Has anyone modded their CDP?

[bretty]

Morning everyone,

I've been having a dialogue with a CDP modification company recently. I'm giving serious thought to getting my Rotel modded.

My budget for the mods is £500. From what they have told me, they leave the transport and DAC alone, but pretty much everything else gets upgraded. I'd get a pair of http://www.audioupgrades.co.uk/burson.shtml as part of the mod.

Has anyone else modded their player?

If so, were you happy with the result?

 

[pete321]

I haven't had a CD modded, but have had my DacMagic modded with Burson OpAmps to great effect. Personally I would say that would be the better route to go. Your CD player is unlikely to last as long as a good DAC. £500 would buy you a modded DacMagic or Beresford (Bursons won't fit in a Beresford) it's reckoned that it would perfom as good as £1k plus DAC. The advantages are that you've got something that can be used with more than one source and will stand the test of time. Obviously you'd have to add in the the cost of a decent SPDIF cable and some analogue interconnects, I use DNM Reson interconnects with Bullet plugs

I also used AudioUpgrades to fit Bursons and better capacitors to my DacMagic. My DacMagic has now got a much more sophisticated sound.

 

[bretty]

Thanks for the reply, Pete.

I take your point about getting a dac, but the dac in the Rotel is sooo good, that I really want to see just how good I can get it to sound.

Also, I think you may be right about the Thunderline. When I bought it, I wanted it to tame the treble, which it did, but I do feel that the 'airy' quality of the sound has reduced. There's less seperation between the instruments. I'll try some other interconnects.

How much was your Interconnect, Pete?

 

[pete321]

You can get 0.5m for £65, but don't let the relatively low price fool you, it'll give a tight bass and detailed treble. I think the Cyrus interconnect was based on it.

 

[pete321]

bretty: but the dac in the Rotel is sooo good, that I really want to see just how good I can get it to sound.

I know it's a good player, but I'd consider getting a DacMagic on trial or return (Richer Sounds will let you do that). Try the DacMagic as is against the Rotel. If there's not much in it, or the DacMagic sounds better, then you know you can only improve on that with the Bursons. If you prefer the Rotel to the unmodded DacMagic, take it back and get your dosh back. Worth a try.

I found the DacMagic on it's own very detailed but perhaps lacking in the midrange a bit. The Bursons keep the detail, but add to the midrange giving a more listenable, slightly smoother sound. Be aware, whatever component you decide to have the Burson's in, they take quite alot of running in. It took quite a few hours before the treble started to open up, AudioUpgrades reckon at least a 100 hours!

 

[bretty]

You're right, there's no harm in trying a DacMagic. I'll get one to trial.

Cheers, pete.

 

[pete321]

bretty: You're right, there's no harm in trying a DacMagic. I'll get one to trial.

If you like what you hear and keep it, you're probably better off with this Maplin power supply, AudioUpgrades recommend the 9v 3,2a model.

 

[the record spot]

Not sure the DM will be a better result than the current onboard one; different for sure though. The Rotel was an excellent player and often overlooked in the used market I think, so they're relatively cheap to acquire.

If the cost of upgrading the DACMagic plus the cost of the DAC is greater than the cost of modding you CDP, I'd have a bit of a think about that one. It might also be worth getting some opinions from others who have had upgrade work carried out on their machine by this company. Also worth going on forums like DIY Audio where someone might have done similar work on this model.

Worth it to get as clued up as possible IMO.

 

[pete321]

the record spot:If the cost of upgrading the DACMagic plus the cost of the DAC is greater than the cost of modding you CDP, I'd have a bit of a think about that one.

Taking into account that a good external DAC is likely to outlast a CD player and can be used with more than one source.

 

[the record spot]

Not really guaranteed - my last CDP (Linn Mimik) was about 15 years old and still going strong. Plenty of Marantz CD52s out there that are doing the business to this day and that's going back to 1993, so that doesn't really hold up IMO. Plus, the OP only mentioned his source and not other requirements. That's an added option, but from memory the 991 went for around £600 or so, which means the DM has a job on its' hands to exceed that performance.

Like I say, different perhaps/probably, but better is moot.

 

[pete321]

Without being able to compare results I guess I can't really comment, but my modded DacMagic certainly beat the Arcam AVR600 for stereo conversion by a long way IMO. With regard to longevity, there's more to go wrong in a CD player than a DAC. You may only have one source at the moment, but if you get another that would benefit from the mods, it's not much use if they're all in the Rotel. Either way, you can try an unmodded DacMagic on sale or return, so nothing's lost.

 

[Anonymous]

I've always loved the way that Kimber interconnects allow a good level of separation and open space. I had some Thunderline once too (well still have it, just not used) .....

 

[pete321]

BigAir:I've always loved the way that Kimber interconnects allow a good level of separation and open space. I had some Thunderline once too (well still have it, just not used) .....

Kimber interconnects have a great sweet sounding treble and nice bass, but they're so expensive, DNM Reson (with Eichmann Bullets) is a cheaper alternative, the treble's not as sweet sounding, but nevertheless very detailed.

