[Wayne1]

I have added a few more options to the SB2 mods. I have been experimenting with the addition of different bypass caps to the analog coupling caps. For the "main" cap the standard Sonicap is the best cap I have heard for the money.

I will now offer two different bypass caps that can "fine-tune" the sound of the SB2 a bit. The first is a smaller value Gen 2 Sonicap. This is a bit more "analog" sounding cap. while it does have an extended high it also does have a "smoother" midrange. The secondl is the Platinum Sonicap. This is simply the most accurate sound I have heard.

I am also offering a "blend"of bypasses with a Gen 2 and a Platinum together. This is a REAL nice sounding pairing.

The Platinum caps do have Teflon in them and do take a VERY long time to break in. Be prepared for your SB2 to sound somewhat poorly for the first couple of weeks.

For current customers who wish to upgrade the present mods, They just need to pay the difference. I do have a limited amount of these caps on hand, but should now be able to get them fairly regularly.

The film bypass cap option in the power supply now uses the Gen 2 caps.

Finally, all of my different power supply experiments have used a balanced power conditioner before the power supplies. I do consider balanced power to be a very important benefit to the sound of the Squeezebox. I have heard quite a few differences in sound with different power cables used after the balanced power conditioner and before the SB power supply. I am now experimenting with different cables from the power supply to the SB2. I DO hear a difference in them but have not pinned down what geometry or materials sound "better"

[skvinson]

Can you post the prices for the various caps and combinations?  You have an SB2 of mine right now, and I am interested in these upgrades.

Thanks,
Steve V.

[Wayne1]

There have been a couple of changes made.

For a new order, the prices are listed on the BOLDER Cable Website.

For an upgrade to an existing mod: The Platinum caps will cost $75.00 a pair installed.  The Gen 2 cap are $25.00 a pair installed. The combo is $100.00 installed. These are used in addition to the large Sonicap already in place with the mod.

In our listening sessions we have also found that adding a Bybbe Slipstream in the digital output and a pair in the analog ouput also improve the sonics to our ears. This is in addition to the bypass caps. The Slipstream Bybees are $100.00 for 1 and $200.00 for a pair, installed. The Silver Slipstreams are even better but the price doubles. I have not yet had any experience with the Gold Slipstream Purifiers.

[Robert57]

Hi Wayne. Its great to see you developing so many intriguing SB2 and 3 upgrades, both in the power supplies and inside the player itself (various bypass caps and bybees). While patiently waiting on a couple SB2 std. full mod orders, I am pondering what other upgrades I might want to add. I know the long cap break-ins stretch out the learning curve for you and  your pioneering clients, and it may be a couple more months before we all come to learn the relative benefits of any one new upgrade.

That said, diminishing returns suggest that each of these new upgrades would all be nice to have, but will have more subtle improvements after the big leaps you made in your basic P/S and player mods. Speaking as someone with a budget of $400-600 to add to an existing "std. full mod", I would like to see if you, and perhaps your Denver Mafia cohorts, could develop a scale of incremental sonic improvement one might expect from each of the various options. For example,  we could have a few  dimensions to grade, similar to Enjoy The Music (e.g. overall smoothness/ lack of grain, detail, treble sweetness, mid-range fullness, bass punch & tightness). Perhaps we could have a 100 point scale, using the std. full mod as a base line (such that 10 means an 10% improvement). We could also  grade just common combos of upgrades, rather than tediously grade each one, as a start.

Any evaluation would, of course, be subjective, but for someone contemplating $ 400 just for a pair of silver bybees for analog only, I think its a fair question to ask , "how much more of an improvement can I expect over my std. mods, and where would I most notice the benefits?" I am also hoping this would help you and all your clients develop a common reference frame against which to evaluate and compare your new upgrades, beyond saying "noticeable improvement". For some an additional $500 for another 3 % improvemnt is a bargain, while for others this is hard to justify, especially for a secondary room. At least we would  have a better basis for making trade-offs between the various options.

I'd like to know if others would find such a comparison scale useful as you ponder further upgrades from Wayne's ever-expanding menu, or if there is a better way to explain and evaluate the relative benefits. Regardless, its great to have so many fine-tuning options coming from Wayne's fertile lab!

Thanks. --Rob.