Modwright modified Sony XA5400ES CD/SACD player
I have been enjoying my Sony for the past 7 years and was devastated when It began to struggle reading discs. I knew it was time to replace the drive assembly OR purchase a new player. The new player that caught my eye was the Marantx SA-1451 CD/SACD player for $2500. The only person I trusted to repair the player was Dan Wright of Modwright Instruments. Dan has received universal praise for the quality of his work and I felt comfortable dealing with him.
I spoke to Mr.Wright who informed me he did not do repairs but would repair AND modify my player. We agreed I would pay him to replace the defective drive assembly and make a additional payment of $1000 for then unspecified modifications. He added that I would be "very pleased" with the results.
It was not a difficult decision. Repair and modify the Sony for $1250 or purchase the Marantz for $2500. I had no desire to disrupt the voicing of my system by introducing an unknown quantity. I shipped the Sony to Modwright and hoped for the best.
The following repairs and modifications were done.
1. Repairs: (Drive replacement)
2.Master clock upgrade to considerably reduce jitter and provide more precise timing.
3. Power supply: Replacement of diodes and caps in critical areas.
4. Damping of chassis, drive mechanism and lid
5. IEC connector replaced with New Furutech IEC made of pure copper.
6. Operational amplifiers: Five op-amps on audio board replaced with high fidelity op-amps.
7. Several months ago I had replaced the stock 800 ma fuses with Synergistic research black fuses for a very worthwhile improvement.
I have now had the upgraded unit for over two weeks. My break-in procedure is very simple. The unit is left on (but not playing) for 2 weeks and listened to for an average of 3 hours per day. I cannot say it is now fully broken in, but the sound has improved significantly and I am confident its performance will only get better over time.
BUT HOW DOES IT SOUND? I was really feeling tense. Was the unit damaged in transit? I pressed "PLAY" and hoped for the best. The drive mechanism was smooth and quiet. After playing a couple familiar songs (without listening for any particular characteristics) I felt calm and relaxed. the unit was in good working condition. Things were looking up. Phase 1 of my project was complete.
The next step was to listen to music and determine whether the modified player allowed me to enjoy music as much as I did before. The first thing I noticed was just how transparent it was. It was MUCH more transparent. It was more transparent not just in the lower to upper mid ranges as is often the case. It was more transparent over the entire frequency spectrum. It was not possible to say for example, that mid range was more transparent. The entire performance, including sound stage, acoustical and spatial clues were unraveled and presented as a coherent whole. All seven of the Weavers were present and physically occupying the sound stage. { The
Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall 1963" Vanguard 2150-2 1987 re-issue } I felt pure joy and relief. The new player was not just better but represented a paradigm shift in my perception of what was possible from the humble CD. I looked to see if the disc was remastered in DSD. No it was a standard stereo CD from Amazon.com. It was all over bar the shouting. I had gambled and won the lottery.
After the spectacular results of the Weavers I decided to listen to another great live recording in Carnegie Hall in April 1959 [Belafonte at Carnegie Hall-Sony Music: K2 HD mastering] I played "Matilda" because of the frequent interplay between Belafonte (who moved around during his performance) and the audience. I was anxious to hear if the modified player conveyed the magical acoustics and scale of the great Carnegie Hall. Unlike the relatively threadbare recording of the Weavers, the Hall was now bursting with the excitement and emotion of the huge and enthusiastic crowds. I have no better recording in my collection. Rumour is that the live feeds from the microphones were sent via copper cables to a recorder in a van parked outside in the parking lot. The modified player hit this one out of the park. It is now clear to me that CD has closed the gap with turntable based systems. It does not surprise me that it took a modified player to achieve this. [For the same reason I do not expect a standard showroom car (regardless of cost) to break any 1/4 mile records on the racetrack]
I had to listen to one more great live recording. (This time in DSD) "{Sam Cooke at the Copa" recorded in the Copacabana, New York City, June 1961. The acoustic environment in the nightclub is very unlike that of Carnegie Hall and the modified player made this quite clear, but the musicality of the performance came through in flying colors. I have listened to many bands in night clubs and have always enjoyed the intimacy of these smaller venues. I was not disappointed. I had the sense not that the modified player was outperforming the stock player BUT THAT SAM COOKE HIMSELF WAS PERFORMING BETTER. It was like listening to two different singers doing the National anthem before a big game. The first one does a great job and there are no complaints. However the second singer provides an inspired performance with such powerful conviction that everyone spontaneously jumps up waving their arms and cheering wildly.
My final test was {ANDY BEY - Ballads Blues and Bey - Evidence ECD22162-2} This is a very simple recording. A singer and his piano in a small studio. Bey's voice is laden with emotion and nuance. The modified player accurately portray the size of the studio. The tone of the piano is accurately conveyed. With the record playing I closed the door, went outside and listened."Is there a real piano in the closed room?" I asked myself. The answer was a resounding "YES". End of test.
One characteristic of the modified player that stood out during these listening tests was that it displayed much greater bass extension and bloom
than the stock player. To be frank bass performance was superb in every respect. I confirmed this by listening to Holey Cole's "Temptation" in DSD.
[Analog productions CAPP 048 SA] I really love this disc. It is also a great test of all aspects of bass performance. Bass detail, weight and slam were all exceptional when compared to the stock player, which is also very good in these areas.
CONCLUSION: Listening tests have made it clear to me that the modwright modified player presents music with an ease and naturalness the stock player cannot match. It is an unqualified success.
