[8tc]

Hi all

My very first post here,  I'm European so pleas excuse me if my English skills aren't the best.

To cut to the chase
I have a slimdevces  transporter  and  it has been modded with black gates in the analog part and sanyu os-cons in the digital part by whom IL keep to myself.

To be frank i don't like it very much,   i also have a stock sb3   , the transporter dos sound better , its more transparent  , more dynamic but somehow  i get bored with the music very fast   the sb3 actually makes me listen to the mussic longer.

I borrowed a Linn unidisk SC  some time back  and was amazed by have emotional  and musical it sounded  but since I'm hooked on hardisk thing  IL not go back to swapping disks again.

Now linn will come out with moderat price digital source like the transporter  but it be a couple of years before that and will be trickled down tech from the klimax ds.
Until then i puzzled by what to replace the transporter with , but the Transporter are going to be sold no matter what.

My question is have good are a fully modded sb3 with linear powersuplly from say bolder compared to a modded transporter?
By good i mean musical, prat, emotional , not have HIFI it sounds.




thanks

[Double Ugly]

My question is have good are a fully modded sb3 with linear powersuplly from say bolder compared to a modded transporter?
By good i mean musical, prat, emotional , not have HIFI it sounds.

Welcome, 8.

I'm not sure how many you'll find who've owned both a Bolder SB and a modified Transporter, so I may be one of the few data points you find.

I've not heard the latest Bolder efforts, so they may have actually taken the SB beyond what I have now.  Additionally, even without the latest tweaks, I don't recall anyone with one of Bolder's top-of-the-line SBs and power supplies complaining of the sorts of things you wrote in reference to your Transporter.  It sounds like your Transporter is good in some areas (transparency, dynamics) but not so good in others (producing an organic presence, the dimensionality aspect of the presentation wherein flat, dry, analytical 'sound' is turned into something infinitely more enjoyable - warm, 3-dimensional, seemingly-real music).

Since my Transporter sounds so similar to what was once Bolder's top-of-the-line SB and power supply, it makes me wonder how your Transporter sounds.  I know you'd prefer keeping his or her identity secret, but I hope you'll consider offering a name via Personal Message (PM).  If for no other reason, so I can be sure to remove this person from future consideration.

Back on topic, do I believe Bolder's mods sound better than my modified Transporter?  I'm not sure, but I'd say probably so.  What I have now isn't bad at all IMHO, but I'm not sure the edge wouldn't have gone to Bolder even before the latest improvements.

However, since you already own a Transporter, you may want to consider having Modwright work his magic.  That is, assuming you don't mind tubes.  You can read a little about it in this thread.  I think the first pictures appear somewhere around page 11.

I've heard Dan's modified Transporter, and though it was in a system with which I am unfamiliar, I will say the presentation I heard wasn't bad at all.  Dan has a reputation for being one of the best in the business, and I doubt you'd be disappointed with the results of Dan's labor.

I hope that helps a little, 8.  Please don't hesitate to ask if you have other questions.

And welcome again! 

-DU

[8tc]

Thanks for taking your time.

I may also say that i use linn klimax solos in that system  and the are very very very transparent  and very picky about what you use with them.

Linn amps always sounds best with Linn sources,   Linn sources are very analog and musical warm   sounding, the same goes for the amps but the are not warm the   have a bright whitewine sound to them    and if upstream gear are on the thin analytical side of things  the magic is lost.

The obvious thing to do would be buying a Linn source but the klimax ds is simply to much money right now and I'm kind of hoping that a statement mod bolder unit would be a fantastic piece of inbeteen source until i cant find a used klimax ds or linn puts out something reasonable priced.

If the bolder mod would give me a musical analog sound it may very well be the ticket but if it sounds like my transporter the effforts and loos in value will be a shame.

What is the signature sound of the bolder sb ?

I'm not going to throw more money into the transporter its a Mk1 product and IL rather just wait for the Linn
but thanks for the recommendation .

thanks

[tomjtx]

You might want to try some different amps or preamps 1st.

