Best Sonos ZP-80 Mod?

I have had the Sonos system for about a year and love it. However, this thread raises a basic question for me. Are the people seeking ZP-80 upgrades using multiple high end systems throughout their homes or is the Sonos functioning as a wireless connection between a "main" system and a remote server.

If people are doing the latter, there's got to be a better (and cheaper) way than modding the power supply, adding a pace car and adding an outboard DAC. If we're talking multiple high end systems, I get it.

Marty

PS - The Sonos was, to me, always about the user interface rather than performance. Therefore, I've largely punted on quality - generally preferring the "push a button-hear your entire library" convenience of the admittedly poor sounding ZP-100. I use ZP-80s in 3 rooms, 2 of which have pretty high quality systems (Bel Canto s300i/CD2/Silverline Sonatina and Pathos Classic One/Digit/SF Cremona). In both cases I'm reluctant to add even an outboard DAC since the functionality of the Sonos remote is further reduced (volume control). When I want quality on these systems, I pop in a CD and bypass the Sonos.

Acastano,

As to the ZP100 - mine are in the gym, the patio, the courtyard, the den (in a cabinet) and in the dining room. The only place where improved amplification would be readily audible to me is the den, but ancillary electronics would not always be easily accessible in the cabinet. My 2 year old's stuff piles up!.

Dining Room listening is at very low levels. The gym tends to very high levels but fidelity ain't so importatant (to me, anyway) on the elliptical. and outside is outside. I use the Sonos when entertaining or reading and it is wonderful. I don't have a player in my listening room because my library is soon to reside on a QSonix server feeding lossless WMA to a Benchmark DAC1 and onto to my system. The Sonos gets 320kb compressed. Different horses for different courses.

Marty

BTW - According to Sonos, the digital out is fixed in level, so I'm not sure how the volume can be controlled. Am I misinformed?

Shazam -Good luck with your search. My gut feel is that tossing large sums at a Sonos for mods, etc, seems like a questionable call. It is what it is and IMHO that ain't bad.... it's just not particularly high end.

Marty

Acastano

I guess I was misinformed! 2 years ago, when my house was being built, I put this question to the tech folks at Sonos for exactly this reason. I was putting Cat5 throughout and was considering the possibility of a wired Sonos system. The company assured me that the digital out was fixed level. Either that's changed or they screwed up.

On the one hand, that is a very significant fact. Slipping a modestly priced reclocking DAC between the ZP-80 and my Pathos/Cremona system might make some sense. However, I still can't see going the supply mod/pace car/DAC route. As to potential improvement - your point is taken. As to the cost/benefit, I'm still not so sure,

Marty