Adg101,
Please do not tell people spening more than the cost of a equipment to do a mod is not getting ripped off,unless you change definition of rip off from englih dictionary.
That put aside, let us focus on what i weak points of 205 as a dac.
1. Bad rectifiers for +-15 volts audio ic power supply. That is why 205 stock sounds lean and slow.
2. Power supplier for digital path is not properly filtered, too much noise causing timing issue.
3. Single ended audio buffer path uses 2 stages of cheap capacitor coupling, total screwed up high frequency timing and response curve. That is why balanced audio outputs are strongly recommended for 205 as a dac/dsd/cd player.
As mod goes, level 1 mod is obvious:
1.replace bridge for 18v ac to dc with fast recovery diodes.
2. Bypass 3v, +-5v and +-15v dc with silver mica caps.
Level 2 mod is more personal:
1. Simple and right way is to build a dedicated preamp outside 205, get balanced analogue signal from dac chip pins directly bypassing internal amplify circuit. You can build a k&k audio style ultra path pre amplifier using nickle input transformer as IV driver.
2. If you only using balanced output, you can just roll ic chips. Since level 1 mod already solves the dynamics glitch.
3. I need single ended output since i connect 205 as control center hooking directly to my ultra path pre amp. So i bought best v-cap to bypass 4 cheap coupling caps, which sweatens high frequence nicely. I likes national ic chip, but folk could roll opa627 or muse family ICs as you wish.
Enjoy diy if you walk this way.
