Mackie

U can get this at 1388.com which is owned by Joe Lee, the owner of the now defunct Hifi Corner cd/hifi shop at Adelphi. I know a few guys who used it on their speaker systems but opinions were varied. Perhaps U may contact Joe for a trial or advice if interested.

ablaze: If U'd watched the James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" which starred Roger Moore as the reknowned agent, the last scene had Sean Connery "cameo appearance" (who declared he would never appear in any James Bond movies after passing the role to Roger) being mocked by Roger saying, "Never say never again".......in a good humoured way of course. My point is, listen to a properly and balanced setup with cdp and one is hard not to be converted. IMHO, ripping a cd with the least or no compression still pales in comparison to a good cdp. The first link starts at the transports and they contribute to the resultant sound and make a difference. I reckon transports on a cdp is structually stronger then a cd-rom drive/harddisk. Aiyah...U don't have to make a leap like Oak and a budget of $500 will give U lots of choices.....starting with the Marantz CD4000 (just below $200). I await your conversion naturally...hahahaha..........we can have a gathering with Oak over at my place if U wish.

ablaze: Jurong is not too far wor. Oak lives in the Marseiling area and I'm at CCK Crescent........Marseiling and Yew Tee MRTs. Birds of a feather, flock together!

By the way guys, I should have gotten a vidcam to record the expressions and exhuberance of Guyferd when I exposed him to the DT880, speakers setup and analogue sound of LPs. He had no idea how the latter sounds like until last night. I reckon he will grow up to be a hardcore XxX audiophile. Yes, it will be interesting to read about the improvements yielded after forumers have gotten new gears or tweaks..... at least they are based on real life experiences and not merely articles on magazines. We await your comments Oak and Guyferd cos' U chaps have come a long way from pcdp and cd-rom drive respectively.

Hey Guyferd, Please don't flip around too much in my music room later alright? It's a very small room and I'm afraid U might break my darlings. See u later! p.s. I have these cds to let go. Perhaps U might be interested, prices will be super cheap. 1. Extra copy of Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet 2. Extra copy of Wu Guo Jing - My compositions (famous HK composer singing his original compositions previously sung by by Sammi Cheng, Andy, Hui, William So etc.....24-bit recording). 3. 100% Korean Drama Hits (Audiophile remastered 24-bit recording)

ablaze: has it occurred to U that the 4B is so good, no one is selling them in the used market?

SST, u have pm.

Scholes: pls check email

No need wor......offer from a relative....what more can 1 ask for except for some dim sum meals when I'm back in HK? kekekeke

ablaze: Oh my.... cheeky. At least, I'm not masquerading as a moderator to arrange a power buy here.

I dont think so as the launch is delayed in Asia. US/Europe have priority over us. Area51 was banned in Xtreme? Didn't know that.....

Yes, heard of that player but never auditioned it personally. I can only go so far and recommend a product if I'm familiar with it. The enquirer (Charismatic) has to gather more options from a larger pool and via his own research. Btw, product experience is not my forte as I seldom hang out at Adelphi or listen to fellow forumers' system.

Charismatic: Before jumping onto the backwagon of SACDs, IMO, I've not heard an economical (doesn't mean cheap) setup that maximises the benefits of both SACD/CD redbook playback to the max except for a super high-end Accuphase SACD player belonging to a friend. In actual fact, the contest is still on as to which would be the future industry standard..... SACD or DVD-A. The Marantz players U'd mentioned are good choices and with that kinda costs, I'm sure dealers will be more than happy to let U audition them. Why the apprehension to deal with them? As discussed in an earlier thread, I believe in synergy and balance when one undertakes an upgrading course. If U intend to buy a source costing around $2000 and SACDs are your priority that carry a much wider bandwith than conventional cds, U'll need more analytical gears to maximize the benefits. Therefore, I recommend an upgrade in the headamp and cans. I used to own a HD600/X-cans setup and prefer this over the OBH11. To achieve optimal sound improvement/musicality, I recommend you should spread your budget across the current setup eg. SACD player, Corda headamp and DT880 (Rameish has the latter 2 products for audition). This would conform to a better balance than a sole upgrade to a high end source. Remember, upping the ante of any single gear in the audio chain gives U deeper perspective of the sound; both strength and weakness will be revealed. Of course, U can take it step by step to learn from experience. In the meantime, don't try to max out your budget on the source and leave some for possible contingent upgrades of the headamp/cans. For auditions, bring along your cans and headamp to ensure what U hear in the showrooms is what U will get after purchase. We can discuss on the choice of interconnect after U've decided on the choice of the source. I'm afraid all accessories and gears carry a certain degree of sonic signature. A general "neutral" requirement will get U nowhere. As a gauge, what kinda music do U listen to? If there were to be a signature, what would U prefer it to be.....warmer or analytical, forward or laid back, smoother or dynamic etc? One has to understand what kinda sound he likes and heads towards that direction to avoid going in circles trying products based on magazine reviews. This understanding also helps to pare off the upgrade bugs.....only by achieving contentment can one starts to enjoy the music and not the gears. For a start, bring your cans/headamp/cd and sacd to KEC for a test of the Marantz SA8260 (SACD capable) and CD17MkIII. This will help U to find an early indication if the course of SACD is worth pursuing. If affirmative, use a good cdp as a reference in this search and gauge if the premium cost of SACD player offers good value for money. My budget allocation in this scenario: $1500 on cdp, $1000 on Corda, <$500 on DT880, $200 on interconnect. Returns from the sale of your current OBH1 and HD600 will reduce this outlay. My choice: Marantz CD17MkIII/Exposure 2010/Rega Planet 2000; Corda HA-2; Beyer DT880; Kimber Silver Streak interconnect (owing this and not a firm suggestion). YMMV means Your Mileage May Vary. Btw, if U have interest in the DT880, I'm conducting a power buy. PM me for the price.

