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| Model: | SCD1 |
| Category: | CD Player/Recorder |
| Suggested Retail Price: | $5000 |
| Description: | SACD {layer |
| Manufacturer URL: | Sony |
| Model Picture: | View |
| Review by PhillyB (A) on December 28, 2004 at 13:13:30 IP Address: 65.54.98.140 | Add Your Review for the SCD1 |
I have owned this unit for 3 years, after trying several ohter high-end units, Linn, Krell and Mark Levinson, I have remained in love with this 60 lb beast.It plays SACD as good as any of the above and normal red-book cd as well also, I know the hip term "up-sampling" is hot, but it is nothing more then over-sampling, this SCD1 does this as well.
Vocals are to die for, jazz a perfect match of natural detail and warmth, classical music is warm rich and full body when recorded well. What is surprising to me is how well 24 bit recordings sound with this unit.
Having said the above please keep this in mind, I switched the ac polarity at the male end of my AC plug, this takes this unit to another level, no mods are needed, in fact they void the warranty and would hurt Sony Service ability to service the unit.
One fault if it is one, it loads slow, but I really don't care, it sounds just to good to quibble. It is also a fully balanced unit from input to output, something which the Sony newer ES cd players do not offer, a shame, I am sure it as hurt there sales.
I might add this is the best built CD player I have ever seen, it is a tank that will last for years to come.
Well after 3 years I felt I would write a mini review, if you can find one for sale, buy it asap. Sony built a classic, when compared to the newer units that are marketed today as the best thing ever designed, sorry I do not hear it and that a good thing to know.
For the here and now my digital search is over.
| Product Weakness: | None |
| Product Strengths: | Musical, Transparent, Dynamic and Fully Body Make you check the AC polarity, it is a night and day difference. |
| Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
| Amplifier: | Mcintosh MC402 |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Mcintosh C200 |
| Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Sony SCD1 |
| Speakers: | Dynaudio Confidence 5 |
| Cables/Interconnects: | Harmontic Technology Magic |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | All Types |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 20 x 14 x 10 |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | ARS Side Wall Panels |
| Time Period/Length of Audition: | 3 years |
| Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | PS Audio Ultimate Outlets |
| Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
PhillyB, I agree with your remarks on the quality and sound of the SCD-1. I also own one and love it. I have heard others remark about switching polarity improving the sound. I tried it with a cheater plug, but heard no improvement. My machine is modified (was that way when I bought it), by Allen Wright mods. I am able to switch between the stock sound and the mod sound, and I have to tell you, if you think this machine sounds great stock you haven't heard nothin yet! I have level 1 and 2 mods and the difference in sound is HUGE! The sock sound is somewhat edgy in the upper registers compared to the mod. With the mod redbook cd's come within a hair of SACD's. I hope to get the level 3 and 4 mods soon. I have been told that this would bring the machine into the league of Meitner.
Note that determining absolute polarity is an issue with any given recorded music or audio gear, not just the SCD-1. And your cheater plug is a fix for lifting the ground (i.e., to isolate ground loops), not to invert polarity. The way to address polarity is to switch the leads (+ vs -) at the speakers or rear panel of the amp.
WE are not talking about the same thing. I am talking about matching the AC polarity to the unit. I know about phase reversal...i.e the 'qood effect" See Bound for Sound article for detailed information.Bob Crump was a big help in telling me to reverse polarity and man was he right..no mods needed, the thiness some talk about is gone, pitch black background, zero noise.
if you believe that "no mods needed, the thin[n]ess some talk about is gone, pitch black background, zero noise."I'm glad you're happy with the outcome of Bob Crump's suggestion, and it would be great if matching the polarity to the unit solved everything, but it's at best just a starting point. You've probably lowered the noise floor and eliminated some thinness, but you haven't come close to zeroing out the noise or maximizing the 1's potential until you consider the Kern, Allen Wright, Dan Wright, or other third-party upgrades and mods available...or the do-it-yourself suggestions posted here by J Hietbrink, fmak, and others.
I don't suggest that everyone should have their 1's or 777's modded, especially those uncomfortable with the warranty implications or with the idea of someone working in the innards of their expensive players. But "no mods needed" is a categorical cover-all-eventualities statement that simply doesn't square with the listening experience of some of us who've gone the mod route.
In any event, I'm glad you're happy with your SCD-1...a great player, whatever its incarnation.
--Jim
He wrote: > I switched the ac polarity at the male end of my AC plug <so he's talking about AC MAINS (115VAC) plug polarity, which can make a difference for sure.
