2. digital
  3. 1341277710

Does Anyone remember

I'm almost cringing as I write this, knowing that any mention of a tweek, and it's "effect" is met with doubt or even boredom. Still, even though there may only be a few readers who can, or may have already tried this, I must continue.
I have been using a Pioneer PD S95 transport for about 7 years (great piece, look it up). It features the best version of Pioneer's rigid clamping system that is known to many, but no longer produced. It was a good idea. Clamp the CD so that it wouldn't rattle while it was spinning. The CD is inserted upside-down on these players, and the label side rests on a rubber pad atop a machined aluminum platter.
Anyway, it's the only high end transport I have ever had, so I can't compare it to others, but I have been very satisfied with it, and combined with an Audio Note 1x dac, it has been far superior to previous players I had owned.
To the point. Before owning the stable platter transport, I had used a product (no longer available) called Reference Bands. I forget who made them, but they were basically a stretchable circular black band that you placed around the outside edge of a CD. They were easily removeable. To me, the "pulled together" the sound of the music, making it sound deeper, and more nuanced. After I bought the Pioneer, I threw them out, as I believed that they were redundant. Then, last week, I pulled out a CD that I hadn't played in years, and there was a band on it. Long story a bit longer, I found that on disc after disc, the band in combination with the stable platter sounded obviously different, and after further listening, obviously better.
If anyone out there remembers the bands for better or worse, or has tried what I have, I would be interested in your thoughts.
The whole thing sounds so counter intuitive, but this has been my experience. I am using it all of the time now for critical listening.
128x128roxy54
15 responses Add your response
roxy54's avatar
roxy54 OP
7,986 posts
 
Sunnyjim,
I think they were made by Audioquest, and it was more than 15 years ago. I still have a couple of dozen CDs with them. I tried taking them off, and actually peeled off the aluminum layer on one of my discs where the cement was. It is better to leave them on. The reference bands that stretched on round the perimeter were better, and removeable.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Sunnyjim, if the colored rings don't work out for you I'd be happy to take them off your hands. Maybe a trade.
sunnyjim
927 posts
 
I had a set of color coded adhesive ring discs which I bought about 15 years ago. Forget who made them However, I never play them because the Rega rep informed me that they add some weight to the transport which wears it out quicker. I was told by the same rep they could be easily removed. Not the case, and I was not going to submerge the CD in warm water to loosen the ring. However, I am going to give them a replay to see if they enhance the sound.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54 OP
7,986 posts
 
Zeal,
Thanks for the information, I never knew that Theta had used it. Very interesting.

Audioengr,
Thanks for the info/advice. Someone else on a thread had suggested that I add a digital lens. I am sure a reclocker would be a good thing. Can that just be added internally? What do you think the cost would be? (ball park)
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
This is an old tweak to reduce jitter coming from the disk. There a lot of ways to do this by tweaking the disk itself, or you can just add a good reclocker to the transport and drive your DAC with a low-jitter signal. Then the cable, CD and transport will not have any effect on the jitter. They are "don't-cares".

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
zeal's avatar
zeal
174 posts
 
Never to late to reply. Theta took the Pioneer PD S95 transport and modified it. The Theta Miles as it was called was a great player with balance and digital out that started as a good player and was turned into the best bang for the buck over fifteen years ago. I had it rebuilt and use it to this day. Sounds great with and without an extra dac as it has its own built in pre amp.
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,388 posts
 
I used a PD65 for 10 years until I sold it on e-bay. I wish I had kept it to use as a spare transport. It was a very smooth player with the Legato Link filters.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54 OP
7,986 posts
 
I used a PD65 CD player for several years before the current PDS 95 transport and Audio Note DAC. It was truly an excellent player.
dla405j
14 posts
 
I use pioneer stable platter pd65 and pd59 with outboard dacs and fine them a cheap and high quality way to reduce jitter and cd player noise...I've never had a breakdown of any of these models. Quiet and smooth

dla405j
digitalaudio
22 posts
 
I wonder if it's just the edge weighting or if something else is at play too. I was at a site recently where they listed a bunch of cheap tweaks for cd's one of which was to dull the reflective edge of the disc with very light grit sand paper. I can't say what the supposed mechanics or purpose of this was but they swore it yielded a very slight benefit sonically.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54 OP
7,986 posts
 
Thanks Ghostrider, I will look into that.
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
the rubberband is periphery weighting the CD thereby reducing the wobble during spinning. If the CD goes upside down in the Pioneer, the clamp cannot be too big in diameter otherwise it'll cover the inside edge which has all the imp info of the CD. So, even tho the CD is clamped it appears that the entire diamter of the CD is not clamped so there is a high probability that there's still significant wobble during spinning which the rubberband takes care of. Plus, the black/dark colour rubberband also does what the Stoplight pen does - absorb the laser reflections off the CD edge. With those reflections gone less spurious reflected into the laser read lens hence less power supply spiking & the clean supply results in lower jitter & cleaner sonics. If you had TEAC VRDS clamping system it might obviate the need for the rubberband.
But, yeah, I can see how the rubberband helps the situation....
ghostrider45
449 posts
 
I have an S95. Try it through a Genesis Digital Lens or other jitter reducer. It makes a significant improvement. I suspect the Lens sounds better than the CD rings and is much easier to use....
roxy54's avatar
roxy54 OP
7,986 posts
 
Well, c'mon Elizabeth, give it a try for me, and tell me what your thinking is about them all these years later.
I'm also just remembering that I used to use those wide flat circles that used to cement right on to the disc, might have been Audioquest as well. I ruined a couple of CDs trying to get them off. I was removing them because the added thickness caused them to get stuck in my car CD player. I had the issue once of the band stopping the music at the end of a CD. It was Derek and the Dominoes (a double album on 1 CD).
I am wondering if the positive effect I am hearing is related to the blackening of the transparent edge of the CD, which is basically what the CD Stoplight pen did.
Post removed 
Log in to respond
More to discover
80x80
Bel Canto Design DAC-3
80x80
Ayon Audio CD-35II XS
AWARD WINNING 8 YEARS RUNNING
80x80
Pro-Ject Audio Systems Pre Box DS2 Digital