Scott:
The Cardas Neutral Reference interconnect cables are a slight departure from the Cardas Audio Cable System. Typically, Cardas is known for its' tendency to build cables (power cords, interconnects, various accessories) that sound slightly warm and musical. Their top of the line power cord and interconnect cables are known as the Golden Reference family. They are costly...even to me. However, the CNR are a departure from the Cardas house sound; it is Mr. George Cardas' personal interpretation of neutrality. By neutrality, it sounds evenly balanced: bass, middle range, and treble regions sound well proportioned. Furthermore, the speed and dynamics of the CNR ICs excel in terms of attack and decay, microdynamics including precision detail, and convey a natural sound stage. They are thin too: about 0.35 inches in diameter and they look gray with the tradmark Cardas logo in both red and light blue lettering. As I have said before, they are perfectly neutral with
just a hint of Cardas' famed house sound. You can get a 0.5 meter pair for $200 USD brand new from
http://www.audiogon.com . I paid far less but that was a once in a lifetime opportunity deal.
The Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi is an excellent price : performance performer. It plays DVD-Video with such convincing film like appearance that it really is just like watching a film in a theatre! The video section is highly customizable: you can adjust for intensity of whites, blacks, hue, colors, detail, sharpness, etc. It's mind blowing in terms of configurable options just like a computer. The Audio section is even more configurable! My options include the ability to up convert Red Book CD 16bit resolution to 24bit and to enable upsampling as well but I am not certain exactly what is the exact sampling rate with this said option enabled. What I can tell you is this: the DV-59AVi does for Red Book CD what HDCD sounded like on my previous NAD C 541i HDCD player but better. What I mean is that transient speed is faster and nimble as hell. There is full bodied texture and richness to each note. Bass is a bit lean but extends down pretty low without falling into the typical trap of being overpowering. Middle range is superb: detailed, rich, and natural. Treble region is a bit harsh and edgy but well extended. And this is just Red Book CD.
Pop in a DVD-Audio or SACD disc and this a beast of an animal. With DVD-Audio in two channel mode, it surely must be three dimensional and detailed to the last hertz of every note played. Imaging and soundstage become not left to right in a flat plane but front, back, left, and right with uncanny three dimensional feel, texture, and precise placement of instruments and musicians. Instrumental separation is so well defined in time and space that when the recording engineer decides to highlight the voice of Norah Jones during a passage in a song she just comes and goes with effortlessness as is expected of fine women. SACD sounds even better. Take away the 3D trickery and add more bloom and lushness in the middle range along with some crazy dynamic swing but at the expense of some detail and precise imaging and you have SACD.
Other tidbits are well worth speaking of: vibration control is superb. This is the only well designed source component thus far that does not benefit significantly with some sort of aftermarket vibration dampening device or mechanism. I can literally kick my cheap white IKEA student desk upon which my DV-59AVi is placed and the music does not skip one beat. The feet, while cheap looking, do their intended function well and without fanfare. Upon closer inspect, they are removeable and you can spend money to get replacement feet. The drive platter, a critical component in any source component, is a cheap affair not unlike the ones found in CD / DVD burner drives. That must be replaced for better vibration dampening and jitter control.
The ModWright package deal that I am saving up for includes these select modifications:
1. Standalone MULTI-CHANNEL Mod with AD-8065/8066 op-amps:
-Upgrade rectifiers to ultrafast soft-recovery diodes
- Add a grounded IEC socket to allow the use of upgrade power cords
- Modify and improve the power supply filtering with the use of high-quality electrolytic caps.
- Upgrade analog coupling caps to Black Gates
- Upgrade op-amps to high quality ultra-fast op-amps
- Improve individual power supplies to DAC and analog circuits for improved sonics
- Includes all of the above mods, while also treating the op-amps and coupling caps for the multi-channel circuits as well as the 2 Channel audio circuit.
2. Level II Transport Mod:
Level I Transport Mods:
- Upgrade rectifiers to ultrafast soft-recovery diodes
- Add an IEC socket to allow the use of upgrade power cords
- Modify and improve the power supply filtering.
- Upgrade stock digital out jack to a high-quality Cardas rhodium plated RCA
- Modify digital out circuit.
Level II Transport Mods (Including the above mods and the following):
- Key digital decoupling caps are upgraded to Black Gate FK and Nx-HiQ caps
- Upgrade main AC filter cap from a Panasonic capacitor to Black Gate's best WK "Power Tank" cap.
3. LC Audio Superclock X03 with Clock Supply:
- LClock XO 3 is a module for building into CD / SACD or DVD players to improve sound performance dramatically, by giving the internal D/A converter a clean and jitter and noise free clock for precise conversion. Soundwise this will give these effects:
- Wide soundstage, free from the speakers.
- Precise definition of instruments and performers in the soundstage.
- Better resolution with more distinction in the bass region
Technical Specifications of the LC Audio Superclock X03:
Black Gate NX HI-Q for noise free voltage filtering.
Dual Clock Output with UHF plugs (SMB type).
Instant Clock Signal, Main capacitor bank is delayed for trouble free integration in any CD / SACD or DVD player.
3V / 5V output level setting on board.
New Ultra Low Noise Voltage Reference from Analog Devices.
RG174 COAX cable with SMB plug included in each kit.
New Ultra Fast (5,2nS) Voltage Comparator (with factor 10 better signal/noise performance compared with XO2).
Disable function for DVD players with Standby mode.
4 separate Voltage regulators, compared to 2 in XO 2.
4 layer circuit board with two noise screening planes inside.
1 ppm accuracy (+/- 16 Hz for a 16,9344 MHz clock).
Jitter factor 10 lower than other leading ref. Clock.
Effective Voltage Polarising security.
Voltage monitor with Blue 'OK' LED.
Advanced Low Noise Design (91 active parts - compared with 43 in XO 2).
4. Power Supply Mod:
replace / change the stock power supply unit to work in conjunction with all the other mods including:
- a torodial power supply with custom silver internal wiring throughout the PCB of the DV-59AVi.
- Black Gates FK / Nx-HiQ caps & WK "Power Tank" Cap
These select modifications will literally change the audio signature of the stock DV-59AVi. It will hopefully impart a much more realistic and natural reproduction to music by revealing its' truer timbre, shades, and hues. It will be interesting to hear the result of these heavy and extensive modifications on a pure two channel dedicated headphone system because I am interested too in three dimensional imaging and a fuller soundstage emanating from my source component to be filtered throughout the rest of the audio chain. Nevertheless, I firmly believe these mods will deliver an exponential net gain at a relatively affordable price and my savings account is just shy of $106 USD from reaching this audio goal in the very near future. The principle of source first can not be underestimated in my experience. It is the most important single piece of audio or video equipment that defines one's audio / video system. The beauty of universal source components include versatility, flexibility, and cutting edge technologies all in one box. I'm intent on making that box the best I can afford to do so.
I knew you would! Good boy...
