Looking for SACD player............

Thanks! for sharing- guys. Does Joseph Chow still "mod" ?

@jafant I believe Joseph is back to doing mods through the "Component Plus" division of Audio Horizons (audio-horizons dot com). Things kind of slowed down following the death of Victor Comerchero - his longtime friend and business partner. Victor handled all the marketing and logistics. Joseph is very flexible in projects he'll undertake. For example, he custom built his phono pre (TP 8.0) and tube buffer (TB 5.1) into a one-box solution for me. I've been very happy with it. 

Regarding the Sony 5400ES SACD player.

I recently purchased a replacement laser assembly for my 6 year old Sony. I am now providing ( as a public service ) the information necessary to purchase a genuine Sony replacement laser:

Source: Encompass.com
Telephone: 1-800-432-8542
Part #:  8-820-322-04
Device: Optical KHM-313 cab/c
Manufacturer: Sony
Price: $43.03

Thank You!

I purchased a spare laser assembly from Sony years ago.

Sony has outsourced their repairs to a company in Michigan.

Search the Sony website, for info on where to send your units for repair.

I do not know how long there will be repair parts available.

The laser replacement may become DIY.

Search the web for a Sony service manual for DIY.

I have one. The laser assembly is static sensitive and a replacement complicated to do.

Thank You- Strateahed.

Thanks! for the update- nyame.

jafant - which Oppo were you not impressed with?  103 or 105?

I agree with pirius,the Lexicon RT20 is surprisingly good(with adequate isolation/conditioning in my ref Spectral/MIT system). Significantly faster and more musical 5400 ES which I owned when I bought the RT20;no contest.The RT20 also does a very good job outputting DVD on HDMI.

Should read more musical 'than the Sony'.

jayctoy - " 2 Channel,  the technology is so good. And it's cheaper, why go with the old tech"

Limited funds. Besides, I love getting something of value for a low cost. It's part of the hobby for me. I had pretty much settled on a used Oppo bdp-103 for less than $300 when a Marantz SA8004 popped up for $550. I hesitated and lost both. The SA8004s don't come up often.

Hi ptss,

"Significantly faster and more musical" than the "5400 ES which I owned when I bought the RT20;no contest"

Ever compare either to the Modwright 5400ES?

Best to you ptss,
Dave

tpreaves, Jafant, bassdude, J135

I received my Modwright modified Sony on Friday. The first thing I noticed was how well it was packaged. While connecting it to my system I noticed that the IEC inlet was replaced and that it made a better mechanical connection with my Audience AU24 SE power cord. This was a pleasant surprise as Dan Modwright did not inform me of this upgrade.

His invoice specified that he had:
1. Replaced the entire drive mechanism including the tray and Laser
2. Replaced the Clock
3.Replaced (5) op-amps on the audio board with high fidelity op-amps.
4. Replaced key capacitors and diodes within the power supply
5. Dampened Drive mechanism
6 Dampened the case lid.
7. Installed a new Furutech IEC

Since receipt of the player I have played it for a total of 10 hours. Each time
I play it it sounds a little better. It is not yet fully broken in so I cannot post " a review " at this time. I can say however that I am very impressed with what I am hearing.

I will post a short progress review at the end of November, by which time it will have about 60 hours of playing time. It will probably not be fully broken in but at that time I will have a much clearer understanding of its peformance.

Finally, I must mention that it was a pleasure working with the organization.
Most of my communications was with Kristin Rose Boyd who is the Executive Director of Operations.

When things are fully broken-in, replace the stock fuses with SR Black 800ma small fuses which is like changing cables...

Wig

Wig,

Thanks for joining in. I did install black fuses about 6 months ago and the results are wonderful. I also have SR fuses in my pre and power amps.

I recently purchased a SR black A/C receptacle, and it is my intention to install it after the Sony player is fully broken in. Since the black receptacle is said to use the same technology as the black fuse, I am very optimistic about its potential benefits. 

@nyame Congrats. on the receipt of your modified player.  I am anxious to read about what you hear as differences pre to post mod.  You are more patient than I.  I would put a CD in the tray and play on repeat around the clock so within a week or so I could hear the fully run-in player.

Is there any experience or comparison with the Arcam DV137 or DV139?

Have you tried the Oppo BDP-105D?  It ought to cost WAY more than it does.  A phenomenal SACD player, the balanced outputs sound wonderful.  Having a hard time finding anything better under $10k.  That player is amazing.

I think SACD is going the way of Betamax, excerpts I taken from the net. And rumors that Sony and Philips are now looking at DXD with is pcm.

"Esoteric has stopped OEM sales of SACD transport because Sony had stopped supply of the chip required to read the DSD data stream from the SACD disc."

Cheers George

Thanks! for the update- wig and nyame.

Does Modwright offer different "mod" packages? I tend to agree that most of you, if not all, goes for the all-out Aural assault package. I would not blame you.

