[freeflight]

I have a Sony SCD-775, about 20 SACDs and several hundreds Redbook CDs. The player does a good job playing SACDs (at least to me now). I am wondering if I can improve the Redbook CD playback a bit, as a X'mas gift to myself.

I would like to stay in $500 range if possible. The options available are
1. SACD mods, about $400 + shipping. My understanding is that the modes upgrade the clock, not much is done to the analog stage of the player.
2. MSB Link DAC III, also about $400. But the SCD-775 has only optical out, is this good for using external DAC? Would the DAC benefit from a better clock?
3. I know some of you may suggest get both, which adds up to $800. At that cost, would it be better to get a new Marantz 8260.
4. Please suggest other options.

Thanks.

Kevin

 

[sacd lover]

The mods for the 775 from sacdmods sound better than the link dac to me. I tried one with my perpetual technologies p1a upsampler/ reclocker and I preferred the p3a dac I already owned. The modded 775/222es are very much alike, if not nearly identical. Comparing the 222es to the perpetual combo, the 222es was better with sacd and nearly equal to the full blown p1a/p3a setup; which had all the power supply and cable upgrades as well. Using the toslink output from the 775 to the dac wont be optimal either; none of the toslink outs I have heard are as good as a coax digital out from the same player. I wouldnt mess with the added dac and extra power cord and digital link. I like the one box solution when I can have one. By the way, he does several changes to the 775 including an option to add a second transformer and putting in an iec connector(highly recommended).

Check out his website at www.sacdmods.com and see exactly what he does to the 775. There is definitely more to the mods than the super clock.

 

[freeflight]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I checked the sacdmods.com out, he indeed does quite a few things besides the clock. The additional power transformer is a welcome feature.

But I couldn't find anything about "an iec connector (highly recommended)."

Could you please elaborate on that?

 

[sacd lover]

Quote:

Originally posted by freeflight But I couldn't find anything about "an iec connector (highly recommended)." Could you please elaborate on that?

Matt will put an iec connector on your player for $40. He does this as part of the statement mod for the 555es, but he charges extra to add the iec on all the other players he mods. The iec allows you to upgrade your power cord from the cheap stock cord. I believe its well worth the extra cost and I have them on all my sacdmods players. All you have to do is tell him you want the iec.