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Downgrading Help

OK, so I have come to realize that I cannot afford to keep neither high end CD player I own, mostly because a lot of that cash came from credit.

I picked up the Philips SACD1000 player as my replacement for a digital front end. Last night, comparing the Philips to the Wadia 860x I currently own (not for long!), was truly tough for me. The Wadia is just so much better on redbook CD (the Philips I thought was better on SACD vs. the Wadia on CD).

I don't have much $$ to spend ($600) on an improvement: here are my options:

1) get the Philips player modded somewhere; which mods though, and will this really give me an increase in detail (blackness?), dynamics, soundstage depth, and naturalness?

2) get a DAC?

3) wait until I get some more cash, and get a better DAC or more mods later?

I'd prefer to make this player work, rather than getting another seperate CD player....

Thx
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ivanj
35 posts
 
There is a long break-in on the SACD and CD sections of the 1000. It will improve. There will be lots of 1000 mods coming out so don't jump yet.
aroc
760 posts
 
Can't use a DAC with the Phillips. The digital out is for AC3/DTS not 16/44.1 PCM. AFAIK. I'd run the player as is for now and plan on getting some mods done. I bet this player would sound better with mods dollar for dollar than adding a dac (even if you could). Though time will see an we get feedback from those modding their SACD1000s.

Also, sorry to hear your financial situation is requiring you to downgrade you system.
dennis_the_menace's avatar
dennis_the_menace OP
467 posts
 
well, i guess that answers that question. thanks for the help.
cjr888
34 posts
 
SACD-1000 mod options.

Kyle at Reference Audio Mods (www.referenceaudiomods.com) -- will do your typical parts replacement (Audiocom Superclock, Blackgates, etc). Own one of these units -- excellent. For more money than you're looking to spend, he'll also replace the entire output stage with silver wired 1:2 Audio Consulting transformers, heavily modify the power supply and other options.

Second option is around you budget -- talk to Dan Wright at www.modwright.com, he has just finished a modification for the SACD-1000 that includes a tube output stage, parts replacement, and many other options. This would fit your budget and bring a bit more magic to the player. A DACT volume control can also be integrated directly within the unit to replace a preamplifier as an option too. If you can deal without a remote control for volume, this will bring you closer to the Wadia philosophy if you don't have additional sources.
dennis_the_menace's avatar
dennis_the_menace OP
467 posts
 
CJR.. can you tell me what improvements the mods made?

I'm at home, listening to the Wadia, and quickly switched back to the Philips (Which has been playing for the last 24 hours on repeat)... ugh, still no comparison. The Philips sounds, relatively, so lifeless.

this is all kind of funny to me, because I started my search for a digital player with the BAT VKD5-SE, which I still own, and when I first got that player, I thought, "What is the BIG DEAL??"...

Now, the BAT also sounds GREAT, as does the Wadia, and the Philips is almost intolerable.

One thing I have learned is that digital is really sensitive to warming up, and breaking in. We'll see, this may be a case of judging the player too early.
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