Audio Improvements Page
Audio Improvements and Modifications
Why Modify Your Components?
Our modification team has over 20 years experience working not only with the latest cutting edge digital products but also repairing and rebuilding any type of equipment with the finest parts quality, which is a guarantee of a sonic improvement.
"We now have the latest breakthrough Masterclock upgrade from Denmark the Dexa clock which has by far the lowest jitter” but also huge savings in its design. The competitors require an add-on power supply that is very expensive, this does not, and is better.
Dexa-D Clock
Why modify your Digital CD/DVD/SACD unit?
All CD, SACD, DVD & DVD-A players have a vast amount of additional potential. If you own a 'good quality' machine incredible gains in sound and picture quality can be made regardless of manufacturer, model or generation of player.
Why modify your Existing Digital Source?
Replacing your CD player (or SACD, etc) for a newer model is likely to prove a costly venture. More importantly, if we examine the costs of a new purchase a relatively small percentage is for the build and parts of the machine. As an example, if you were to buy a $4,000-$5000 CD player, your purchase would consist of the following expenses:
With these costs deducted, it is feasible that the actual cost of the electronic used in the machine you are buying is typically $100-125!!!! Of course, all manufactures have costs and this has to be accepted. But in almost all cases, 30 - 50% of your allocated budget for a new machine invested in your existing CD, SACD or DVD player will equate to far better sound!(This is why we can take a $ 200- $750-$1500 stock unit (for example, Oppo 980 or 983, Esound CD-E5 or a Denon DVD-3930), you would spend in total $1000- $2000 for a great mod package (remember your money is going straight 100% to the performance of the unit) and continually outperform every type of off the shelf player that is out there and you save many thousands of dollars, it’s that simple!)
Our Sound Approach to Executing Digital Modifications
Currently, on a worldwide basis and primarily through the explosion of the internet, audiophiles may purchase new, used, and modified digital audio equipment. It is apparent that the digital audio era is present in full force, triggering the births of new innovative companies as well as causing the mature to develop an ever increasing number of new products. In addition to all this, digital modification has recently developed into another valid avenue of purchase for the audio enthusiast. The choices out there are unquestionably immense! How does one choose? What path does one take? New? Used? Modifications?… Help!!!
It is our belief that the modification avenue will get you the “most bang for the buck”. Many great mod companies have developed and completed some very good sounding digital front-ends for relatively bargain basement prices. ASi would like to explain how we specifically and systematically address an SACD/CD player modification. These are current methods that constantly change as we discover more through increased resolution.
<---- This is the sound!!
POWER SUPPLY MODIFICATION
The power that feeds any digital circuit is absolutely critical! However, before we go any further, we categorically believe no matter how good a power supply is executed, or how extreme the parts quality, this will NEVER be enough! Unfortunately, we have a much bigger problem with our AC mains worldwide causing more bad sound than you can possibly fathom. On the other hand, high quality supplies are essential to high quality sound…no two ways around it. A player may consist of either a classical linear power supply or the more efficient
and increasingly popular switching supply. Some may have both. The digital circuits and their power supplies in CD players for example are so frequently overlooked, and commonly the components used are low grade electrolytic capacitors whose characteristics do not produce low E. S.R, low distortion, fast discharge/recharge, low microphony. Similarly, diodes are low grade silicon types, which are noisy, slow, and ringy.
Any compromising in the digital circuits will yield poorer results further along the chain in the analogue domain. Smearing, masking, muddiness, compression etc. are examples of a piss-poor digital power supply.
Our approach here is simple:
IEC:
Adding or improving the stock IEC will provide better grip on the power cord and better voltage integrity. Remember connections will oxidize over time, it’s better to have a better conductor for the power to pass!
Internal wiring:
Changing the internal wiring to a better wire such as silver wire and cotton tubing will yield better sound due to lower impedance and faster conductance.
Fusing:
Replacing stock fuses for aftermarket higher quality fuse will lower the impedance, improve the conductance, and still keep the unit safe from fire issues. Yes, completely removing the fuse and bypassing might be better, but the "peace of mind" factor will be much higher if there is a better quality fuse inside the stock.
Diode Rectifiers:
Replacing the stock noisy silicon diodes in digital sources, preamps, power amps, etc with our custom handmade ultra low impedance diode bridges will bring a much lower switching noise and reduce impedance for much cleaner sound. It works hand in hand with other mods to completely remove the glare, grain and hardness/harshness from the music!
Capacitors:
Exchanging stock electrolytic capacitors for our ultra low impedance types in the digital or analog power supplies will markedly improve the sound quality in terms of greatly improved dynamics, transparency, detail, tonal purity, depth, definition and a quieter background.
Voltage Regulators:
If the circuit requires regulation, a simple 78XX or LM317 type regulators are not enough. These devices are much too slow and very high in impedance for good sound. We replace them with ultra low impedance and tuned discrete voltage regulation circuits to dramatically improve the sound and the video!
The Main Criteria for Improving ANY Digital Source:
CLOCKING UPGRADES:
In more than 90 - 95% of CD players (SACD, DVD & DVD-A ) the master clock whose function is to generate a low jitter square wave, is a simple passive circuit which uses the input of an inverter, typically 74HCU04 and consists of a quartz crystal, 2x low value capacitors in series fixed to ground, and 1-2 resistors. The remaining 5 - 10% of players are slightly better and use a clock oscillator module which uses its own inverter and has a better temperature stability, or use a single discrete transistor oscillator circuit. This is true of machines costing $500 to $20,000+-
regardless of manufacturer or model.
None of these methods are suitable and all produce high losses of resolution for both audio and video recording and playback, Period. Replacing these clock circuits with an aftermarket reference type clock provides an exceptional improvement in all areas of sound & picture quality. The internal clock of digital gear has a profound effect on the music and video.
The effect of a clocking upgrade is like adding a supercharger to your car!
The Dexa clock Master clock is currently the finest commercially made clock available ,and you save several hundred dollars doing it the Audiocom clock 4 for instance requires a separate power supply for $250 and still is not superior, this breakthrough
Masterclock has the lowest jitter, which means less distortion, and a purer audio signal, which improves the video as well.
Jitter is now at less than 2 pico seconds with the Dexa clock, standard oscillator clocks are in the order of 50-75 pico seconds which is very audible.
OUTPUT STAGE DELETIONS/MODIFICATIONS:
We feel that the analog output stage of any player or DAC is the most important.
This is the primary area where most music gets “lost” or becomes “compressed” and “lifeless”. This is due to the fact that manufacturers design analog output stages using spec sheets from opamp manufacturers; the signal goes through many signal resistors, signal coupling capacitors, signal pathway transistors, relays and other nasties.
Many solutions exist in this area as it is the one aspect that very much distinguishes the modders from each other.
Here is our approach, which we feel that it is the best balanced sound:
1.Remove all analog filtering. We believe this really is performed to satisfy the scope and not the ear because music sounds compressed with filtering.
2.Execute summation and amplification with transformers (if the circuit allows)!!!!
Using a transformer based analog output stage offers many improvements:
3. Removes all signal pathway parts such as resistors, coupling capacitors, transistors, etc..
4.In Dual Differential designs (most players), allows for TRUE BALANCED XLR OUTPUTS!!!
5.Provide galvantic isolation, allows less noise to pass into the DAC area and raise S/N ratio
6.Very low impedance, and higher output voltage lead to better system flexibility.
7.Remove the needs for the AC mains so you don't have noises and harmonics effecting this very sensitive area of the unit and you are rewarded with a much lower noise floor, more
ambient detail and a super huge sound stage that is balanced and live sounding!!!
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