briz vegas]

That is a first hearing someone state a VSE player to sound bright - revealing yes, but not bright. Could it have been the player was just revealing the source more accurately with your setup or room? After you put in the Shanling, then it sounded better, which is a warmer sounding player as stated by most people who own it - so that makes sense.

This review was about when I checked out the player a year or so back

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/t...v6500-jlti-mod

I was running 705s at the time and I was having an issue with their brightness anyway. I still have the 705s and they sound fine with my current system.

I have tried Rega Apollo, the Shanling pre and post modification, the Quad CDP-2 and the Naim5x with and without external powersupply (which I bought in January) as well as my NAD 562 DVD which I also still have.

I preferred all of the above to the JLTi player. Don't take my word for it - like all things in audio you should listen to what others say only as a rough guide to the character of the player. Listen and decide or yourself - everyone's ears, taste, equipment and room are different.

If you read the above review you will see that there were certainly some interesting results on the test bench - it is rare to get any criticism of components in reviews these days (forums are the opposite - people love to get stuck in to a product)

[zmanbands]

CD Technology improvements in the last couple of years?

We have upsampling, possibly better clocks and DACs that may even be cheaper etc. So my question boils down to, does it make sense to pay $1600 to bring my six year old S9000ES up to level 5 from Vacuum State, or find a new Redbook CD only player with upsampling like say the new Arcam FMJ CD36 which can be had for $1995? There may be others around $2000. I have done very little research so don't know. For all I know the modded 9000 could blow the Arcam away or vice versa. Comments. BTW the major difference between level 4 and 5 for the 9000 is a better clock at a cost increase of $300.

[dtb300]

We have upsampling, possibly better clocks and DACs that may even be cheaper etc. So my question boils down to, does it make sense to pay $1600 to bring my six year old S9000ES up to level 5 from Vacuum State, or find a new Redbook CD only player with upsampling like say the new Arcam FMJ CD36 which can be had for $1995? There may be others around $2000. I have done very little research so don't know. For all I know the modded 9000 could blow the Arcam away or vice versa. Comments. BTW the major difference between level 4 and 5 for the 9000 is a better clock at a cost increase of $300.

For a 6 year old player, maybe not, but the modders do work on other players you may consider having done. I know Modwright also offers new players modded.

What will sound better - modded or a new stock player? Only you can decide that, as another poster on this thread stated, as each opinion on sound is a personal one based on the preferences, system, room, etc.

FYI, I bought a used 999ES player for $450 and had $800 worth of mods done to it. I have yet to hear a stock player under $3k which sounds better.

The hardest part of all this is being able to hear a modded player to make a comparison.

And finally, the $300 for the clock upgrade is well worth it IMO. You might want to see if you could just get the clock upgraded to move slowly into the modded world and see what changes it makes. While in the shop they can also do a clean up and lube on the drive sled assembly for an additional cost.

Dan

[dtb300]

This review was about when I checked out the player a year or so back

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/t...v6500-jlti-mod

I am not a fan of Audioholics at all......Sorry. The review states a JTLi mod, but Allen only has the Level mods on his site. I wonder what level was really done to the player???

I was running 705s at the time and I was having an issue with their brightness anyway. I still have the 705s and they sound fine with my current system.

Great to hear you have found a good setup. System synergy, or the matching of the right components, is CRITICAL for a system to sound right. A component in one setup can sound terrible in another as you have experienced.

I preferred all of the above to the JLTi player. Don't take my word for it - like all things in audio you should listen to what others say only as a rough guide to the character of the player. Listen and decide or yourself - everyone's ears, taste, equipment and room are different.

Agreed!! This is the biggest thing in audio. Set your budgets, listen to your components, and make a purchase based on what you like for your setup and room.

If you read the above review you will see that there were certainly some interesting results on the test bench - it is rare to get any criticism of components in reviews these days (forums are the opposite - people love to get stuck in to a product)

I do not get hung up on testing, results, or statistics. How it sounds to me in my setup, and how does it fit my budget, is what really matters.

Dan

[zmanbands]

I'm going to have Vacuum States Mod my Sony S9000ES

I can't send it in for mods for a few weeks, but will post results when I get it back. My closest agent is 270 miles away in Va. USA. Thanks for the heads up and follow on comments. They meant a lot to me!!! I have a really good feeling about Bill, this local agent/owner and the company in general. I'm going to do level 5 + a high frequency noise reduction mod.

[Russ L]

So my question boils down to, does it make sense to pay $1600 to bring my six year old S9000ES up to level 5 from Vacuum State, or find a new Redbook CD only player with upsampling like say the new Arcam FMJ CD36 which can be had for $1995?

I think the thing to worry about is the transport in a 6 year old player. Its the weak link and probably the first thing to give you trouble. Are replacements still available for your player? It would be a shame to do all the Mods and have the transport go. Just a thought. Regards, Russ

[dtb300]

I can't send it in for mods for a few weeks, but will post results when I get it back. My closest agent is 270 miles away in Va. USA. Thanks for the heads up and follow on comments. They meant a lot to me!!! I have a really good feeling about Bill, this local agent/owner and the company in general. I'm going to do level 5 + a high frequency noise reduction mod.

I see you decided to dive in head first!!!! It will be interesting to see what you think, but I do believe you will be very satisfied like many others.

Nothing but good things have been said about Bill, so I would not worry. Also get them to do a clean up on the sled and motor assembly to relube them up.

