In Reply to: Music Hall mods posted by Fred G. Unn on May 9, 2005 at 06:31:54:
I have the level 3 (plus a few extras) modded cd-25 from Sound Odyssey (SO). I have had it for about 3 months now. I like it very much. I mate this with a Sim Audio I-5 integrated amp and a pair of vandersteen 1c speakers. The SO level 3 cd-25 is a smooth, detailed, player with a lot of soundstage and instrument separation (and I listen to mainly rock and alt. rock, which does not make this assessment the easiest). Brice of SO is great to deal with: he's nice, courteous, will answer questions through and through, and gives a fair price for some extensive modifications. I contacted several people who had done cd-25s through SO beforehand, and they all wholeheartedly recommended him. I have since recommended Brice to some others as well. For a redbook player, this is a very viable option.My personal cd-25 has, by my insistence, the superclock 3, and by Brice's usual level 3 mods, the zapfilter as the output stage -- in addition to other modifications you can find on his web-site. The zap lowers the gain somewhat on the player, so you have to turn your volume up more than you may be used to (like 1-2 hours more on the dial), but that's not a biggie. I never heard the cd-25 stock, so unfortunately, I cannot make a comparison between the modded unit and the unmodded unit.
However, I have recently had a chance to A/B my modded cd-25 with my "old" cd player, a decent Myryad MC-100. I have sent my modded cd-25 back to SO for Brice to do a another mini-mod (nothing wrong, just another improvement), so I am using my old cd player again, but with the same integrated amp and speakers. In comparison, the old cd player sounds brighter, in a more grainy way ("digital sounding"), has weaker bass, and is not as detailed. I can't wait to get my modded music hall back!
In addition, the onix-88 is identical to the cd-25, and Brice can mod that as well (you buy the Onix, ship it to Brice, and he ships back the modded player...my buddy has done this, to closure, so I know for a fact that it's do-able through SO).
I think the modded cd players are one excellent option for buyers to consider, if you are open to such a route. I believe there's a real value to the deal. I plan on keeping my player for a while...
- walkman
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Follow Ups
- Re: Music Hall mods - walkman666 14:15:50 05/10/05 (0)