Modding Synergistic Research MPC to Galileo status

Devilboy, I must correct you on one thing, to be fair the list price of a SR Galileo MPC is not $450.00 its $399.00. However, you are correct in that it is way overpriced for what's inside. Four ordinary 1 amp schottky high speed rectifier diodes, an axial lead electrolytic cap of unknown origin with their logo on it, all hot glued in place, does not add up to $399.00 no matter how much quantum tunneling is performed!
My modification to your stock SR MPCs got you there for less than 1/8th the price, as you well know! You will not find a better sonic improvement option for Synergistic Research active cable owners with stock MPCs! BTW I sold my Galileo MPC a few days ago. No longer needed!

Ted, thanks for joining in. I did in fact at one point try hardwiring, and removed the small PC board and hardwired my IXYS diodes and Panasonic FM Cap to the secondary windings in an early modified version, but because of larger physical size and the radial leads of the components I use, simply could not comfortably fit inside the MPC enclosure. Even so, I heard minimal if any improvement. I have simply never heard great improvement in hardwiring power supplies as you have described, especially when dealing with such a small 1.5 inch by 1 inch sized PC board with only a few solder points.
I HAVE however heard tremendous improvement when one hardwires SIGNAL carrying wires, such as hardwiring loudspeaker crossovers, interconnect cables inside components avoiding chassis mount RCA connectors, and hardwiring loudspeaker cables to avoid using binding posts, etc. Your brilliant ITF Bi-Wire idea would fall into this signal carrying hardwire category, eliminating a connector and solder connection. Thanks, Michael Spallone

One other point I wanted to stress, even though devilboy mentions it in his opening post, is that the tremendous sonic results I am achieving modifying stock SR MPCs, comes from replacing the 4 active diodes to IXYS ultra fast soft recovery types, and the one passive electrolytic capacitor to an extremely low impedance Panasonic FM. This is where I have found all the sonic improvement I am hearing to come from!!
A SIGNIFICANT aspect of improved performance by simply point to point hardwiring such a small power supply instead of using the tiny PC board?? I think not! Ted & I will just have to agree to disagree!
BTW I believe SRs brilliant method of Bi-Wiring is called IFT not ITF as I mistakenly wrote in my previous post, I apologize!

Crubio, Depending on how much time your stock SR MPCs have seen in the field, due to age, a diode or cap may have failed, in which case my modification would fix that automatically, and would absolutely make the MPC sound night and day better!
However, another possibility could be that, again due to age, you have a thermal cutoff that opened. This part is like a small fuse located just below the surface of the MPCs transformer primary windings. It is in series with the incoming AC to protect the transformer windings themselves from opening. This part replacement may also get your stock SR MPC functioning again. However, I will only replace the thermal cutoff, if needed, with my modification. All the best.

Jeff, Dave, & all, thanks so much for the kind words. I started out this mod to help me achieve even greater enjoyment from all of my own SR active shielded cables, for not a lot of money. Then I figured, why not offer my services to all of you SR active cable owners. Thanks again for all the kind words and great word of mouth.

Thanks Colin for all the kind words. You should know that Colin is the first that has experienced my latest SR MPC Ver. 2 mod. I have changed the rectifier high speed diodes and the electrolytic cap, and as needed, bypassed it with a .1 or .01uf  polypropylene cap. I am now able to do away with the circuit board, and hard wire the components because of the now much smaller size of them.
 The sound is so much more transparent, with unbelievable air and decay, and with a wide open sound stage that now just explodes with unreal width and depth. It is so much better than my original SR MPC mod which was designed to be a great improvement over stock SR MPCs while sometimes approaching the performance of an SR Galileo MPC in some systems, that it is laughable! But such is progress.
 My new Ver. 2 mod is in another league altogether, now not only bettering the performance of my original MPC mod but now far exceeds those of a SR Galileo MPC as well.

