[Vinnie R.]

Please, accept again my apologies for this!

It is ok - and something that I take some responsibility for as well because I didn't mention it earlier...

[balu]

Vinnie,

Sorry if this is a little off-topic, bit I was wondering how the sound quality of a modded HAP-Z1ES compares with that of (Isa)Bellina LFP-V receiving USB input from a PC. Is the modded Sony significantly better for redbook playback?

I am trying to decide between upgrading an Isabellina (to Bellina PRO) and getting a modded HAP-Z1ES, with sound quality being the deciding factor ...

Thanks.

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie,

Sorry if this is a little off-topic, bit I was wondering how the sound quality of a modded HAP-Z1ES compares with that of (Isa)Bellina LFP-V receiving USB input from a PC. Is the modded Sony significantly better for redbook playback?

I am trying to decide between upgrading an Isabellina (to Bellina PRO) and getting a modded HAP-Z1ES, with sound quality being the deciding factor ...

Thanks.

Hi Balu,

I anticipate the RWA-Z1ES-3 mod to be significantly better than the Bellina PRO.  The RWA-Z1ES-1 and -2 already have it beat in just about every regard. 

Compared to the stock unit, I still favor the Bellina for Redbook, and the Bellina PRO for high res PCM.  But Bellina / Bellina PRO does not do DSD.  This is something that I am going to be looking into for Bellina (as well as other changes to get it more competitive with modded Z1ES sonic performance).
 

RWA-Z1ES-3 is going to be a BIG jump over the Z1ES-2... it's going to be outright phenomenal! 

I've been a little set back with my virus (which I'm still battling with!  ) this week, but I have been at least working on designing the battery power architecture for the Z1ES-3.  I do believe that I should have it up and running (for listening tests, adjustments, etc) sometime next week. 

Where am I going from here?

As mentioned above, the RWA-Z1ES-3 is what I am currently working on.  After that is finished and available, I plan to look into:

- The XLR output options
- The volume controlled output options
- Built-in preamp functionality (Analog inputs, and volume controlled outputs). 
- Other

Best regards,

Vinnie

[low.pfile]

hey vinnie,
hope you shake the virus soon and are up and swaying to music soon.

[Vinnie R.]

hey vinnie,
hope you shake the virus soon and are up and swaying to music soon.

Thanks, L.P.!  I'll get there...

[Vinnie R.]

All,

[The bad news... for me] -  I'm still battling this virus, or whatever the heck it is (infection of some sort).  Now my neck muscles are all locked up and it's been rough.  I plan to call the doctor tomorrow and will hopefully try another antibiotic.  At this point, I'll try whatever to get back to where I was over 10 days ago!        

[The good news] - I've been looking into the RWA-Z1ES-3 from different angles, on paper and on the bench as much as I've been able to during this time of being sick.  It looks like all this planning is paying off because I think I have a really clever way to approach it!  The battery pack will be built into the modified unit, and I'll be using the linear power supply section (which the battery power will replace) as the charger.  So the battery and charger will be built-in.  No external enclosures for the battery or charger. 

I am going to use a custom battery holder to hold the LiFePO4 cells in order to get them to fit on the right-side wall inside the unit.  This will keep the battery power as close to the audio board and tube stage boards as possible (and on the opposite side of the AC transformers).  The battery pack will feed the super regulators that will give independent linear regulated feeds to the d/a converters and the clock circuitry.  So EXTREMELY clean power feed to the d/a converters and clock circuitry, and the battery pack will also feed the I/V and tube output stages.   

Battery power will turn on/off when the unit its turned on/off.  There will also be a switch to allow the batteries to charge while the unit is ON (so you can play with no time limit).  In this scenario, I do not expect much loss in quality because I plan to filter the linear regulated charging feed some more, and the batteries will act as large capacitance to make for a good filter of noise on the rails. 

How will you know when the batteries need to be charged?  There is an auto mute relay for the output already on the audio board.  You probably can hear it click with the stock unit when you switch between tracks of different bit/sample rates (at it quickly mutes the output as it changes the clock frequency, so you don't get any odd static or pops on the output).  I will have the output mute when it is time to charge (so you'll always be playing with the correct amount of juice).  Then you can simply flip the switch to AC mode if you want to continue playing while it is charging. 

