[ted_b]

As many of you know I am one of Dan's field testers for his new crazy stuff.  Well, Dan introduced a new power supply upgrade a few weeks ago, and I received mine back only yesterday.  I'm the first of the three of us to get the upgrade delivered (the other two should receive theirs today or so), and get feedback back to Dan, and ultimately out to the Circle.  First, a little about the upgrade..

_______________________________________ ________
Dan's comments from another thread:
"I found that a dual-mono outboard power supply for the LS 36.5 with dual discrete voltage regulation made a HUGE improvement over the stock LS 36.5 in terms of weight, body, low level cues, bass response, soundstage, etc.  Well, first of all, relax, the turbo mod does not involve a 48lb. dual-mono external power supply Wink.  In fact, the solution is much more elegant for the Transporter.

Thanks again to Alan Kimmel, a solid-state circuit was suggested, to achieve the same end-goal of the all-tube dual-discrete voltage regulation stages used in the PS 36.5.  FETs are a lot easier to work with than tubes in this case and take up a lot less space.  I did some testing and found that indeed a solid-state version of this same voltage regulation stage gave MUCH of the performance of the PS 36.5 without the extra cost, space and of course tubes.

So, basically, the 'Turbo' upgrade for the Transporter consists of a 'supercharger' for the power supply if you will.  We add a superior dual-discrete solid-state voltage regulation stage to the stock analog supply and the Transporter is raised to another level entirely."
_______________________________________ _______

I fired up the new upgraded Modwright Transporter Wednesday afternoon, and then settled in for some listening last night.  I used my standard eval playlist that contains stuff from an eclectic collection of Cassandra Wilson, Beck, Patricia Barber, the Cowboy Junkies, Isao Suzuki, Eberhard Weber, etc.  My system is in the signature below, but for this is:

Modwright Transporter w/ PS and Bybee upgrades (Valvo Mullard metal base 5AR4 rectifier, Raytheon black plate 6CG7 signal tubes)
Modwright LS 36.5 Dual mono two-box stereo preamp
A pair of Spectron Musician III Mark 2 monoblock amplifiers
Sp Tech Revelation MR III Mk 2 (w. custom Ultimate Mundorf external crossovers)
Specific cabling is:
Stealth Nanofiber (rca) TP-to-preamp
Soundstring Alpha Omega Pro (XLR) pre-to-amps
Synergistic Research custom y-adapters (XLR) for monoblock config
Custom Elrod Signature Remote Sense speaker cables (prototype)

I want to start off and say that a musical system is all about synergy.  When you bring a new component, or at least one that has been significantly changed and upgraded (hint: yes, this upgrade is significant and that's all good!!) sometimes a little change management is in order...whether it be getting used to the enw sound, or maybe finding out that somnething else in the signal path is fighting or incompatible. So here goes:  The initial impressions were not all good...but it had nothing to do with the quality of the upgrade....it had to do with synergy.  Too much bass bloat, too much midbass, too much midrange.  It became more and more evident that I needed to tube roll.       

The metal plate 5AR4 was fine…beautiful in fact, but the DR’s were too much.    (Note: these DR’s are in addition to the pair in my 36.5 DM !).  A double dose is too much with the new PS upgrade.  I played around a little, tried a couple different combos, and then came to rest on my first try again….the metal plate 5AR4 and a pair of black plate Raytheon 6Cg7’s (my former fave before the DR’s).  Vey nice, very musical, very powerful, but controlled.  So, now everything was in place, and it only took a few tries, and maybe 30 minutes, to figure it out.

The first thing that I heard was a huge gain in solidity of image, increased weight behind all instruments, and deep powerful bass.  It was just as you'd expect if you've ever added a sophisticated and improved power supply to any eligible hi-end component...but not an internal $300 one!!!!!.  This change was very much like that of going from the single box LS 36.5 to the dual mono one, albeit at the source only, and as it borrows technology from the PS 36.5 (solid state not tube, of course) this stands to reason.   Instruments like cellos took on a completely lifelike growl and texture that gave me goosebumps.  Yet, the highs were crisper as well.  I like to use Norah Jones's "Broken" from her last studio album to make sure her voice isn't too deep, the cellos and strings are lifelike, and the highs are crisp but not bright.  Well, playing this through the new TP was like hearing it for the first time.  Wow.  Much more 3D, much more growl, much more musical.

So...first impressions?  Overall the new upgrade is quite a change (and by that I mean for the better... )!!  It is way more powerful, if that means anything.  More "there" there.  More bass, more slam, more weight.   