I just wanted to share with all of you what I have already shared with a few of my latest customers. I cannot stress enough the value of using a single dc cabled SR MPC (whether modified by me or stock) on each SR actively shielded cable. Each SR AC power cable comes with its own MPC. I have found it just as important, if not more so, to use a separate single dc cabled SR MPC on each SR speaker cable. SR interconnects also benefit if you are using longer than 1.5 meters.  Having a separate power supply for each cable is most important. I liken it to dual mono. I believe SR is doing this with their Galileo line. The SR MPC is a 30-35 volt dc power supply, ultimately limited by the size of its transformer.  Using one on each cable, will bring about (among the usual benefits of increased air, decay, transparency, & blacker backgrounds) much better sense of scale, dynamics along with increased bass weight.

fazee, I am very much looking forward to modifying your stock SR MPCs for your SR Galileo Universal Cell RCA ICs, and your SR CORE SE speaker cables. As member folkfreak may have told you, his stock SR MPCs that I modified for him to my latest V2 status, improved the performance even over what he was getting from his Galileo MPCs that came with his Galileo LE speaker cables. They even improved the performance of his SR Power Cell SE line conditioner. As a matter of fact since I recently switched to a different main power supply cap in my V2 mod, (even more dynamic, with a greater sense of scale) I have been told the difference between my V2 modified MPC and an SR Transporter SE is negligible when used with SR Power Cells and some of SR's various active accessories. 

Many thanks to you all for your thoughts and impressions. I just wanted to mention that I currently have a few of my latest V2 modified SR MPCs in stock ready for audition. Out performs SR Galileo MPC and in some applications SR Transporter SE, but please don't take my word for it try one for yourself.

I just wanted to remind all of you SR active shielding cable owners with non working MPCs, that I also repair them. I can in most cases repair most non functioning MPCs by replacing the thermal cutoff. A small fuse like device that opens should the transformer within overheat. 

Yes, an10490413 I am still V2 modifying and repairing all SR MPCs to now of course much better than Galileo MPC status. I realize that SR has moved on from using MPCs, but there are still quite a few owners of SR's previous excellent Tesla, Element, and even older actively shielded lines that can greatly benefit sonically from my V2 modification performed on their MPC. rodman99999 I do pop in from time to time and very much appreciate forwarding contact info. 

The following is a message that I received from Audiogon member (millercarbon) aka Chuck about his thoughts & impressions of my V2 modified SR MPC

Michael,

Got home last night eager to unpack and have a listen. Running out of quality conditioned outlets I decided to just plug them into the wall. Which is a really crappy outlet, barely holds a grip, not even on the dedicated line. Plugged em in but didn't connect yet. Turned my amp on to warm up a few minutes. Usually hit all the wires with anti-static spray then run a demagnetizer over them and finally the record just before each side. Well I have noticed this removes a layer of grain and grunge. Anyway, skipped that. Went straight to Nancy Bryan, but just for a minute, just to get my bearings.

Then without even pausing I got up and swapped the leads. Immediately noticed somewhat greater depth and a bit more presence but not much else. Well, I mean come on, its only a few minutes out of the box. I have for more than 20 years now enjoyed listening to the fascinating changes things go through as they settle in. So here we go...

Within a few minutes the sound was a lot fuller and smoother and present. By the end of the first side it was already far beyond anything I'd ever heard from the CTS with Galileo MPC. Even before the side was over I was all "are you kidding me?" enough to get up and swap back to the Galileo. Because it seemed incredible to be so much better so soon. But with the Galileo the sound was so flat and dull and unconvincing I could only take it for a few seconds. Back to the mod. Ahh! That's the ticket!

With CTS it is impossible to say what it does best, bass, imaging, etc. Its all fantastic. With this its much easier. Your modded MPC unveils an incredible wealth of inner detail, the most subtle shadings, dynamically and tonally, that really lets the music breathe. I mean it just brings it to life.

Listening to Holly Cole "Temptation" I was repeatedly blown away by the vibrato and tremolo. What a voice. But before, compared to this it was like she was singing monotone. Now she is right there and full of emotion. Just crazy amazing. Plus there is a real presence, and not the hyped etched exaggerated leading edge BS that so many call detail but the real thing, smooth and natural yet palpably present. Kind of thing most people hear and say wow good speakers. Nah, same speakers.

Another thing that hit me, this is exactly like what I heard the first time when I swapped out the diodes in my old Aronov integrated. Same across the board improvement in reducing noise and grunge, revealing dynamic detail free of grain, greater depth and layering, everything top to bottom just so much more effortlessly there.

And this is with less than an hour- and plugged into an ordinary crap wall outlet!

Good work, Michael!

Chuck

pmboyd, to answer your question. I think you would very much enjoy the improvements made by my V2 modification done to your MPC for your SR Resolution Reference digital cable. It will help to bring out even more air & sustain and create a more wide open 3D soundstage.