Overall, I believe this is all going to work out and make for a really special sounding player.  I see no reason why it won't be competitive with some of the best available.  Tomorrow I plan to order all the parts that I need to make it happen.  Once I get the parts, I'll need a few days to build, test, refine, and then I should have something to show and offer on the website!

As always, thanks for all your interest (and patience, especially in this last week I've been pretty ill)!

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

Parts should be here on Thursday! 

In the meantime, we can discuss the add on options that can be added to either the RWA-Z1ES-1, 2, or 3 modification packages:

OPTIONS

Volume controlled output: 

The remote controlled Alps boards (with mute relay) arrived today.  These also have a Return to Zero (RTZ) feature that makes them go back to zero (MIN) volume when you turn ON the unit.  This is because there would not be a display on the front panel to show the volume position, so you would always start out at MIN when you turn ON/ boot up. 

I do have an interest in trying this out soon - feeding a pair of Liliana Monoblocks directly. 

For those who want a more exotic volume control for the best channel matching and sound:

- The other option (which can also be offered as an upgrade) is the more expensive Bent Hybrid Resistor board (60 position stepped attenuator volume control boards in a shunt configuration, so only one precision resistor in the signal path).  The would also be remote controlled with MUTE feature like the Alps pot above, with return to MIN volume upon boot up. 

I'm also thinking that with the Bent Hybrid Resistor option, their PRM-1 controller could be mounted to the front panel.  I'm not too sure how it would look there, but it is doable and allows for one to see the volume setting and also control it from the front panel - for those who really want to know where the volume control is set to and be able to control it w/o a remote.

Do check out these Bent Audio offerings: http://bentaudio.com/index2.html


NOTE - I have tested programming the Z1ES with the Bent Audio remote code and everything seems to work fine via the Sony remote and/or iPad App.

Anlog input:   This option can be added for someone who wants to feed their analog source into the RWA-Z1ES-1/2 for it to go through the remote volume control and tube output stage.  Like the remote volume control option, this is for those who don't want to use a preamplifier in their system - but the analog input would allow for an analog source (e.g. Phonostage) to be added.

Upgrade to SSD:

This has already been tested and verified (see my earlier post on this thread about it), and I will be offering this service for those who do not feel comfortable doing the installation.


RWA-Z1ES-1-BAL and RWA-Z1ES-2-BAL

This is last (but not least) on my list to work on.  The same mod packages as the single-ended version, only applied to the balanced (XLR) outputs instead of the single-ended (RCA) output jacks.

That's it for now.  Feel free to ask questions (e.g. Q: Can a 12V trigger output be added to automatically turn on my Brand Z power amp that has a trigger input? A: Yes)

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

RWA-Z1ES-3 UPDATE!

It's alive - it's spectacular!  And it is almost finished: 

Let me first say that I really wanted to use an internal battery supply for this modification.  This would keep the power path
from the LiFePO4 batteries to the Audio board and Tube stages as short as possible.  I found battery holders to mount to the
right side panel (next to the Audio board).  And now, it looks like it IS going to happen (all internal).

The LiFePO4 batteries are now powering the entire Audio board, including:

- The new 3.3V and 5V Super Regulators that feed the L and R d/a chips
- The new 3.3V Super Regulator for the clocking circuitry used for ALL file types
- The I/V conversion stage
- The tube output stages B+
- The output mute relay and circuitry for it

I still need to test play time between charges, but I expect ~ 7 hours continuous. 

The stock analog transformer and power supply board will only used for the tube heaters, and battery charger.  I still need to add an AC/BATT switch to allow for continuous play/charging, and I suspect the sound to be quite good in this mode since we are using the stock linear supply, but for the best results, run in pure battery mode for critical listening and you will be glad you did!  Why?