I do have to add that I had Dan install his AC Bybee filters too, so not sure what portion of this new state-of-the-art they contribute to, but I suspect, based on lots of Bybee experience (and concurring with Dan as he a/b'd our various TP's back in Amboy) that it is a 5 compared to the PS upgrade's 10!  All in all, no-brainers!!!

More to come as I let the upgrades settle in......

[rydenfan]

Great news Ted!! Thanks so much for the early Beta report from the front lines  Mine is sitting on my doorstep as I type and will be fired up tonight  Beta unit #2 will have some thoughts to Dan and then to the forum over the next day or two. I forgot to ask Dan what to expect in terms of a break-in periond for the upgrade?

[kenreau]

it is a 5 compared to the PS upgrade's 10!  All in all, no-brainers!!!

More to come as I let the upgrades settle in......

 

Thanks for the update Ted.  I know what's on my next wish list now.

[Bigfish]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

[funkmonkey]

  AAAHHHHHH!!!  it never ends, does it?      Thanks for the report Ted, I think.  I am sure it won't be to long until Dan gets my TP back for the upgrade.  Anxious to hear what the rest of you beta's think.

[ted_b]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

Yes, that's the price.  That's why I stated "but not an internal $300 one!!!" in response to the improvements (in my review).

[Bigfish]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

Yes, that's the price.  That's why I stated "but not an internal $300 one!!!" in response to the improvements (in my review).

Ted:

Thanks for the review!  I just called Dan and have mine scheduled for the upgrade! 

This hobby is worse than owning a boat and boats are, trust me, money pits!

Ken

[IronLion]

Do we have a price for the Bybee upgrade yet?

[ted_b]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

Yes, that's the price.  That's why I stated "but not an internal $300 one!!!" in response to the improvements (in my review).

Ted:

Thanks for the review!  I just called Dan and have mine scheduled for the upgrade! 

This hobby is worse than owning a boat and boats are, trust me, money pits!

Ken

Ken,
Congrats!!  Welll, just like a boat owner...maybe better to have a neighbor who owns a Modwright TP than own one yourself.   

I think (don't quote me) that the Bybee upgrade is something around $250.   Dan?

[zybar]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

Hmmm...I don't see it.

George

[ted_b]

Guys:

I don't know if it has been posted here but Dan is advertising the power supply upgrade to existing Transporter Owners on Audiogon for $300.00. 

Ken

Hmmm...I don't see it.

George

It expired in the last couple of days.  It was there.  Dan calls it the Hyper-drive in the ad, and offers it for $300.  Here is the cache (not sure it works):
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:n4GtUVEU-UUJ:www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl%3Fdgtlconv%261227898899+modwright+transporter+%24300&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a

[zybar]

Hmmm...I don't see it.

George


It expired in the last couple of days.  It was there.  Dan calls it the Hyper-drive in the ad, and offers it for $300.  Here is the cache (not sure it works):
http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:n4GtUVEU-UUJ:www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl%3Fdgtlconv%261227898899+modwright+transporter+%24300&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Thanks Ted.

Guess I need to call Dan tomorrow and see what kind of turnaround time I am looking at.

George

[rydenfan]

George, you will want the Bybee upgrade as well as it is not included in the new upgrade.

[zybar]

George, you will want the Bybee upgrade as well as it is not included in the new upgrade.

Yup.

I know how much Bybees improve things based on other gear that I had modified in the past.

George

[Philistine]

As the token Brit Beta tester I received my Transporter yesterday afternoon, and couldn’t wait to get reconnected after being without music for over a week – I tried to live with a standard Duet but it was too painful.

Before jumping in with my first reactions some background:

I had my Transporter modified by Dan about a year ago in order to bring it uo to Truth Mod level and also had Bybee’s fitted at the same time, consequently my observations relate solely to the improvements the TurboMod bring to the original Truth Mod with Bybee's.  What I understand from Dan and his guys was that when they did an A/B with my Bybee’d unit and Ted’s without Bybee's they feel that Bybees’s are a beneficial addition.  The cost of the TurboMod being $300 and the Bybee's an additional $250.

Equipment Used:
Modwright TP
Butler TDP power amp (no preamp)
Salk HT3 Speakers
Gregg Straley IC and Speaker Cables
LessLoss power cables

Tubes:
Metal Base GZ34
6H30DR/6N1P

I gave my initial feedback to Dan before Ted’s first post on this thread, consequently I was fortunate not to be predisposed in any way as to what to listen for.  This was important to me as I wanted to report what I heard subjectively and not what I was expecting or preconditioned to hear!

My immediate reaction was the soundstage and imaging – broad, deep and more dimensional, vocals smoother and more natural, very fast sound with more punch.  In total a very significant improvement that got my attention, bought a smile to my face and had my feet tapping.

