I recently sent my Musical Design T1 CD transport to Steve Nugent of Empirical Audio for modification, on the strength of a very positive review recently posted both on this site and on
www.audioasylum.comMy transport is a Pioneer Elite PD-65, sold years back under the Musical Design name after some modification to the main power board. I very much like the PD-65's build quality and stable platter mechanism. I wanted to max out its capability as a dedicated cd transport, rather than trade it for a newer and far more expensive alternative.
My first impression of Steve Nugent of Empirical Audio was very positive.
He responded quickly to my email inquiry and was very generous with his time by phone. He got into my transport the day after delivery, a very pleasant surprise. More importantly, he listened to it in his own reference system FIRST, before opening the case, comparing its pre-mod performance to that of his reference transport. To me, this is no trivial matter. It told me Steve is no mere "parts and solder slinger". He wanted to make direct comparisons of my transport to his best, both before and after modification to assess for himself the performance gains that resulted. After completing the mods, he informed me about what he changed, in understandable not overly technical terms. He let me know what was previously modded by Musical Design, and what was not. For example, he told me that the BNC output connector I use had not been properly terminated to 75 Ohms (thus far totally negating a benefit I THOUGHT I was getting by using a BNC-BNC digital cable from CDT to DAC!). Steve let me know how my money was spent which I liked very much. His bottom line was that the result, to his ears, matched his reference transport. Whoa!
What improvements do I hear?
1.) "Air" around instruments and vocalists is much greater. I think this is what Steve meant when he said my CDT had much better focus post-mod. Instruments and vocalists now seem locked into discrete positions in space, to a greater degree than ever before. Have you ever closed your eyes to better create the illusion of your system's creating a live performance in front of you? I've done so many times. Now, I get that illusion with eyes open as well. I've read many reports of speakers "disappearing", and have gotten increasingly closer to this ideal as I've upgraded my system. This CDT mod has really put my system over the top in this regard. That focus thing highlights, in a very appealing way, interesting aspects of cds I know well. Example: "Closer To It", Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Brian handles the vocals here(which he didn't for his live gigs) and his voice is actually multitracked at the far left and right of the stage, with his incomparable Hammond B3 playing taking the center. An interesting twist, never more enjoyable than now.
2.) Soundstage DEPTH is now very apparent, especially on live recordings. My system was already throwing a very wide soundstage with nice center fill, but FLAT. Just prior to writing this review I listened to a Elvis Costello and the Attractions' 1978 "Live at the Mocambo" cd and got the sense of a 3D vocalist and band, rather than cardboard figures.
3.) Tight bass - This is a subset of the improved focus, but deserves mention in its own right. My speakers are fairly flat to 30 Hz, and I want to hear notes and chords as distinctly as possible to that floor. Steve"s mods really cleaned up the mud. I have two "acid tests" for assessing bass reproduction in my system. Disc #2 of Miles Davis' "Black Beauty - Live at Fillmore West" NOT an audiophile recording, with hiss at the start, and a very audible transient dropout about a third through the disk, but (to me) the epitome of improvisational jazz. Problem: trying to make out Dave Holland's electric bass at left-center when everyone but Chick Corea is essentially coming out of the left half of the stage. I can FINALLY distinctly follow most of his foundation for the the three great pieces on this disc. The Who "Live at Leeds" In a classic power rock trio, there's no mistaking Entwistle's playing out of the left speaker, but he's got a pretty "fat" sounding bass that has tended to blend into Townsend's guitar when Pete is at the lower register and both are essentially soloing at once ( particularly on"My Generation" and "Magic Bus"). The improved bass focus with Steve's mods really shows up here!
4.) Microdynamics - For my system, this aspect of the music has always been most challenged by recordings with lots of multitracked percussion elements, especially from upper-midrange on up. My "acid test" has been Weather Report's "Black Market" - The title track HAS to hold the record for cymbal crashes and has driven me from the room with earlier stages of my system. They are now tight to the point that, for the first time, I realized that Chester Thompson is not doing all the work-at front right, Alejandro Acuna clearly moves from congas to cymbals/gongs in the course of the piece. Another treat: Black Uhuru's "Sinsemilla" - the Sly and Robbie signature production style gets no better than on this disc, with heavily multitracked percussion, gits, keyboards. My modded CDT opens the mix up in all its lush beauty.
In summary, the results of the Steve Nugent/Empirical Audio CD transport mods have far exceeded my expectations. Add to that the very reasonable cost and Steve's personalized service, and it's a no brainer. Big time.