The Audience is a very fine PC. Keep me posted and Happy Listening!

Playback Design has an excellent sounding DAC (Merlot) and a Direct Digital Stream Card Designed for the oppo Box. The oppo is used as a Transport. The card Captues all the data and sends it into the properity link into the Merlot DAC.

I have a Sony SCD-1 with Richard Kern mods gathering dust in storage. If you are interested send me a message.

Has anyone heard of a player using the new ESS DAC chip, the ES9028PRO?
I bet when players with it start hitting the market (Oppo BDP-205?) the asking price of used players will drop considerably.

Thanks! for sharing this invaluable intel guys.
Happy Listening!

Got my Modwright Marantz Friday. Right out of the box this thing sounds fantastic. It keeps getting better and better. I'll check back in after it's had more time to break-in. Well worth the cost, IMHO.

yyzsantabarbars

I can't seem to find a way to message you in AG. Is there some other way to contact you?

Another alternative:

http://www.audiogon.com/listings/cd-sacd-players-modwright-llc-sony-xa5400es-signature-truth-cd-sacd-player-with-many-upgrades-huge-2016-10-22-digital-08005-barnegat-nj

Modwright modified Sony XA5400ES CD/SACD player

I have been enjoying my Sony for the past 7 years and was devastated when It began to struggle reading discs. I knew it was time to replace the drive assembly OR purchase a new player. The new player that caught my eye was the Marantx SA-1451 CD/SACD player for $2500. The only person I trusted to repair the player was Dan Wright of Modwright Instruments. Dan has received universal praise for the quality of his work and I felt comfortable dealing with him.

I spoke to Mr.Wright who informed me he did not do repairs but would repair AND modify my player. We agreed I would pay him to replace the defective drive assembly and make a additional payment of $1000 for then unspecified modifications. He added that I would be "very pleased" with the results.

It was not a difficult decision. Repair and modify the Sony for $1250 or purchase the Marantz for $2500. I had no desire to disrupt the voicing of my system by introducing an unknown quantity. I shipped the Sony to Modwright and hoped for the best.

The following repairs and modifications were done.
1. Repairs: (Drive replacement)
2.Master clock upgrade to considerably reduce jitter and provide more precise timing.
3. Power supply: Replacement of diodes and caps in critical areas.
4. Damping of chassis, drive mechanism and lid
5. IEC connector replaced with New Furutech IEC made of pure copper.
6. Operational amplifiers: Five op-amps on audio board replaced with high fidelity op-amps.
7. Several months ago I had replaced the stock 800 ma fuses with Synergistic research black fuses for a very worthwhile improvement.

I have now had the upgraded unit for over two weeks. My break-in procedure is very simple. The unit is left on (but not playing) for 2 weeks and listened to for an average of 3 hours per day. I cannot say it is now fully broken in, but the sound has improved significantly and I am confident its performance will only get better over time.

BUT HOW DOES IT SOUND? I was really feeling tense. Was the unit damaged in transit? I pressed "PLAY" and hoped for the best. The drive mechanism was smooth and quiet. After playing a couple familiar songs (without listening for any particular characteristics) I felt calm and relaxed. the unit was in good working condition. Things were looking up. Phase 1 of my project was complete.

The next step was to listen to music and determine whether the modified player allowed me to enjoy music as much as I did before. The first thing I noticed was just how transparent it was. It was MUCH more transparent. It was more transparent not just in the lower to upper mid ranges as is often the case. It was more transparent over the entire frequency spectrum. It was not possible to say for example, that mid range was more transparent. The entire performance, including sound stage, acoustical and spatial clues were unraveled and presented as a coherent whole. All seven of the Weavers were present and physically occupying the sound stage. { The
Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall 1963" Vanguard 2150-2 1987 re-issue } I felt pure joy and relief. The new player was not just better but represented a paradigm shift in my perception of what was possible from the humble CD. I looked to see if the disc was remastered in DSD. No it was a standard stereo CD from Amazon.com. It was all over bar the shouting. I had gambled and won the lottery.

After the spectacular results of the Weavers I decided to listen to another great live recording in Carnegie Hall in April 1959 [Belafonte at Carnegie Hall-Sony Music: K2 HD mastering] I played "Matilda" because of the frequent interplay between Belafonte (who moved around during his performance) and the audience. I was anxious to hear if the modified player conveyed the magical acoustics and scale of the great Carnegie Hall. Unlike the relatively threadbare recording of the Weavers, the Hall was now bursting with the excitement and emotion of the huge and enthusiastic crowds. I have no better recording in my collection. Rumour is that the live feeds from the microphones were sent via copper cables to a recorder in a van parked outside in the parking lot. The modified player hit this one out of the park. It is now clear to me that CD has closed the gap with turntable based systems. It does not surprise me that it took a modified player to achieve this. [For the same reason I do not expect a standard showroom car (regardless of cost) to break any 1/4 mile records on the racetrack]