I have been enjoying my Sony for the past 7 years and was devastated when It began to struggle reading discs. I knew it was time to replace the drive assembly OR purchase a new player. The new player that caught my eye was the Marantx SA-1451 CD/SACD player for $2500. The only person I trusted to repair the player was Dan Wright of Modwright Instruments. Dan has received universal praise for the quality of his work and I felt comfortable dealing with him.
I spoke to Mr.Wright who informed me he did not do repairs but would repair AND modify my player. We agreed I would pay him to replace the defective drive assembly and make a additional payment of $1000 for then unspecified modifications. He added that I would be "very pleased" with the results.
It was not a difficult decision. Repair and modify the Sony for $1250 or purchase the Marantz for $2500. I had no desire to disrupt the voicing of my system by introducing an unknown quantity. I shipped the Sony to Modwright and hoped for the best.
The following repairs and modifications were done.
1. Repairs: (Drive replacement)
2.Master clock upgrade to considerably reduce jitter and provide more precise timing.
3. Power supply: Replacement of diodes and caps in critical areas.
4. Damping of chassis, drive mechanism and lid
5. IEC connector replaced with New Furutech IEC made of pure copper.
6. Operational amplifiers: Five op-amps on audio board replaced with high fidelity op-amps.
7. Several months ago I had replaced the stock 800 ma fuses with Synergistic research black fuses for a very worthwhile improvement.
I have now had the upgraded unit for over two weeks. My break-in procedure is very simple. The unit is left on (but not playing) for 2 weeks and listened to for an average of 3 hours per day. I cannot say it is now fully broken in, but the sound has improved significantly and I am confident its performance will only get better over time.
BUT HOW DOES IT SOUND? I was really feeling tense. Was the unit damaged in transit? I pressed "PLAY" and hoped for the best. The drive mechanism was smooth and quiet. After playing a couple familiar songs (without listening for any particular characteristics) I felt calm and relaxed. the unit was in good working condition. Things were looking up. Phase 1 of my project was complete.
The next step was to listen to music and determine whether the modified player allowed me to enjoy music as much as I did before. The first thing I noticed was just how transparent it was. It was MUCH more transparent. It was more transparent not just in the lower to upper mid ranges as is often the case. It was more transparent over the entire frequency spectrum. It was not possible to say for example, that mid range was more transparent. The entire performance, including sound stage, acoustical and spatial clues were unraveled and presented as a coherent whole. All seven of the Weavers were present and physically occupying the sound stage. { The
Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall 1963" Vanguard 2150-2 1987 re-issue } I felt pure joy and relief. The new player was not just better but represented a paradigm shift in my perception of what was possible from the humble CD. I looked to see if the disc was remastered in DSD. No it was a standard stereo CD from Amazon.com. It was all over bar the shouting. I had gambled and won the lottery.
After the spectacular results of the Weavers I decided to listen to another great live recording in Carnegie Hall in April 1959 [Belafonte at Carnegie Hall-Sony Music: K2 HD mastering] I played "Matilda" because of the frequent interplay between Belafonte (who moved around during his performance) and the audience. I was anxious to hear if the modified player conveyed the magical acoustics and scale of the great Carnegie Hall. Unlike the relatively threadbare recording of the Weavers, the Hall was now bursting with the excitement and emotion of the huge and enthusiastic crowds. I have no better recording in my collection. Rumour is that the live feeds from the microphones were sent via copper cables to a recorder in a van parked outside in the parking lot. The modified player hit this one out of the park. It is now clear to me that CD has closed the gap with turntable based systems. It does not surprise me that it took a modified player to achieve this. [For the same reason I do not expect a standard showroom car (regardless of cost) to break any 1/4 mile records on the racetrack]
I had to listen to one more great live recording. (This time in DSD) "{Sam Cooke at the Copa" recorded in the Copacabana, New York City, June 1961. The acoustic environment in the nightclub is very unlike that of Carnegie Hall and the modified player made this quite clear, but the musicality of the performance came through in flying colors. I have listened to many bands in night clubs and have always enjoyed the intimacy of these smaller venues. I was not disappointed. I had the sense not that the modified player was outperforming the stock player BUT THAT SAM COOKE HIMSELF WAS PERFORMING BETTER. It was like listening to two different singers doing the National anthem before a big game. The first one does a great job and there are no complaints. However the second singer provides an inspired performance with such powerful conviction that everyone spontaneously jumps up waving their arms and cheering wildly.
My final test was {ANDY BEY - Ballads Blues and Bey - Evidence ECD22162-2} This is a very simple recording. A singer and his piano in a small studio. Bey's voice is laden with emotion and nuance. The modified player accurately portray the size of the studio. The tone of the piano is accurately conveyed. With the record playing I closed the door, went outside and listened."Is there a real piano in the closed room?" I asked myself. The answer was a resounding "YES". End of test.
One characteristic of the modified player that stood out during these listening tests was that it displayed much greater bass extension and bloom
than the stock player. To be frank bass performance was superb in every respect. I confirmed this by listening to Holey Cole's "Temptation" in DSD.
[Analog productions CAPP 048 SA] I really love this disc. It is also a great test of all aspects of bass performance. Bass detail, weight and slam were all exceptional when compared to the stock player, which is also very good in these areas.
CONCLUSION: Listening tests have made it clear to me that the modwright modified player presents music with an ease and naturalness the stock player cannot match. It is an unqualified success.