[Brucemck]

A bit unfair to Wayne ... but ... is there a place / link where the same DRC can be done in a Foobar implementation?

[jrebman]

OK, the feedback so far is encouraging me to go for the analog mods and forget a DAC.  The next question is should I go for the Bybee options, and if so which option !!  I'd probably go for the Bybees if I thought the improvement was rather more than just subtle.  I'd welcome any comments on this from anyone who has experience  of with and without the Bybees.

Ian,

I've had a couple of days to let this sink in and I think I'm going to take a slightly different tack for myself with regards to the bybees.  I think I'll first get the full analog mods and then go for the Ultimate PS and then see how all that sits in my system before adding the bybees.

The reason has mostly to do with system synergy as I will ultimately be using the SB with a SET amp -- probably 2A3 or 45 based, running my Abbys and I'm really going to need to make sure things all work together nicely.  I don't want to make it overly warm, or bright, nor squash the dynamics with the wrong flavor of bybee.  And who knows, maybe I won't feel as if I need them at all.  Maybe somebody out there with some experience with this kind of setup -- single-driver speaker and low-power SET -- can chime in on whether the silver or gold synergizes better.  Of course it would only be a generalization and ideally it would be best to listen to the various choices in one's own system.  Obviously something like this works much better for me as I only live about 45 minutes from Wayne and you're on the other side of the pond, but I'm sure Wayne would also quickly tire of me dropping in for the bybee-of-the-month .

I really just need to first settle on the amp and cabling first, then the tweaks can come later.

I also have to keep telling myself that this is my second system and that it is in my office, but there's just something really fun and rewarding about plotting a new system, even if it isn't one
's primary one... but of course .

And hey, no problem on the agon purchase -- I also didn't mean to imply that you thought there was anything to apologize for.

Hoping the speaks will arrive today and I can start breaking these 70's in.

-- Jim

[mcgsxr]

Well, I have neither an SB2, nor an SET, but I figure I come close with my fully modded SB3, b200 Visaton wide range driver speakers, and my vintage SEP Magnavox amp.  I use an older Bolder PS, a Rev1 with Jensen caps.

I have no bybees, and find the combination very alluring.

Delightful stuff!

[studley]

Hoping the speaks will arrive today and I can start breaking these 70's in.

-- Jim

Jim

A bit more synchronicity for you.  I have a pair of Sig 70s too.  They are still burning in but I can tell you that they sound pretty damn good from the start.  I'll be posting a more detailed review once they have settled down.

Given the cost, the question of whether to go for the Bybees is a tough one and you are right I have no opportunity to actually audition them and so have to put my faith in feedback from the good members of AC.  It would however be interesting to  hear from Wayne on what he thinks the various colours of Bybee  bring to the sound of the SB.  Wayne?

Rgds
Ian

[BRN]

OK, the feedback so far is encouraging me to go for the analog mods and forget a DAC.  The next question is should I go for the Bybee options, and if so which option !!  I'd probably go for the Bybees if I thought the improvement was rather more than just subtle.  I'd welcome any comments on this from anyone who has experience  of with and without the Bybees.

I have gone through a progression with not only my SB2 and Wayne's mods, but with a digital front end. I don't have a fancy setup, just my SB into my Bottlehead S.E.X. amp with iron upgrade driving Fostex FE166Es and powered subs.

My first setup was a CD-Pro2M as a transport and the K&K RAKK DAC. I was very impressed with the sound I was getting from this, but after reading the reviews on this forum about the SB I decided to give it a try, so I ordered the SB and had Wayne do the full mods, which at the time was the Sonicap Gen I's to the analog outs and power supply mods that included Panasonic caps, and basic rev1 PS. This setup sounded very nice, the SB had a better presentation on the high and low end, but the mids were better on the CD-Pro2M and RAKK DAC. At the time Wayne had started using bypass caps on the analog outs, so I decided to get both the Gen II and Platinum. That was the ticket to besting my CDP and DAC. I lived with this setup for about 7 months and again I started reading about the improvements to the sound of the SB with the Ultimate PS II. I talked to Wayne and decided to have my basic rev1 upgraded and along with the PS in the SB to BG caps. My basic rev1 is not exactly the same as the Ultimate, one of the Jensen is a smaller value and the case is smaller, but everything else is the same. The PS has been by far the biggest improvement to my system. I can not stress enough the importance of the PS to the SB. If you do anything get the analog mods with all the bypass caps and Ultimate PS you will not be disappointed. Also, I did not get the Byee's in the SB or PS, but that is the next thing on the list.

Just my two cents.
Brad

[DSK]

Brad, I presume that you got the upgraded embilical cord from Wayne at the same time as the Ultimate PS upgrade, so you haven't compared umbilical cords on the same PS?

[BRN]

Brad, I presume that you got the upgraded embilical cord from Wayne at the same time as the Ultimate PS upgrade, so you haven't compared umbilical cords on the same PS?

Yes I did, I got the Nitro DC cable for Squeeze Box when I upgraded.