The transporter is a very neutral source and it sounds like you prefer some coloration in the chain. (I don't mean this in a negative way)

If you change the amp ,preamp the sound of the system will change.

I love the sound of tubes for example. When I listen to Transporter > dual mono tube headphone amp>AKG701 the result is gloriously musical. The things you describe as lacking are there in spades.

This is a world class tube headphone amp and it's like being in a great concert hall.

The modwright mods would likely do the same thing but if you can audition a tube amp or preamp you might find that is another way of getting what you want.

[8tc]

Hi tom

The klimaxes  are the center pieces of my system  .

But you have a very good point there,    i also have a icepower amp in a other system which have a much darker presentation compared to the Linn's   , in this system the transporter rocked.

Its all about system synergy.

However  the klimaxes just won me over with there refined presentation and musicality and is to my ears are in a class of there Owen.

I had a Linn unidisk as described above   and it fitted the klimaxes like a glow producing a amazing musical neutral sound that where just right.

Maybe the ticket would actually be using one of Wayne's digital only modded SB3`s  into the digital input of the Linn Unidisk SC.

The unidisk SC has both the preamp function and a great dac and i have  just heard from a linn friend that he uses a PC based transport into a SC with great results and sounds equal to the CD playback of the unidisk.


But then i read that  the bolder Sb3   sounds much  better straight to the amps  then with a dac,


hmm

[miklorsmith]

Of course, that would depend on the DAC/system.

I'd look at a DAC with clock-out capabilities to utilize the wordclock input of the Transporter.  The Lessloss DAC is like this and is super duper.

[tanchiro58]

Hi 8tc,

I do not know how wealthy you are but to me you should get to know how to modify your audio components that would be better for you to save money and to satisfy your taste.

I have owned both SB2 and SB3 and did only install the pulse transformers at digital part. I also built myself the linear PS and purchased one from Channel Island Audio (VDC-SB PS for Squeezebox) for comparing which is the best linear PS I ever have in my main system.

Keep changing audio components in your system it is a never done stuff. I did that and had never satisfied myself. The best thing to do is choosing what are matched with the synergy of your sources and your amp(s) including speakers (if you like to keep your favorite components). Finally I have owned the best matched components in my main system and save a lot.

You are located in Europe (which country?) and should contact Herr Altmann. He is a nice and knowledgeable gentleman.

[8tc]

HI thanks for the heads up.

My hans are to big for diy digtial source mods, and im the kind that rather pay extra and have somthing that has a well known name so  the resal will be good.

I think il take the jump and order one of those statment modded sb3s from bolder, and if i love it il get the powersupply also if i dont il get a unidisk SC and use the sb3 as transporter only.

Have important is the powersupply  for the sb3 really, can i get decend results just getting a cheap elpac one or is the statment mod making the sb3 so transperant that  the sound will actually degrade if i use a stock or cheap linare ps ?

regards

[95bcwh]

8tc,  how long have you had the modded transporter??? I recalled having some Blackgate mod before, it takes ages to break in..!

[8tc]

8Tc,  how long have you had the modded transporter??? I recalled having some Blackgate mod before, it takes ages to break in..!

About one month.

Its still improving i think.

First it was very dark sounding then it was  bright  but  and now its  just right.

It sounds amazing  no doubt just got the kimber 8Tc speakers cables and Yter interconnects which have improved sound ALOT and made the sound  more smooth and dynamic.

But it still not very musical ,and lacks PRAT   if i listend to classical music  it would be fine but with rock ,pop music  it simply dossent get the weight and bass /slam of the music right   and its here the unidisk SC beats it hands down sounding much much more emotional.

And believe me it ain't the rest of my gear that's holding the sound back.

regards

[tanchiro58]

Have important is the powersupply  for the sb3 really, can i get decend results just getting a cheap elpac one or is the statment mod making the sb3 so transperant that  the sound will actually degrade if i use a stock or cheap linare ps ?

You can contact Paul Hynes at paulhynesdesign.com for the shunt regulator PS.

[denjo]

I use Paul Hynes' PSUs for my SB3 (stock) and Altmann DAC and am very pleased with the improvements to the sound!