Have You Heard the Northstar CD Combo?

I am using Acoustic Dreams DeadBall Isolators under the DAC and in between the DAC and transport FIM bearing isolators. I have also used Herbies Isocups with the Gabon Ebony ball between the DAC and transport as well.

I've gone back and forth on the modifications for these units. I do like what I have read about the Pace Car that Steve Nugent has designed. as well as his mods. Anthony Padilla at Aberdeen Components is repairing my transport and he does mods as well. So far though mine are still stock.

Slowhand - Interested in your experience with the roller blocks. Are you using three or four blocks? What kind of shelf do you have and is your rack also isolated? Right now I am using nothing but the stock feet on a oak shelf in cabinet directly on the maple floor

My rack is custom made, but is similar to the Mapleshade racks with maple shelves. The uprights are threaded to allow for infinite adjustment of the shelves. The rack is spiked to the floor with carpet piercing spikes. the floor is concrete slab with wall to wall carpet. I am using three roller blocks (one in front, two in back). I just put a second set under the transport (between the dac and transport) as they are stacked. So far I don't hear much improvement over just one set under the dac. I believe you would benefit from soome form of isolation other than the stock feet.

Anthony also has a $600 I2S cable that is really killer. I've tried the Northstar and the RA cables, which are both excellent. The filtered Northstar cable is probably best for really revealing or top-heavy systems. My favorite is the $600 one from Anthony.

Slowhand - every instrument in it's place is a result of the low jitter and 24/192 upsampling. I feel that this combo with mods bests pretty much anything else on the market. The Extremo DAC is even better with mods, but the mods are so complex that I'm not doing any more of these.

Steve N.

My understanding from the importer is that the upgraded cable North Star offers is $1200. I wasn't aware Anthony had one. I may have to look into that further.

Steve - are you still doing North Star mods, but just not on the Extremo DAC?