Which SACD player 2nd hand?

[ksporry]

Guys,
I want to buy an SACD player 2nd hand, sub 200GBP. I have several options, all of which are multi format players.
1) Oppo DV-980H
2) Yamaha DVD-S2700
3) Sony DVP-S9000ES
4) Sony DVP-NS900V

I'm buying for sound quality. I already have a 555ES from Sony, which sounds amazing, so I am tempted to go for the S9000ES. However, the others are much newer, so would they, or at least one of them, be sonically equal or superiour?
Please give me some advice asap, as I only have a few hours left to make up my mind.
cheers!
Kryn

[ksporry]

wow... no one able to answer that one??

[planet10]

There is another SACD thread going now... likely a place to get some suggestions.

SACD ? -- huh ?

One of the later posts mentions #3 on your list.

dave

[stephensank]

I would steer you toward the S9000ES. Gorgeously built player, and upgrades into my second favorite cd player on the planet(I'm not much into sacd's).

[ksporry]

thx for that.
Would you say its better than the newer XA3000ES from sony, or comparable, or maybe worse?

[stephensank]

Definitely better than the XA3000ES, or the S9100ES, or etc. Only players marginally better are the SCD-777 & SCD-1, both of which have much more frequent problems with lasers failing to read SACD, and also prone to platter motor issues. The S9000ES is essentially an SCD-777 with a cheaper(but quite more reliable) laser/mech(but very nice tray loading mech w/no hockeypuck), DVD capability, and a slightly simplified(in a good way) output stage section. First one I ever upgraded, a few years ago, went to a client who also owned an Allen Wright-modified SCD777, and(apologies to Allen) the upgraded 9000 beat that 777 by a slight margin, and for a hell of a lot less money. But even a stock 9000 is a really great sounding player.

[ksporry]

What mods would you do to it?
Also, you don't happen to know how to make it region 0/multi-region by any chance do you? (It's region 2 now). Not crucial, but would be nice...

[stephensank]

I have not yet discovered any 'region hack' for the 9000. As for upgrading, I basically take the approach of giving the audio circuitry(dsp-->output) the biggest, cleanest & most instantaneously available to each stage power supply I can physically fit, eliminate unnecessary dc blocking caps(which is pretty much all of them) in the analog, upgrading all siginificant film caps to the best that will fit, swapping out the one OPA2132PA for another OPA2134PA, and generally squeezing every last bit of finesse out of the already very nicely designed circuitry. I also like to get rid of every single stinking Elna, Rubycon & Matsushita/Panasonic electrolytic cap in the whole unit so they don't start spewing their corrosive guts out five years down the road & eat up board traces.

[ksporry]

I have a 555ES player at the moment, but from what i hear, the 9000 should be at least equally good or better, is that right?

So what type of caps do you replace the electrolytic caps with? What does upgrading the OPA do, and what effect would the DC blocking caps have in theory?

[ClaveFremen]

Originally Posted by stephensank

upgrading all siginificant film caps to the best that will fit, swapping out the one OPA2132PA for another OPA2134PA
...
I also like to get rid of every single stinking Elna, Rubycon & Matsushita/Panasonic electrolytic cap in the whole unit so they don't start spewing their corrosive guts out five years down the road & eat up board traces.

OPA2134 is a downgrade Vs OPA2132! At least IMHO

I've tried both in my NAD and Marantz receivers and OPA2132 is smoother, cleaner and has better bass too. OPA2134 highs are harsh in comparison...

I've a Sony SCD-555ES which is 8 years old, full of Elna Silmics and Nichicon Fine Gold and not a sinlgle one failed nor spread 'their corrosive guts'

Ah, I've tried swapping Elnas with Rubycon ZL and Nichicons with OSCON SP, no way, original caps were better...

What is worth in my upgrade experience of my Sony SCD-555ES SACD player is:

- change the ceramics near the VDE plug with polypropilene caps Y2 type (security is essential)
- change the coil filter near the ceramics with a similar one supporting 3A
- change rectificaton diodes with soft recovery ones (Philips BYD37D and BYD3J)
- stiff analog supplies with bigger Silmics
- change the Pulse DAC's VREF caps and the one near the Oscillator with OSCON, same value
- get rid of all those black drops caps and use Wima FKP2 same value instead
- get rid of elco coupling caps (I've used Mundorf MCAP Zn)

I've also changed the I/V OPA2132 with THS4032 bypassed rail to rail with a 1nF Wima MKS2 and 100uF Elnas from rails to ground.

A nice improvement, more natural sound but not as big as the others mod.

I'm thinking now about a better clock...