[Spirit]

Does anybody have any experience with the mods done by the Vacuum State Electronics company?

[SWG255]

I am a happy owner of a Sony SCD-1 with the VSE Level 5 modifications, not including the latest version that modifies the signal path for the SACD output. I have consistently felt this player out-performs everything I'd heard under $6,000, with my only complaint being its low signal output vs. the "stock" outputs on the SCD-1. The sound is detailed, with fabulous micro and macro dynamics. The improvement is to my ears even more noticeable with standard CDs than with SACDs.

I lived with the stock SCD-1 for three years, but my VMPS RM-40s (bought December, 2003) convinced me I needed to improve the sound of the player. I started with the level 3 mods and upgraded as Allen Wright made improvements.

I had the VSE mods done by Bill Thalman at Music Technologies in Springfield Virginia and he did a fabulous job.

If you have a modifiable Sony player, I'd heartily recommend modifying it with thse mods as long as your system can handle the reduced output from the player afterward.

 
 

[Spirit]

I am a happy owner of a Sony SCD-1 with the VSE Level 5 modifications, not including the latest version that modifies the signal path for the SACD output. I have consistently felt this player out-performs everything I'd heard under $6,000, with my only complaint being its low signal output vs. the "stock" outputs on the SCD-1. The sound is detailed, with fabulous micro and macro dynamics. The improvement is to my ears even more noticeable with standard CDs than with SACDs.

I lived with the stock SCD-1 for three years, but my VMPS RM-40s (bought December, 2003) convinced me I needed to improve the sound of the player. I started with the level 3 mods and upgraded as Allen Wright made improvements.

I had the VSE mods done by Bill Thalman at Music Technologies in Springfield Virginia and he did a fabulous job.

If you have a modifiable Sony player, I'd heartily recommend modifying it with thse mods as long as your system can handle the reduced output from the player afterward.

 
 

Thanks for the quick reply.
As a matter of fact I had a long talk with Bill this afternoon.  He seems like a very honest (very rare) and higly competent (very rare) techie.  I do have the power in my Odyssey Monos to pump out a lot of volume.
What intrigues me about this "upgrade" (apparently Allen Wright, the inventor doesn't feel this is a mod due to its
cutting edge technology) is that the work done to these players is much more involved then simply switching inferior parts for superior ones. You know like, Quaker State for Valvoline.  Can you try to describe what it is that you find  good about the upgraded Sony.

[Berndt]

There must be a reason the music technolgies has had their backlog double in the last few months...
Music tech built me a hot rod sleeper fender champ, and has my cj mf200 now for mods. (thanks woodsyi)
The work they did to my fender amp is considerable, yet all the added components look oem. They have a visual asthetic as well as an auditory.

[SWG255]

The major benefit to the VSE mods over the stock SCD-1 are:

Much greater musicality, by this I mean the music sounds more like real/live music does. There's a naturalness to the dynamics and astonishing inner detail without adding glare, grain, brightness or any other artifacts often associated with equipment that is more "revealing".

The modified player has much better "focus" than the stock unit, by this I mean that instruments and voices are better located in the soundstage, but also, seem to have more of that palpable "alive" quality that separates average gear from top-tier components.

The mods do not sound "tube-like" but neither do they sound like typical solid-state electronics. They allow the SCD-1 to sound very neutral without any sterility or coldness.

By comparison, the stock circuit sounds "electronic", having a very fine but audible "grain" in the upper midrange, and far less contrast between low to middle dynamics. This tends to hide inner detail and rob the music of much of its "life". On my previous speakers much of this was not audible, the SCD-1 was substantially better than the Marantz CD player it replaced, and when I bought it in 2000, I was very impressed with the sound of the SACDs I purchased.

I have to stress that the VSE modified unit improves redbook CD playback more than it does SACD, not that SACD isn't markedly improved, but many marginally listenable CDs are rendered quite enjoyable when listened to through Allen's circuitry. This is accomplished while showing MORE information that's on them, not less.

Considering the price of the modifications and the price of the SCD-1 coupled with the long-term enjoyment I've gotten from the player, I think it has been a bargain.

What player are you considering to be modified? I understand that each of the VSE modified Sony models has a slightly different sonic 'signature', but I haven't actually heard this for myself.
BTW, I thoroughly agree with your assessment of Bill Thalman, I've known him for years and he's always done top-notch technical work, whether it was repairing gear, managing the production at Conrad-Johnson for nearly 20 years, or his work at Music Technologies.

 

[Spirit]

Thanks SWG:
I own a mint Sony DVP 9000ES player, which bill tells me is ideal for this mod.  It doesn't have the robust transport build quality of yours, but Bill tells me that the differnece in sound to the stock unit is jaw-dropping.  Did Bill do any additional mods to your unt in additionto the VSE upgrade?  He told me that he can add some Bybee filters as well which seems quite interesting.

[Berndt]

music tech has a bitchin' new website, btw...
http://www.musictechnology.com/

[SWG255]

Thanks SWG:
I own a mint Sony DVP 9000ES player, which bill tells me is ideal for this mod.  It doesn't have the robust transport build quality of yours, but Bill tells me that the differnece in sound to the stock unit is jaw-dropping.  Did Bill do any additional mods to your unt in additionto the VSE upgrade?  He told me that he can add some Bybee filters as well which seems quite interesting.

I have the VSE level 5 modifications to my SCD-1 with a change in some of the capacitors used, although I think this cap change is standard with the mods now. I didn't take Bill up on the addition of the Bybee "filters", not because i don't think they would work, but i just didn't have the money for them at the time. I have Bybee filters in the Bolder Cable Nitro "jumper" speaker wires bridging the bass and mid/trebble terminals on my RM-40s and like what the Bybees do there.

[JoshK]

Allen Wright is a smart cookie and one of the few that is keeping the vacuum tube technology torch burning.  By this I mean, not just the tired old 50's technology but reinstating some of the work done post transistor advent as well as new advents made by himself.  This is a small few people in the world doing this, Jim Broskie of TubeCad, Allen Wright, Lynn Olson, Gary Pimm, Dave Slagle.  These are the guys I read with fervor.  AW's products are beyond my wallet but I have a lot of respect for his designs.  Much like Gilbert of Blue Circle.