I want a change, but what?

I have done some modifications to the DAC. I have upgraded some caps to black gates and some resistors on the output board per Peter Q of AN. I have used some Amperex tubes and changed the DAC chip to the K version. I have not tried a longer digital cable. The Zu Firemine I am using is .75 meters long. I am getting the feeling that upgrading to a newer single box player is not recomended.

I use a Zu Ash digital cable and I like it a lot, but it cost more than the one you have. I think the Ash can be bettered, but not at the promo price I paid on eBay and probably not at list either. I agree that your front end justifies a better cable.

I have yet to test Audioengr (Steve Nugent)'s contention that 1.5m is better than 0.5m length, when it comes to digital. However I do feel I need to test it, since it appears to depend on poor transport design. I would like to think that is not a given.

I am using an Apogee DA-1000E-20 DAC with my Zu Ash cable. It has balanced outs and, with its power supply, goes for $400-$600 on eBay. I am quite happy with its impact and detail.

If you get the chance, let us know what changes you make, and the results.

If you read the article, you will find that it is not poor transport design, but the manufacturer taking necessary steps to avoid failing FCC testing. After my mods, the transport can take a 1m cable, but stock transports have very slow risetimes, so the longer cable is necessary.

Hello Steve, thanks very much for responding. I humbly aver that I did read the article; however, "poor transport design" is my own interpretation of the situation. In other words, I consider the manufacturers' practice, which you describe as "designing-in the slower than necessary 25 nanosecond rise-time", to be poor design because it appears to be an intentional handicap of their products' potential.

Of course, you imply that without this design approach, which I call handicapping (if not kneecapping), the products would not reach the market at all. Under such conditions the manufacturers' approach is understandable, if unfortunate.

You write that you "have never seen impedance control on any Transport or DAC circuit board. " Have you tested a good many stock transports to find that they all have the slow rise time "bug", or is there a "good" group? If so, is Stereo's Proceed in it? How about my own TEAC VRDS T1?

I am interested in any way to be certain that I need to spend twice as much as I thought, or more, on a longer high-end digital cable.

I tried another digital cable (Stealth 99.999 silver digital .5 meter) and it sounded worse. The soundstage was not as good and it seemed brighter. I used King Crimson's In The Wake Of Poseidon track 6 Cat Food to do the testing. Awesome song. The drums are much more outside of the speakers with the Zu Firemine. The main reason for this thread is I want more slam on the snare drum. The CDD and 1.1x do a great job in the area of detail and imaging, but I am looking for more speed and slam. I must say that the digital cable did make a noticeable difference in sound. I am not sure if I get a more expensive and longer digital interconnect that slam and speed will emerge from the combo.