Modifications to digital ... SCD777ES

Audience has emailed me. The upgrade detail is given below:

Thank you for your inquiry. The full modification is more of a reengineering. The result is a state of the art player. It will benefit CD and SACD. It solves the biggest problem of digital disc playback, inadequate analog output
stages. There is a lot of big talk out there but not much in actual performance. Our proprietary circuit is not equaled by any other manufacturer. The following is a brief description.

Yes, we do mods on the 777ES. There are two basic levels. The first level includes reworked power supplies with new wiring, added noise filtration, IEC or Neutrik PowerCon power inlet connector with optional powerChord upgrade,
better power supply capacitors, new op amp and auricap output coupling capacitors. This step costs $450.00 to $900.00 depending on options chosen. The second step is more than a mod. In addition to what I mentioned for the
first step we completely replace the stock analog section with our own CableDriver analog section. This is an absolute state of the art analog stage which is direct coupled to the output, eliminating output capacitors. It has no overall feedback and an output impedance of 3 Ohms or less! In this second step we upgrade the digital filters and add more power supply decoupling and internal shielding along with additional cabinet damping. The cost is 1,500.00 to $2,000.00 depending on options.

The result is a truly state of the art disc player which will compare favorably with any player on the market regardless of cost or reputation.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Smith
audience

I just ordered the service manual so i could get the cap and resistor values and may just do my own modding like audiocrazed on the audioasylum board,only i will replace the main power supply caps with blackgate and use film caps and resistors in place of polystrene wherever possible. I don't no how long this will take but it should be faster than sending it out to be done, and since no ones even had one done and got it back yet to post results.audiocrazed has posted even better than initial results after a little break in, the player now compares well to his wadia 860. Now those are results.

Has anybody had this mod/re-engineering done by Audience? Or by some other modifier? If so, could you offer some feedback.Thanx in advance

Can't comment on other mods, but, as I've noted in other posts, I've had the Jerry Ozment/Audio Logic tube output stage added to my unit, bypassing the Sony analog stage and its op-amps and power supplies, and am very pleased with the results. If you like the sound of the Audio Logic DAC, and Jerry is indeed doing these mods/bypass operations (he has vascillated on this in the past), it is worth considering. It is an excellent analog stage, using high quality parts, very musical, dynamic and detailed in my opinion. I'd still consider having him rig me an SACD digital out to run from the 777ES into my Audio Logic 2400, but that's gotta wait until they have an industry standard agreed for that interface; in the meantime this does very nicely. Hope to hear how the others like their mods--I would expect big improvements, as the analog stage of the 777 in particular can easily be improved on by a good designer not working to a price point.

Hi all. I performed the Musicoat upgrade that audio_optimizer recommended on my SCD-777ES (see "SCD-1 Upgrade" thread). I treaded all integrated circuit chips, disk shaped capacitors (not can style), axle leaded resistors, diodes, and diode heat shinks. This stuff ($105 shipped) really works. The digital hash is gone, I hear the air pulsating through the wind instruments, the decay is enhanced, i also hear the performer take a breath which I couldn't hear previously (enhanced resolution) on my reference disk, and I know the background noise is lower (I can hear more hiss on a super quiet passage I didn't hear before). I can now increase the volume on my Aloia amp/preamp without hearing so much digital grit/sizzle. Will order more to do amp and preamp. I'll also will purchase the TI shielding (RFI/EMI) to treat my unshielded transformers in the 777. Due to lack of funds will have to wait to send 777 out for component replacements (caps, diodes, resistors). System includes Talon Khorus, 777, Aloia, and Audio Tekne cables.Thanks, Mike