cal. audio ikon mkII power boss upgrade

Get the upgrade! It is so worth it. Then wait until the new format arives.

No-Money: If there are any around and you can audition one at a shop try and find the CL-15. It sounded similar to the upgraded Icon to me and it will give you a good idea of what the change in sound is like. It will sound better at first impression but watch for the glare that you should not be experiencing with your stock Icon. I personaly will save my money and wait for a better player overall than any of the CAL's for our living room system.

Dekay, I have black diamond cones and "those things" under the player and everything in the system is wired with Transparent "super" including the pc. I also had some dots applied to some of the components inside, I think they where Marigo? or something like that. So the player is about as tweaked as I can get it except for the Boss upgrade. To tell you the truth I was hopefull that the upgrade was only around $400.00. I am not sure I want to invest that much with the new formats soon to come. Unfortunately I no longer have the box so that + shipping would drive it up further. The dealer I bought this from no longer carries them so I can't hear any of the newer models but unless the upgrade would make this player comprable to say a 2K or so new player I will just wait. Have you compared this player to any in this range? When I bought it four years ago it was all I could budget for but since then some major improvements to the finances have come about so now I am wondedring just how much would I have to spend to get a REAL improvement. I am not talking about subtle changes, I want to know for a fact I just upgraded my player. Oh yea, what are you using in the rest of your system, you too Gmele?

No-Money: The system other than noted is: Musical Fidelity X-A1, Kimber 4VS (one run) with the same wire used to replace the stock jumpers on Castle Acoustic Isis speakers. It is a modest but nonetheless good sounding system. I assume that you crave more definition and detail which the upgrade will supply. I just feel that the sound is too mechanical for my personal taste. I have auditioned Transparent Wave speaker cables but have never tried their interconnects. I would suggest that you try the Homegrown assembled Super Silver IC's (which have a 30 day return policy) for next to "no money" which will add speed and detail to the player's sonic presentation without adding harshness. This may be all that you will need to hold you over. The Homegrown's and the Pro 11 resurrected the CAL for me in my system. Carl may have some opinion's on the Homegrown IC's in the next couple of weeks as he is now auditioning my extra pair. My next step up may be a used Theta Miles (for it's speed and dynamics) and I would also like to audition either model by Audio Resolution as well as the new Sony SACD player (out of curiosity). I have a very specific sound that I like and it is one that favors lack of glare vs detail in all cases as I audition with the thought of listening to the sound for long periods of time. I have far too much time on my hands. Good luck and it's nice to talk to another relentless tweak it til it bleeds poster.

No-Money, Hello- When I had my Icon upgraded it was 4 years ago, at the time I had found my investment of $400, more than worth the cost, the HDCD alone is great, not to mention the powerful bass you get, the power supply upgrade in the Icon is killer. I have never found in my system the glare problem that you guys are mentioning. The rest of my system is Audioquest Python from the CD player to a Audible Illusions M3A with all the latest upgrades, going into a Ayre V3 power amp and Maggie 1.6's. Other interconnects inlude more Python, and speaker cables are Alpha Core Goertz MI2. All preamps and amps have Luxor Custom Power Cords Model 11, going into 20 amp dedicated lines. I also have a Basis 1400 with a Rega RB 300 and Dynavector 10X4 cartridge, with an outboard Phono preamp (EAR 834P) of which i find myself using much more that my Icon. I still think that until the prices come down on the new formats, that the Icon for the money is a great player. All the best in your quest! Gary...