Charismatic: Looking through your request, it's quite a tall order as system building is based on one's musical taste, sonic preference, room size and lots of research/auditioning. No system can excel in all kinds of music and in this respect, I would appreciate if U can start by telling us your preferred repertoire. Next area in question is, do U listen more to headphone or speakers? U seem to have quite a large budget ($3000?) and with due respect, balance and synergy is vital to system building. I recommend an overhaul of both systems so that U can achieve a sonic balance and pleasure at the same time. If U're considering a multi-channel SACDP, this feature is redundant for headphone setup. Not may SACDPs fare well in both SACD and redbook playback and those that do cost lots of money. If U wish to seek a balance in the 2 systems and SACDP is a must-buy, I would place it in the speakers system. However, your old luxman amp and wharfedale speakers are likely to be replaced with more contemporary gears that can handle the much wider bandwidth of SACDs. If U listen more to cans, has low priority for the speakers setup and SACDP is a must-have, I'm afraid the current headamp may not be able to do justice. Why not get a better cdp with 24/96 or 24/192 oversampling? The Consonance Opera 2.2 (24/192) cost around $1750 (depending on wood or steel chassis cover) and has tube driven output. Accolades aside, the tube signature should give U warm vocals and a more analogue sound. Marantz CD17MkIII ($1099) is also another lovely player, warm and dynamic at the same time. Marantz SA8260 is an economical SACD/redbook player (around $1250) which handles SACDs pretty well but perhaps less so in redbook playback relative to CD17III (subject to taste of course). At around the $2000 mark, there's the awsome looking Shanling cdps/SACDPs (tube output too). Beyond this, I can no longer be of help until choices are narrowed down to a few. Afterall, music and sound is YMMV....personal.

I know of a gadget which rids cds of residual static electricity by spinning them at neck-breaking speed. After which, the cds sound more dynamic and on a lesser degree, better clarity.

Northern Oak: Congrats and welcome to the world of tweaks. Once U've a grasp of the law of resonance (no problems with your technical background), it's quite easy to position cones and locate the areas where greater sound improvement can be yielded. Rule of thumb: Place these cones/spikes where sources of vibration are found, ie transformers and mechanical moving parts and then fine tune from there. Owing to variations of our gears, sonic preference and environment, system of application differ from one person to another eventually. U might try the following now: Tape four 1-cent coints on the 4 corners of the chopping board with double side tap and then a 5-cent coin right in the center. Tell me what U hear and if U like it. Now that your cones are in position and to avoid moving them out of place, U can insert the 5-cent coin by using a ruler and push it under your cdp. I will bring the rca plug for U to try when we meet again.

I just can't fathom how ablaze can live without a headamp after the previous phases of upgrading....so one month is my vote. If u can last beyond the next couple of months, it's time to dig your ears as something must be wrong. hahahaha..........

vinlloyd: please check pm

Fook Lai: Please check PM.

Hi tee, There are lots of such cd stabilizers in the market, SID sold by JR of Soundscap is also one I've come across. Like U, I also changed the captive cord to an IEC socket and swap aftermarket cords to my heart's content. But it just amazes me sometime how a seemingly useless item can become a good and practical tweak without spending a single cent....or few cents. Now I wonder if sound will improve further if the paper disc is green (which seems to interact well with cd laser.....wavelength?). The current one I'm using is yellow.

I don't know about the specific shops but all electronic goods are housed inside a tall building and your pal can scout at every shop to your delight. It shouldn't be an uphill task. There's also another building where watches are the main focus. Check it out! While he's at it, remember to shop at UNIQLO just around the vincity, cool fashion at Giodano prices! Agree, major cities in China are hifi cities man!

Hi fishball, Yes, I'm aware of these tweaks as well and have already done it. However, guys here may not like the idea of opening the chassis to finger the stuffs inside. Hence, I'm giving them a taste of tweaking which can be applied on the outside for improved sound. Btw, do U think the dampening of resonance of a cdp is of any significant benefit to cans system? We know that it's so in speakers system because air vibrations/standing waves can be fed back as mechanical energy to the source and affect its optimal performance. I'm been pondering on this issue as I only wish to discuss whatever tricks I've in mind to be applicable to those who solely listen to cans in this forum. What's your take since U have wider DIY experience than I do?

tee: did you get your dt880 before my power buy?

please check pm, har28

Must tell all U're a good cook.....getting an Ikea chopping board to cook stew with your new Marantz!