 

[the record spot]

pete321:Without being able to compare results I guess I can't really comment, but my modded DacMagic certainly beat the Arcam AVR600 for stereo conversion by a long way IMO. With regard to longevity, there's more to go wrong in a CD player than a DAC. You may only have one source at the moment, but if you get another that would benefit from the mods, it's not much use if they're all in the Rotel. Either way, you can try an unmodded DacMagic on sale or return, so nothing's lost.

So really, we're back to where we were before; spend £230 on a DM, wait one year till the warranty expires before modding it, unless the OP wants to invalidate warranty, so compare just now with like for like.

And whilst there might be more to go wrong with a CD player in terms of mechanics inside, I go back to my earlier point that many players are working well into their dotage without a single casing screw being removed. And did I happen to see a thread about the DM running excessively hot in some cases? Just saying...

 

[pete321]

the record spot:And did I happen to see a thread about the DM running excessively hot in some cases? Just saying...

Hence the Maplin 9v power supply mentioned earlier in the thread which is more than enough for the DacMagic and keeps things a bit cooler inside.

 

[bretty]

the record spot:Plus, the OP only mentioned his source and not other requirements. That's an added option, but from memory the 991 went for around £600 or so, which means the DM has a job on its' hands to exceed that performance. Like I say, different perhaps/probably, but better is moot.

The Rotel went for £850, new, back in the late nineties. I don't think the DM would be able to hold a candle to it's twin Burr-Brown chips, but i've been wrong before!

On the subject of the lifetime of a cd player, I suppose luckily for me, a hell of a lot went wrong with the player almost straight after I bought it, last November, while it was in its warranty period. As a result I got a new transport, new Sony glass lensed laser, new philips capacitors and some other electrical gubbins that I can't remember the name of. I'm sure the dealer hated me, as he saw his profit margin dssappearing, but, as he said himself, I basically have a brand new machine, for used machine money. So, in theory, I should have many years pleasure out of this machine.

As i'm typing this, im swaying back to getting the mods done on the CDP, as I feel an external DAC would be underused because I would only have the source (CDP) to go through it.

I will do a bit more research on the DM, though.

Thank you for your input, fella's.

Keep the opinions coming! The more info I can get, the better

 

[pete321]

bretty:I don't think the DM would be able to hold a candle to it's twin Burr-Brown chips, but i've been wrong before

Have a chat with Brent at AudioUpgrades on Monday. The actual DAC's cost anything from a couple of quid to about £15 max, the dual Burson Opamps cost £90, that says something to me. I don't think you'll find there's much between the actual Wolfson 8740 DAC in the DacMagic and the Burr Brown's in the Rotel, it'll be the opamps and capacitors which will make the difference. If you upgrade your Rotel, once you sell it, those upgrades are gone, whereas you're more likely to keep a good DAC which can be used with a new CD player or digital music source, I use mine mainly with my lossless CD rips from my PC.

 

[a91gti]

Do it fella! I`ve modded my cdp to the point where my dad reckons it beats his Naim CD1. Buying a cdp for £20 from ebay and taking it to a point where it will beat most others is soooo nice! As for a dac outlasting your cdp, if the dac in your cdp is able (and given a fair chance) it will beat aftermarket dacs off with a stick.

 

[bretty]

andrewknight:Do it fella! I`ve modded my cdp to the point where my dad reckons it beats his Naim CD1. Buying a cdp for £20 from ebay and taking it to a point where it will beat most others is soooo nice! As for a dac outlasting your cdp, if the dac in your cdp is able (and given a fair chance) it will beat aftermarket dacs off with a stick.

Yeah, I think i'm gonna do it. I love the Rotel so much, that I plan on keeping it for as long as I listen to music! I will evolve the system around the CDP, upgrading amp and speakers eventually. If what i'm told is correct, If I spend the £500 getting the top nuts modifications, the Rotel will sound as good as anything out there, regardless of price.

I'm going to get the mods done in October, so i'll let you all know the outcome, good or bad!

 

[Anonymous]

have a Marantz CD63 MKII K1 sig cdp and have seen some ads on ebay offering upgrades .... different levels with different prices (some very high),,,, would be interesting to hear from someone who has had this cdp modified and the difference?

 

[the record spot]

Not sure about those Ebay ads - some of which are asking about £800 or so for the top of the line upgrades? Ouch!

However, he's a list of mods from a site recommended to me when I was interested in modding the 7001 KI I have. He specialises in this kind of thing and the CD63 KI is on the list. Here's the link: http://members.quicknet.nl/ra.vdsteen/index_en.html

 

[bretty]

Hey Pete321,

Thought you might like to know that after your comment on the Thunderline, I tried swapping it for a £20 Monster cable I had in the cupboard. You were right, fella, the Thunderline was robbing the sound of so much detail. Even though the Monster is a cheapie, the twinkle is back to the treble and seperation is up, too. I guess it serves me right for buying a cable blind off the flea bay. Bloody waste of £85, though!

I think i'm going to try either:

Atlas Equator Superior, or

Chord Chameleon Silver Plus.

Gonna Listen before I buy this time though!