Because with the lower output impedance (higher output current), isolation from the AC mains, and super-regulated feed to the d/a converters and clocks, I am excited to report on these sonic improvements:

- Dynamics have improved even more! 
- Bass is tighter, faster, and appears to reach lower with more authority.  There is serious grip and speed now, with total command
over each note.  You will have a very hard time not tapping your feet and move about in your chair now!  The timing is spot on.
- An ultra black background that allows you to hear even the most subtle details come out of empty space. 
- Music is presented in a way that is free of any grain, glare, or other forms of 'digital sounding' artifacts. 
- The sound it taller, wider, and deeper... it's very expansive.
- Overall, the music is conveyed with big doses of energy, tone, body, weight, transparency... you name it, it is ALL there and it's full of vibrancy!

Things left to do for the RWA-Z1ES-3:

- Test play time in pure battery mode
- Convert the now unused analog linear power supply board to a linear charger for the LiFePO4 battery packs and test
- Add AC/BATT switch and test

I should have this all wrapped up by the end of the week.  I had to order some additional parts for the battery charging side of things.

Pricing:

Currently, we have:

- RWA-Z1ES-1 @ $1195
- RWA-Z1ES-2 @ $1995

I've done a few of them so far, and I am going to have to raise these a little more.  It's taking me a lot more hours to mod these players than I anticipated. 

As of May 1st, the pricing will be as follows:

- RWA-Z1ES-1 will be: $1495
- RWA-Z1ES-2 will be: $2250
- RWA-Z1ES-3 will be: $2995

+ shipping .

I will be modding units to RWA-Z1ES-3 by the end of this month (*probably* earlier - starting next week). 


As for the OPTIONS...

I received a few requests for the remote volume control and added RCA input(s).  While I do not have the pricing up yet, I am confident that I CAN add this for the Level 1, 2, or 3 modification packages above.  So contact me about it and we can get it going on it.  Otherwise, I probably won't get to it few a couple of more weeks. 

That's it for now.  Many thanks for all your continued interest and support! 

Vinnie

[kbuzz3]

sorry for the stupid question but what is the difference between the  RWA-Z1ES- 1 2 and 3.

[Vinnie R.]

sorry for the stupid question but what is the difference between the  RWA-Z1ES- 1 2 and 3.

kbuzz3,

For info on the RWA-Z1ES-1 and 2, see:

http://redwineaudio.com/mods/rwa-z1es-x

Fro info on the RWA-Z1ES-3, see my most recent handful of posts on this thread, especially the one I posted today.  It has everything from the level 1 and 2, but also converts the sections listed in my last post to LiFePO4 battery power (internal battery), adds built-in charging, AC/BATT mode operation, and super regulators for the d/a converters and clocking.  I think that covers everything. 

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

All,

RWA-Z1ES-3 - It just keeps getting better! 

I am now using the unused 5V output from the analog power supply board (the 5V linear regulated output for the d/a chips
that we no longer need since we are using battery and super-regulators for that) to feed the MAIN 5V rail (instead of the using the digital supply board's 5V that comes from a DC/DC converter chip).

This Main 5V rail feeds the system microprocessor, the FPGA, the Audio DSP chip, and more.

I tested it out last night and WOW!  It just took the midrange another step up!  The clarity is even better... I mean, it is SPOT ON! 
Vocals sound so natural, so rich, so "they are in the room singing to you!"  All from CLEANER POWER.  Power supply is so important, and this confirms it for me yet again that clean power wins.

Here is the cool part ... I am adding this to the RWA-Z1ES-3 modification list (at no extra cost). It MUST be done because it we can't let a clean 5V linear regulated feed go to waste, and it just adds some labor to rewire some feeds and grounds.... and it gives a clear sonic reward!

And even cooler - I should be able to do it (with another unused output from a linear feed) for the Hard Drive and USB port circuit as well, so the dc-dc convert board will be unused, and everything goes LINEAR AND BATTERY.   Why not?   

NOTE:  This cannot be done for the Level 1 and Level 2 mods because we need the analog +5V linear regulator feed for the d/a chips (they are not replaced by battery until we get to Level 3).

----------

In other news, there was a new firmware update released by Sony yesterday.  The notification came up on the screen, I pressed enter to install it, and it was flawless.

