most bang for buck?

[ratso]

so i am interested in the idea of making my (okay, i don't have one
yet but my SOON TO BE) SB3

[ratso]

so i am interested in the idea of making my (okay, i don't have one
yet but my SOON TO BE) SB3
oops sorry. anyways..

i don't have one yet but i will soon. i have read these forums
for a while and come across all the popular mods for upgrading
the sound of the SB3, and i just don't think that spending thousands of dollars on a device that costs $300 is practical for all of us. let alone that many of us don't have the equipment or the trained ear to appreciate the subtleties of some of these mods. however that doesn't mean we don't want to improve our SB3'S. so can i get some input from some of you in the know about the most popular mods. please RANK the following in terms of biggest improvement in sound:

1. bolder digital mod $200
2. bolder analog mod $375 (worth almost twice the price of above?)
3. high zoot power supply on stock SB3, up to $750 (can this really be that much better than a $20 elpac)
4. external dac on stock SB3, let's say around $500 for dac

please keep in mind i'm talking about an average buyer who appreciates good music and good sound, not cost is no object
audiophile. i think this would really help clear up some of the confusion that i think is out there.

[SuperQ]

oops sorry. anyways..

i don't have one yet but i will soon.

...

please keep in mind i'm talking about an average buyer who appreciates good music and good sound, not cost is no object
audiophile. i think this would really help clear up some of the confusion that i think is out there.

If you get an SB3, and don't think the performance is good enough, return it and get the best mod for the SB3: The Transporter.

[byKnight]

And if you get an SB3 and *are* satisfied with the performance, sit back and enjoy it.

[ratso]

yes i know. thanx guys, but you're totally missing the point here, although maybe i didn't make it clear enough. there is obviously a HUGE market for upgrading the sb3 as these forums make clear (including this very diy one). but NOT EVERYONE wants or can spend thousands of dollars, either for a transporter or a megabucks external dac or monoblocks and thiels. and that doesn't mean that you should "just be happy" with a stock unit as i listed 4 improvements (mods) that are out there that can all be had for around 3-4 HUNDRED dollars.

[ratso]

oh p.s. yes i saw you quoted my not having one yet, and i will of course demo it when i get it. but i've read countless reviews and i think i have a pretty good idea what i will be getting. i'm guessing that i would like to "step up" to a better sound, but even if i decide not too, there certainly are many out there that do.

[nicketynick]

I think that maybe what the other replies are being too tactful to say is that perhaps none of the mods you suggest (other than maybe the $20 Elpac power supply) offer significant 'bang for the buck', as you requested. (I'm not going to slander modders any further, though tempted!) Not sure what your system is, but you might get better bang for your buck by upgrading your speakers.....

[ratso]

hmmm thanx nick, thats very helpful to me. kind of a shame that a mod is offered that doesn't really upgrade the unit much. it always kills me when i hear some variant of "well to significantly upgrade your sound you should get a top of the line dac, speakers, power amp and preamp - then you'll hear the difference". well, duhhh

[Deaf Cat]

I've come to the conclusion that everybody has there own slant on which worked better for them.

This does not exactly help the decision making process :)

My Bang for buck tweeking list so far;
Speaker position
IC Cable (pre-power)
Linear psu (for SB2, approx £80)
Isolation feet (power amp £10)

:)

I would be interested to sit in on a listening test with a $5, £80 and $750 psu just to see, DBT naturally :)

[tricka]

Hi ratso
I just bought a SB3 and like you wonder if it's worth it to mod or not.
Some of the biggest improvements can be had for bugger all and I'm a fan of those. I think power is important and I'm a fan of battery dc. My Trends 10.1 transformed when I hooked it up to a 12v/19ohm Battery (which cost me all of about A$40. Totally blacked the background. I'm hunting a 5v source at the moment and will post it when I come across one.
I prefer the external DAC route as you can change/upgrade etc as time and money (and desire allow). I'm running a modded Lite AH DAC (the non oversampling one) which I love. It cost me all of about A$250 and I use it for the SB and my universal DVD player. yup i'm with you - spending $1000 on a device that costs $300 is abit arse about face unless a) you can and b) you can. I can't so have to tinker around the edges.
I agree speaker placement is crucial. I had my ribbon speakers way too elevated relative to the usual listening level - when I dropped them down to just below the ear line my music transformed. Ditto re their distance separation and soundstaging (in this case too close together when my previous bookshelf's preferred it).
One of the reasons I like the Trends is that it can be easily and cheaply modded. $80 and abit of soldering time and you have really really good amp. Oh and it doesn't break the bank in the first place.
Interconnects also make a huge difference. I'm using some cheap (ConCable 24 K fully sheilded ones that cost about $13 and again they improved soundstaging immensely)
Isolation I also agree with.
Let me know what you end up going with.
Cheers Tricka

[iPhone]

In my humble opinion, there is no power supply worth more then a Squeezebox! Is it nice to have low ripple low noise stable 5 volts DC, yes. Is it worth more then $100, no. Why one might ask, because inside the Squeezebox is a switching PS for the DAC. There are smaller better cheaper mods one can do on their own that will actually make improvements before needing to move up to a Transporter. If one is planning to spend hunderds on a new PS, hunderds on new WBTs, hundreds for somebody to make internal mods, and is going to add an external DAC, one should probably buy a Transporter in the first place or a SB+ from AT-Tunes www.at-tunes.co.uk