Best Sonos ZP-80 Mod?

Marty,

You can still use the Sonos volume when it is connected to an external DAC. I have mine connected to the digital input of a GNSC moded Opus 21 with good results and almost no loss of convenience (the only think you have to do is turn on the Opus 21, but I have to turn on the rest of the equipment anyway,… that is bearable, I do it while the Sonos control wakes up!). I also pop in a CD when I want quality,…. that is why I’m really interested on this Sonos mods,… I hope that eventually I could achieve the same sound quality from the Sonos (to a DAC) as I get from my CD player.

BTW, the ZP100 solution is not listenable to me, IMHO it is much better to connect the ZP80 direct to a cheap amplifier (let’s say a $500 one used). My ZP100 is used now only to drive my cheap patio speakers.

Marty, I think you may be right. I love the convenience and ease of use of Sonos and have it throughout my house, but it just may not be a viable part of what I want at this time. I'm wanting to use it in lieu of a music server - access to all my flac files without having the expense and clutter of a computer hooked up to my system.

I'll keep looking I guess. Good thread though, nice to learn about the different mods and what they will do.

Acastano,

As to the ZP100 - mine are in the gym, the patio, the courtyard, the den (in a cabinet) and in the dining room. The only place where improved amplification would be readily audible to me is the den, but ancillary electronics would not always be easily accessible in the cabinet. My 2 year old's stuff piles up!.

Dining Room listening is at very low levels. The gym tends to very high levels but fidelity ain't so importatant (to me, anyway) on the elliptical. and outside is outside. I use the Sonos when entertaining or reading and it is wonderful. I don't have a player in my listening room because my library is soon to reside on a QSonix server feeding lossless WMA to a Benchmark DAC1 and onto to my system. The Sonos gets 320kb compressed. Different horses for different courses.

Marty

BTW - According to Sonos, the digital out is fixed in level, so I'm not sure how the volume can be controlled. Am I misinformed?

Shazam -Good luck with your search. My gut feel is that tossing large sums at a Sonos for mods, etc, seems like a questionable call. It is what it is and IMHO that ain't bad.... it's just not particularly high end.

Marty

Tboooe - I have confirmation that the Cullen mod does NOT effect the software. I runs the same.

-G