------

And for the front cover of the new Stereophile:



Looking forward to getting my issue in the mail!

Vinnie

[noiseless]

Hi Vinnie, I am glad you are feeling better now and even managed to achieve better results with the Sony!
I had very high hopes for your mods but unfortunately they appeared to be beyond my financial capabilities, at the moment.
Anyway, I think I will be able to live with the stock unit until some DIY mods appear on the Net, eventually.
Good luck with your business!
Ivo

[Afterimage]

I just got the level 2 up and running a little over 24 hours ago.  I have never heard the stock unit because I sent it from the vender straight to Vinnie.  So I have no idea how much of an improvement the level two is over the stock unit.  With that said, the Sony HAP Z1ES with the level 2 mod. sounds fantastic.   I will go into more detail after I get at least of 100 hours or so of burn in.  If the Level 3 is a big improvement over the level 2, then it must be something really special. 

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie, I am glad you are feeling better now and even managed to achieve better results with the Sony!...
Good luck with your business!
Ivo

Hi Ivo,

Thank you!

I just got the level 2 up and running a little over 24 hours ago.  I have never heard the stock unit because I sent it from the vender straight to Vinnie.  So I have no idea how much of an improvement the level two is over the stock unit.  With that said, the Sony HAP Z1ES with the level 2 mod. sounds fantastic.   I will go into more detail after I get at least of 100 hours or so of burn in.  If the Level 3 is a big improvement over the level 2, then it must be something really special.

Hi Afterimage,

Thanks for posting and we look forward to your impressions.... enjoy it!

-----

I should be receiving parts today to wrap up on the charging circuitry for the RWA-Z1ES-3.  Will post more soon...


Vinnie

[smargo]

just got this link from  positive feedback online

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue72/sony_hapz1es.htm

[munosmario]

Quick question Smargo, how loud is that fan inside? I don't believe anyone has asked about it or mentioned it--Kal Rubinson indicates its existence (no comments added) in his current Stereophile review.

Mario

[Vinnie R.]

just got this link from  positive feedback online

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue72/sony_hapz1es.htm

Hi Smargo,

Thanks for the link!

Quick question Smargo, how loud is that fan inside? I don't believe anyone has asked about it or mentioned it--Kal Rubinson indicates its existence (no comments added) in his current Stereophile review.

Mario

Hi Mario,

It doesn't seem to ever turn on at all.  I think it is in there just for protection in case of an over-heating situation, but both in stock and modified form (yes, even with the tubes on 24/7), it does not get warm enough to trip the sensor to turn the fan on. 

So the fan is not an issue.  This machine is super silent!

Vinnie

[smargo]

Quick question Smargo, how loud is that fan inside? I don't believe anyone has asked about it or mentioned it--Kal Rubinson indicates its existence (no comments added) in his current Stereophile review.

Mario

It is so quiet and i havent noticed it at all - i dont think it has even come on - of course my unit sits in wide open space (nothing around it)

but i did have tubes put in so the top plate especailly where the tubes got put in gets warm - but nothing i can hear or concerned about

[munosmario]

It is so quiet and i havent noticed it at all - i dont think it has even come on - of course my unit sits in wide open space (nothing around it)

but i did have tubes put in so the top plate especailly where the tubes got put in gets warm - but nothing i can hear or concerned about

.

Great, Smargo, thanks. Fan activity/intensity and related noise level are something to consider particularly, as in your case, if tubes have been added. I wonder if the battery mod would be adding more heat inside the enclosure and if the combination of this quiet fan and existing vents would be enough for overall heat dissipation--to prevent accelerated wear and tear to other original electronic components inside (keeping in mind that the 5 year warranty is forfeited by any mod). Perhaps Vinnie could elaborate a bit on this.

Mario

 

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Mario,

See my post above.  Fan does not turn on.  Does not get warm enough in there for it to turn on.

I think it the Sony was sitting on top of a furnace or in some rack-mount application with HOT gear below it (in a hot room),
it could turn on.  But with all the mods (including tube heat), running 24/7, it does not turn on