After this I played a few test tracks, I chose these not because they are audiophile recognized but because they represent the fun things I listen to on a day to day basis:

John Mellancamp/Cherry Bomb – this track is full of life and just wants to make you get up and dance, the downside is that it can sound very harsh when you crank up the volume.  I got the gain up to 100% with the TP and the only thing that gave up was the Butler Amp and not my ears (the Butler is still smoking from this ordeal).  This tells me that the TurboMod was smoothing out the harshness in the track without detracting from the energy and detail in the recording.
Eric Clapton/Old Love (unplugged) – great to pick out the audience and band positions, again more dimensional with improved imaging with the TurboMod, also noticed the piano solo sounded more natural.
Puddle of Mudd/Bleary – I know I'm too old for this. It can sound very congested, the TurboMod cleared all the congestion but still retained the energy and dynamics.
Robbie Williams/Me And My Monkey – I love the sense of humor on this but, again, it can sound congested with acoustic guitars/electric guitars/brass and sound effects all going on at the same time.  As with the Puddle of Mudd track there was a big improvement – I could hear Sunshine (the monkey pimp) knock and open the door (you need to hear it to understand)!
Seal/Seal IV – great bass on this CD, first time I noticed that the bass was tighter and deeper.

What I have noticed is that the tonal balance is improved without artificially highlighting any frequency range, vocals in particular are more articulate which may also be linked into how the imaging is improved.  Vocals are also where I can typically hear any harshness, I can honestly say that the vocals are now the best I’ve heard from a digital front end and are very smooth, rich and analog like.   My quick listen turned into a 4 hour music rediscovery session!

Tube rolling – I love the 6H30DR’s but wish they were more detailed, 6N1P’s give me the detail but can become too fatiguing and I end up going back to the 6H30DR's.  With the added smoothness that the TurboMod has the 6N1P’s are easier to listen to and still retain the detail that I need, I’ll give these a few more days and roll some of the other tubes I have and report back. 

If I try and quantify the value of the TurboMod I would put a power cord or IC at 5-10%, a significant equipment change at 50% and the TurboMod at 25-30% - it is that good.  For the cost of a ‘cheap’ power cord the upgrade is very worthwhile with no downside and an investment I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.   

More to come on the tube rolling, in the meantime any questions fire away!

[rydenfan]

Guys, let me cut right to the chase. The new power supply and Bybee upgrade is a HUGE success!! In this hobby we sometimes over spend to eek every last drop of performance out of our system. This upgrade is just the opposite; spending a relatively small amount for a significant improvement. Price to performance ratio, this upgrade is a no-brainer.

Upon listening, the first word that struck me was weight. Everything seems to have taken on a more substantial sound. I know that is what a beefier power supply would imply, but it is certainly beyond my expectations. I had expected better bass which I got in the form of depth and tightness, but it was the other areas of improvement that surprised me and pleased me the most.

The two most enhanced areas to me are midrange and soundstage. The midrange has an even more fleshed out and impactful sound to me. Vocals have taken on an even more likelife presentation. There is simply a presence in the midrange that did not exist previously. And I have a pretty dramatic increase in soundstage width; I am literally getting wrap-around, wall to wall soundstaging now. There is also an improvement to the decay of instruments and transients.

I have loved my Transporter since the day I received it and last night's listening sessions literally brought a grin to my face. Congrats to Dan on improving an already amazing piece. Please fire away with questions or comments and I will do my best to respond.

[grenamc]

This is all pretty exciting stuff to read about.  Makes me wish the UPS man was quicker.  Though, I am not sure if mine is being trucked back yet or not.  That is something I should look into. 

-Michael

[rydenfan]

This is all pretty exciting stuff to read about.  Makes me wish the UPS man was quicker.  Though, I am not sure if mine is being trucked back yet or not.  That is something I should look into. 

-Michael

Michael, did you have Dan add the new mods to yours? You will be very pleased if so.

[grenamc]

I didn't ask for Bybees, but I got the Turbo-Hyper-Super-Power mod.    I am quite excited about hearing it.  It should be a pretty big change from barebone stock.

-Michael

[JerryH]

Let me add to the positive reviews to the new upgrade.
I have the luxury of living close enough to Modwright to be able to drop off and pick up 2 days later. I just got it back today.
I pretty much echo the other comments. Particularly, the midrange vocals have more presence. As mentioned, everything seems more resolved. Violins have a bit more of that woody sound. Dynamics are more alive, like really good analog. Anything else I'd add would be redundant to what's already mentioned.
I did get the Bybees too. This is really a worthwhile upgrade for sure.