SACD - Another year and ...

Rcprince, I agree, anything Sony makes is built to a price point. You did the right thing, replacing those op amps for the analog output stage, anything would be better than those.

I'm VERY happy with the mod, but it does have a down side as well. SACD gets you closer to the master tape, and the new output stage turns the Sony into a high-resolution player. On well recorded stuff (DMP, Delos, Telarc, Audioquest, new Sony dsd releases), it can sound frighteningly good (I get the same sort of let-down, which is less these days than it used to be, switching from SACDs to normal CDs that I get switching from vinyl to CD), but on less than stellar reissues you'll hear everything bad about the master tape as well as the good, such as overly hot mixes. Ah, the price of a glimpse of (digital) heaven... I hope that more new releases based off DSD, or even well-recorded analog, 20 or 24-bit digital, masters come out, because they really show SACD's strengths.

Hi, I am thinking of doing the MSB thing (Link Dac 3. Do you suggest I am better getting the factory improvements done (half-Nelson, Power supply, Upsampling) or is there a better (and cheaper?) way? If you want to email me direct: markmc@camtech.net.au Thanks!