I had to listen to one more great live recording. (This time in DSD)  "{Sam Cooke at the Copa" recorded in the Copacabana, New York City, June 1961. The acoustic environment in the nightclub is very unlike that of Carnegie Hall and the modified player made this quite clear, but the musicality of the performance came through in flying colors. I have listened to many bands in night clubs and have always enjoyed the intimacy of these smaller venues. I was not disappointed. I had the sense not that the modified player was outperforming the stock player BUT THAT SAM COOKE HIMSELF WAS PERFORMING BETTER. It was like listening to two different singers doing the National anthem before a big game. The first one does a great job and there are no complaints. However the second singer provides an inspired performance with such powerful conviction that everyone spontaneously jumps up waving their arms and cheering wildly.

My final test was {ANDY BEY - Ballads Blues and Bey - Evidence ECD22162-2} This is a very simple recording. A singer and his piano in a small studio. Bey's voice is laden with emotion and nuance. The modified player accurately portray the size of the studio. The tone of the piano is accurately conveyed. With the record playing I closed the door, went outside and listened."Is there a real piano in the closed room?" I asked myself. The answer was a resounding "YES". End of test.

One characteristic of the modified player that stood out during these listening tests was that it displayed much greater bass extension and bloom
than the stock player. To be frank bass performance was superb in every respect.  I confirmed this by listening to Holey Cole's "Temptation" in DSD.
[Analog productions CAPP 048 SA] I really love this disc. It is also a great test of all aspects of bass performance. Bass detail, weight and slam were all exceptional when compared to the stock player, which is also very good in these areas.

CONCLUSION: Listening tests have made it clear to me that the modwright modified player presents music with an ease and naturalness the stock player cannot match. It is an unqualified success. 

Tpreaves

I hope you are enjoying your modwright modified Marantz as I am enjoying my modwright modified Sony. Does your unit have a separate power supply?

Great discussion- guys.

I can vouch for the Lexicon RT-10.

The Lexicon is very solid for what it plays. In my Spectral/MIT reference system it needed isolation and conditioning to reveal itself..I use Equitech and Sound Application units and MIT Oracle power cords and I'm happy with the musicality of the RT-20. (I come from a musical family and played piano in youth). I'm hoping new 4K units from Oppo have improved power supplies and sound. Cheers. 

My Modwright Marantz SA8005 is performing most excellently !!!!

Good to hear, tpreaves. Dan has a magical touch.

Best to you,
Dave

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare a stock Marantz SA8005 with the Modwright modified SA8005?  I would love to read about that comparison.  Here's hopin'.

Not the SA8005, but the Sony 5400ES, which by all accounts from owners of both MW players is very similar in sound quality:

http:forum.audiogon.com/discussions/ayre-cx-7emp-vs-sony-scd-xa5400es-vs-oppo-bdp-95//

Best to you hifiman5,
Dave

@dlcockrum Thanks for the link.  I just finished reading that thread. Lots of well-conveyed sound impressions of pre and post MW mod.

There is excellent info in this thread- guys.

Thanks to the accolades many of you had for Modwright and a lot of reading about their mods., I sent my Marantz SA8005 away. Dan and Kristen were great to communicate with via email. They answered within a couple minutes on more than one occasion. Listening to vinyl for a few weeks (not at all a bad thing). Enjoying a Japanese pressing of the original Dire Straits effort. Great tunes with great sound.

Calling Parts Connexion tomorrow for a Hifi-tuning silver star 3A Slo Blo fuse to put in the 9.0 tube power supply. Tough to pass up on such good fuses being offered at 60% off! I’ll install that when my unit gets here around the end of January.

Tpreaves - Hope you are enjoying your modified Marantz.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your modification experiences in this thread.

You are about to be a very happy hifiman. Congrats!

Dave

Would anyone care to recommend a reasonably priced power cord for the Modwright 9.0 outboard power supply?

During the last decade or so I owned many of the usual suspects, some a couple times over, but havent had another SONY. Not for any bad experience. Marantz and Oppo are nice, and handful of Pioneers. Anyone care to trade their SCD-XA5400ES for a 105 to try some apples from another cart. Perhaps not. The Sony's are intriguing.  

hifiman,

I am using SR cords that are not inexpensive, but a good friend of mine whom has had a MW5400ES for years in his fantastic sounding system recommended a Cullen or PS Audio AC-10/12, stating that they were both open-sounding cords on his MW ps. Be careful of counterfeits on the latter.

The Cerious or CPT cords might be worth consideration as well.

Best to you hifiman,
Dave

"Forget the power cord."

That is not my experience/recommendation but do agree that a Philips 5AR4 rectifier tube is a huge upgrade once you get the best cord you can on the ps.

Dave