Review: Sony SCD-1 Audiocom-UK upgrade

James:
Thanks for letting us know what the Audiocom mod sounds
like after 300 hours. I am glad it has worked so well for
you. It looks like I am going to have to put this mod kit
in my SCD-1.
Just so everyone knows, I install REL polystyrene capacitors
in the low pass filter section of every sony I modify. This
is something even Audiocom does not do and it contributes to
the wide deep sound stage and smoother and sweeter tonality
you are hearing. I look forward to your further reports.

Richard Kern
Audiomod

This is the final report from 300 hours to 450 hours of burn in after the modification made to my Sony SCD-1, SACD player.
At hour 340 the timbre had tamed enough for me to replace my "Orchard Bay" Titanium cones under the pre amp and amps. This tightened up the focus another percentage, but brought too much detail and transparency for my taste. I chose to leave the cones on with hopes the timber would continue to improve.
At 390 hours the timber had continued to tame, now at the point I've found the audio shops prefer their reference systems to be. Still a bit aggressive for my personal taste, but a great presentation none the less. The major draw back of the SCD-1 in the reviews I've read is that the presentation was too polite and willing to please. The Marantz on the other hand has almost too much transparency and detail for some reviewer's tastes. The modified Sony stands somewhere in between, maybe closer to the Marantz than the non modified SCD-1.
At hour 450 the timber was pleasing, I than began to play with speaker toeing. My speakers were set up with 16 degrees of toe-in. I've now opened them up to 12 ½ degrees at 76" centerline to centerline. The newly modified SCD-1 lost no center imaging ( I was unable to open the speakers beyond this point prior to the modification) and the sound stage opened up an apparent six more feet. The distance and clarity between instruments within the sound stage have increased substantially. Sounds that were only inches apart now appear with a good foot of separation. This is an amazing benefit I had not anticipated with the modification, but is worth the price of admission it's self.
Musical impressions of "redbook" cd playback:
PACE! SPEED! RHYTHM! All are so vastly improved, I can't find a single disk that my foot isn't moving to. It's put an energy into the music that simply was not there before. Piano is in my opinion the hardest instrument for digital reproduction. It can sound harsh or electric and glary. I spent my childhood with both grandfathers and a mother who played piano every spare moment they had. In collage I dated a student of classical piano for three years and went to hear many concerts and recitals. The SCD-1 has finally gotten the piano right. It still allows for the attack and excitement of the strings being struck and in full transparency, but the edginess and glare are not present. The timbre seems very natural. The sound through the full set of octaves is smooth and yet quite immediate. Each key hitting sounds like a string ringing, a tingling vibration is felt throughout the room. Even to the highest notes, that has a bell like tone. The lowest notes have a bite or growl that is very convincing.
Cymbals have a shimmer and space around them, and the decay of value are real and lingering. The clarinet, which is often scratchy and electrical sounds sweet, smooth and very real. The vibraphone on the John Cocuzzi Quintet's "Swingin' and Burnin'" cd is filled with life and energy. The ringing of the steel tubes is extremely inviting without a touch of digital glare. The violin shows the texture of the bow against the strings, again without the scratchy electronic sound often found with digital. All and all, I have no complaints, only amazement and accolades. Every instrument I tried to play was realistic in tone and timber with terrifically natural decay.
So how about the SACD vs. "redbook" cd? Is redbook as good as SACD with the modified player? Well, no. "Redbook" has now been brought up to the point of where the SACD playback was before the modification, but the SACD playback has also been brought up a notch, so SACD still edges out ""redbook," but not by as large a margin. I played Rebecca Pidgon's "Raven" which I have in the original "redbook" and in SACD. The "redbook" is amazingly clear and far better than the experience prior to the modification. If I never heard anything else of this disk, I'd say it was a ten. SACD is better, fuller, richer, more refined and lifelike. The presentation just breathes with a realism I've never heard before. I was able to match the toning and timber with use of the filters, but not the presence or realism. It's only a tinny factor, but it's there.
For me this modification is a must if you own a player already. If your looking to buy an SACD player that can produce state of the art, you must consider this package before looking at the "designer" systems.

In two weeks I will write a brief review of how the up-sampling DAC performs compared to the Modified "redbook" playback.

Check out the Audio Asylum, SACD section. Jim Treanor has
posted his review of the Audiocom mod I did for him.