What you are talking about is SIGNAL ABSOLUTE POLARITY -which also can make a difference - in fact we build our big RTP3C differential preamp with "+" and "-" phase/polarity positions for each input selector point. Like phone "+" and "-", Digital "+" and "-" etc.
The SCD-1 outputs 'correct' absolute phase - but as studios and recording engineers seldom ensure this is followed throught their whole recording chain -on average 50% of your recordings will be "in polarity" and the other 50% "out of polarity". That's why we have that complex input selector - so you can optimise for each different disc you play...
Allen
Thanks for the correction.
WE are not talking about the same thing. I am talking about matching the AC polarity to the unit. I know about phase reversal...i.e the 'qood effect" See Bound for Sound article for detailed information.
Bob Crump was a big help in telling me to reverse polarity and man was he right..no mods needed, the thiness some talk about is gone, pitch black background, zero noise.
This from another SCD-1 owner: I assume the only way to invert AC plug polarity is to add a cheater plug to the grounded three-prong plug. However, virtually all cheater plugs have one prong that's bigger than the other, and you cannot reverse it in the outlet.Am I nutz, or do I need to find an old-style cheater plug with two "skinny:" prongs?
Yes you can find an old cheater with two skinny prongs or file down a newer cheater plug, reverse it and listen for impact of bass, improved body and dymanics and much lower noise floor. This also can apply to preamps and amps, go to the bound for sound site and Martin wrote a detailed article on this subject.
Of course, this is impossible with molded plugs. You can also hack off the grounding pin and snip the wide blade to be smaller. I must say that I doubt whether the SCD-1 ground within the unit is attached to anything. If it is not a mega-buck pc, I would just hack off the ground pin and snip the large blade.There will be many who will tell you not to follow what they believe to be my unsafe advice.
Just make sure you unplug the other end first!
If you want to change the powerline polarity, you're going to need to either (a) replace the plug on the powercord with a non-polarized two-conductor plug (good luck in finding one!) or (b) take a standard "cheater plug" and file down the "fat" blade of the cheater plug so that it's the same width as the narrow blade. Then you will be able to insert the cheater plug into a polarized wall outlet either way that you want it.These days, all plugs, whether two or three conductor, are polarized. It is a safety issue with the way that some appliances are wired.
Thanks for the advice. I feel I may be lucky in one respect: I had the SCD-1 plugged into a power strip (accidentally left there) that I firmly believe inverts polarity; when I plugged the SCD-1 back directly into the wall outlet, the sound improved tremendously. This leads me to believe the polarity of the strip may be "correct" and the wall outlet may reverse polarity (assuming that's how the SCD-1 MUST be plugged in order to sound better).Anyway, the SCD-1 now sounds tremendous, used as follows: moved closer to the middle of the top shelf of my rack, so as to be more isolated from vibration; plugged directly into the wall outlet; and set to filter number "2" permanently. Highs are easy--non-digital--and feathery-delicate, sweet, and extended.
I can easily see how someone can feel the SCD-1 in its stock form is less than ideal, but I've found--as have others here, apparently--that if you pay attention to some of the "small" things, you can significantly improve performance to the point where the unit becomes really beautiful-sounding. I've been thrilled with it for more than a month now, and have been playing CD's nonstop (after abandoning them for LP's for a long time). I even placed a large (and expensive) order for xrcd's on the basis of the SCD-1's improved sound--that's how much confidence I have in what I accomplshed with it.
Power strips, reputedly, are notoriously bad things. You can get a polarity checker for a few $$$ at your local hardware store that will test power outlets, etc. and indicate whether polarity is reversed and also whether the safety ground is working.I don't have personal familiarity with the SCD-1, but I can report that the use of a balanced power supply made a very big difference in the performance of my CD player. Lots of other folks -- professional reviewers and individual audiophiles alike -- have reported the same thing with their CD players. Since the SCD-1 seems to be sensitive to power supply polarity, it might be that a balanced supply would have similar positive effects. Balanced power supplies 60VAC to each of the power-carrying conductors, but 180 degrees out of phase. The result is a potential difference of 120 volts between the two conductors.
Unfortunately, the damn things are expensive if you get one that will supply enough amps to run your entire system.
Agree on the use of balanced pwr supply. I was astounded by the improvement a BPT made on my 777ES.
Both SCD-777ES and SCD-1 will benefit greatly from mods. They are indeed great machines but still they don't have that 'audiophile'
sound to them however good they may sound stock without mods.AP
see my above relies.
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