[dtb300]

I think the thing to worry about is the transport in a 6 year old player. Its the weak link and probably the first thing to give you trouble. Are replacements still available for your player? It would be a shame to do all the Mods and have the transport go. Just a thought. Regards, Russ

If you get maintenance done on your transport to keep it clean and lubed up, then the only thing to worry about is the laser assembly. I have heard the 777/SCD-1 assemblies are now about gone, and the 9000 came out a couple of years later, so there should be parts available.

The modders can replace the assemblies as part of the mods for an additional cost if one is worried about age of their unit.

Dan

[zmanbands]

I'm not really worried about the player itself

The gentelman I bought this 9000 from said repeatedly that he only played it for movies and he had only 40 movies. He never played a CD on it. He said there were about 40 hours on it. I probably put on it in the 3 months Iv'e had it. Bill sent me a great email which I will post here if he says I can.

[JonMarsh]

Like the others, I question the wisdom of modifying a six year old player unless it has relatively low hours. I do my routine background listening with a separate music server based on an iMac, to keep the hours down on the optical players. Laser's have a finite lifetime in the OPU- for example, in my Sony XA7ES, which I used for my every day player years ago, in four years (out of a five year ES warranty) the OPU was "gone". It was repaired under warranty, just barely.

After checking into laser lifetimes and OPU wearout mechanisms, I've segregated my player usage. As a result, the 777-SCD I have has rather low hours on it, as does the Marantz SA-11S.




Which brings me to my last point, you might give the Marantz a listen before making up your mind- no opamps in the signal path, tunable CD playback filters (a feature I cherish in the Sony and Ayre units, for the ability to choose filter configuration better in the time domain), very nice build quality for the money, and great sound on both CD's and SACDs. Of course, if you have substantially more than $3K to spend, you really should listen to an Ayre C5xe universal stereo player - very good performance on all digital music formats, for a stereo purist.

[zmanbands]

An email from Bill of Music Technology

I raised a few questions and concerns. Here is some of Bill's feedback on my last few questions which you can surmise from his answers. Hello, Bob,

I have not yet seen the loading mechanism fail on a 9000ES, but parts are available for it and the mechanism is fairly simple and easy to work on. There were also a LOT of 9000ES’s sold, so there is a large pool of potential used parts available as well.

If you unit is in standby mode and you hit the open button, you may well have to hit it twice (once to wake it up and the other to tell it what you want it to do). These are what are referred to as tact switches (small momentary switches) and are generically available for about $1.50 each, so I wouldn’t lose any sleep over those.

Sonically, IMHO, the VSE upgraded Sony’s are comparable in performance to almost anything on the market today and are only slightly less capable than the Meitner system (which costs about $15k). The early Sony SACD players took a much more no-compromise approach than the later models, which were engineered primarily to reduce cost of manufacture. The only advantage the later machines might have is a somewhat improved ability to read marginal discs. When the early models were designed, there weren’t a lot of hybrid discs yet made and evidently the manufacturing tolerances for those discs were looser than Sony originally expected, so there will be the occasional hybrid disc that those early machines simply won’t read (or will read one, but not the other layer). Not a major factor, in my experience.

As for the clocks used in the 4 and 5 upgrade – they both use the highly acclaimed Tent low-jitter clock module, which really is as good as clocks get. The primary difference is in the implementation. In the level 4, that module is powered by the same power supplies that power the VSE analog module. In the level 5, it is powered by it’s own power transformer and regulated power supply, ensuring that there is absolutely no unwanted interaction between the analog sections and the clock, which, as it turned out, is extremely critical.

While I’m not all that enthusiastic to publish my parts costs, suffice it to say that my margin of profit on a level 4 vs a level 5 upgrade is truly vanishingly small, so my motivation to urge you to go with the level 5 is really not profit oriented.

Hope this answers all you remaining concerns!

Thanks again,

Bill



MUSIC TECHNOLOGY, INC.

5418 Port Royal Rd.

Springfield, VA 22151

703-764-7005, EXT 106

703-501-9419 (cell)

703-764-0079 (fax)

[zmanbands]

More good info From Bill.

FYI Hi, Bob,

Certainly your unit would be a low-time player and shouldn’t need much, if anything in the way of maintenance. I will clean the transport when I get it and test it to make sure it’s performing to spec (before I do anything to it in the way of modification).

Lasers do wear out in time, and if you really had 15,000 hrs on your ARC, I’d have to think it was getting close to failing. The other thing that can happen is that the detector diodes/transistors can become noisy or fail outright. These are the parts that pick up the reflected laser beam and send that signal on to the rest of the player. The optics involved in all this need careful alignment also (usually at the factory, but some players are field adjustable – not yours though). Really, when you think about the technology that had to be developed to do this, it’s pretty amazing that optical systems like this operate as routinely and reliably as they do.

In any event, the entire transport mechanism (laser, detectors, and disc motor) can be easily replaced in your unit for about $200. Also, the VSE upgrade can be transplanted from one machine to another with fairly minimal effort, so that investment at least is fairly well protected.

Thanks again,

Bill

[nayr]

Any opinion on the Marantz DV7600? This seems to be an older model that's being cleared out all around and can be found for about $500-$600. It's a universal DVD player that plays DVD-A, SACD, CD, and seems notable for having many audiophile features and some sort of touted "HDAM Analog Output Stages". I'm curious if this would be a good choice over a straight-up cd player in the same price range on the used market? It seems to be well engineered without the usual audiophile marketing.