Richard Kern
Audiomod

Jadem/Richard,
Excellent review overall, in particular your explanation for doing a relatively expensive upgrade on a highly engineered product. It doesn't sound as if the timbre and tone quality have quite met your expectations. In particular it seems that you find there is too much presence (to use an old term)- also did the bass ever really return to its desired style? Would you kindly tell us about the other components in your system. You appear to prefer a sound quality that is on the polite side.-Thanks

Hi Mechans,

Thank you for your question. Looking back at this particular review I find it a bit overwhelming and somewhat confusing. Let me explain.

My original intent was to help explain the entire process of what to expect from this modification, particularly during the very long break in process. What the review fails to do is conclude my impressions properly, and thus I feel you became confused with my impressions. I apologize for the confusion and will attempt to clarify.

Over the past few years I’ve made some significant and some minor alterations to my system, but through the entire time I’ve continued to feel my Sony SCD-1 modified player is the best component in my system. This is true for SACD and redbook playback. As I’ve continued improving other aspects of my system the true strength of the SCD-1 has come to light.

In answer to your specific question, I believe the timber and tone are literally perfect in respect to a natural and neutral sound quality. In my mind the SCD-1 simply has it right, with no electronic feel to its tone. The “presence” if you will, has improved with the alterations I’ve made over time. At this point my system creates a three dimensional image of a solo singer for example that is clearly defined on the sound stage, to the degree that it feels as if I can walk right up to the singer and place my arms around her torso. It is amazing how real and accurate the image is.

Another example is on Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” which was recorded in Minneapolis. I went to an acoustics seminar that was held in the studio space that album was recorded in. The layout of the studio was “L” shaped, with one leg having a much higher ceiling than the other narrower leg. Listening to the SACD of “Blood on the Tracks” I am able to sense the space as I know it to be. This is not necessarily a good thing, but I use it to demonstrate the ability of my system to resolve very finite detail that remains on the master tapes.

Lastly I’ll address the issues of bass. Again, much of the improvement in the bass was with cabling, isolation and room treatment. Today the bass is very tight, extremely focused and never muddy or thick. Again the three dimensional effects are so natural and life like. The pluck of the strings of a stand up base, are not only easily “seen” but the resonance of the body of the base is defined and again natural.

As far as my system, the SCD-1 is fed through a Great Northern Sound “Passive Audio Signal Isolator” to an Aesthetix Calypso pre-amp using NOS Mullard 10M gold pin 12AX7 tubes and NOS Russian Type 3, 6922 tubes. I then have two Plinius SA-102 amplifiers bi-amped vertically. Meaning one amp drives the bass and the second amp the mid-range and tweeters. Both amps are played in class A. The speakers remain Dunlavy IV-A. All of the interconnects and speaker wires are Nordost Valhalla. Power cables include Nordost Valhalla, David Elrod and NBS Statement. I use two dedicated circuits, one for the amps and one to a Shunyata Research Hydra power conditioner with an Anaconda power cord. Both Circuits use Wattgate 381 outlets. My system sits on a 4” sandstone slab that rests on Aurios Pro isolators. The Mana (SCD-1) and Apollo racks are spiked to the slab. Each unit sits on a shelf “sandwich” comprised of 3/8” Aluminum shelves resting on upturned spikes from the rack. I then use a sheet of anti-static bubble wrap with a Neuance shelf supported by the bubble rap. The Hydra uses EAR feet that support it on the Neuance shelf. The SCD-1 and both anps are supported by three Orchard Bay titanium cones (no longer available) and Aurios Pro isolators. The Pre-amp sit of a “string” suspension product (name unknown) that in turn sits on a Neuance shelf “sandwich” The Dunlavy IVa speakers sit on #3 black Diamond racing pucks and cones that then sit on Aurios Pros. Both the base and midrange/tweeter binding posts use Walker Audio High Definition Links II.

I use AudioPrism Quite-line system on the refrigerator, computer and T.V. outlets to cancel line noise at the source. I have home made acoustic panels in the vertical corners with triangle panels at the ceiling corners. I have one round home made acoustic column between me and an untreated window. All glass surfaces are treated with wool curtains and the wood floors have thick wool rugs. I use an assortment of Walker Audio brass and lead pucks on much of the equipment and on two wood furniture pieces in the room.

As for my next move, I plan to send my SCD-1 back to Kern for the latest modifications, both from Audiocom and his own. My understanding this again will bring my SCD-1 to equal any player on the market today. Am I crazy? Yes, but the SCD-1 is so well built I feel it worthy of another $2000 invested.