ModWright Transporter experience: truth vs. beauty?

[HalleysComet]

OK... just to clarify, I really am just looking for an explanation (this isn't a veiled attack on tubes or whatever). So: why would you get a different result doing the modwright rather than using a tubed amp? I don't get it--isnt the alleged virtue of both "warmth" or "musicality"? Color me confused.

Yup, this is where one moves between science and religion!

But maybe there's some common ground here. I think the issues are around the small-signal amplification by op-amp, and the power supply for that stage. If I understand correctly, this is where Dan focused his attention.

As far as I can tell (not being an engineer) the stock stage represents "best practices" for today's players, taking the output of the DAC and creating a stable amplified signal for the subsequent amplifier (or preamp). I think Sean did a spectacular job with this circuit. It's truly clean sounding, based on my few weeks listening to the stock unit. It doesn't lack warmth. it doesn't impart any false sense of precision, yet all the detail is there. Nice work!

So what's missing? Well, I don't have the language for it, but I think it might be described as a sense of "real-ness" or palpability. I wouldn't know how to begin to measure such a thing. Maybe like pornography -- we know it when we see it?

I don't think this is a function specifically of tubes, or not. I've got a solid-state phono stage (Klyne) which is particularly good at rendering this from LP's, via extremely small signals from a phono cartridge. And my amplifiers are solid state Innersound ESL, feeding electrostatic speakers, which are supremely clear sounding. High resolution system, not biased inherently to mushy tube warmth.

Anyway, I found fault with the Transporter for its lack of this characteristic, compared to my current CD player. I actually preferred a Bolder-modified Squeezebox to the Transporter. That unit belongs to a friend of mine who got me onto the whole computer-based audio trend (I was happily mostly listening to LP's before that). I was disappointed, because I consider the Transporter to have much better technology. And the Transporter is such a cool thing, I really wanted it to work in my system.

So I tried a number of things, including inserting a tube preamp (either an Audible Illusions M3a or a Mapletree Ultra4), and a Musical Fidelity XDac which is a tube buffer. In the latter case, I felt that there was a false sense of "warmth" that seemed to me to be euphonic and "phony." the Mapletree sounded "nice" as in listenable, but I lost a lot of detail. And the Audible Illusions also tends to the warmth side of the equation. Just sticking some tubes into the audio chain wasn't the solution.

That's when I heard that Dan was modifying it. Since I have had a long experience with some of Dan's gear, I thought it was worth a try, or maybe I was just throwing more money at the problem? It seemed like a big risk, but I'm happy to report it is working out for me.

I love the Transporter. I'm sure others who have tried it and have found it wanting might be interested in this experience, so I wanted to share, not because I'm such a smart guy -I'm not -- but trying to be helpful. I'm getting a lot of joy out of it and it's nice to share...

Frank

[GuyDebord]

You could have gotten the same result feeding transporter through a tube preamp or buffer.

I love tubes also but it is a shame you wasted that money when you could have gotten the same results for a fraction of the price.

It is getting a bit tiresome listening to talk about the illusory "improvements" modded TP's make posted ,IMO, rudely. on the slim forums.
Modwright has it's own forum for that.

Couldnt agree more. but out of curiosity, I would like to know what equipment is HalleysComet using with the transporter. I use my transporter with an integrated tube linestage and the sound is sooo musical, even without the tube linestage the transporter was never digitally bright or edgy, it was always very lively and with warm tonality. So yes, this modded stuff just doesnt make sense to me, im sure you can do much better by buying a pair of good balanced interconnects.

[Phil Leigh]

Since you have no idea what "truth" is (unless you were actually in the studio making the recording) , perhaps you better confine your comments to beauty.
Adding a valve buffer stage - MF, or Modwright or whatever - makes things sound "nice". It's not "fake", its simply personal preference.
Oh - and if balanced interconnects make "all the difference" in your system, you need to sort some basics out first IMHO.

[Shredder]

FWIW, I, too, own a MW TP. The TP is great, but i have never been happier w/ a piece of audio gear than the MW TP. As has often been described on this forum the TP can be a tad cold and analytical. However, w/the modded MW TP, anything other than terribly recorded music sounds absolutely live. Vocals and many instruments have a presence and weight that suggest a musician(s) in my room. Needs to be heard to be judged.

I disagree that a tube buffer or pre will provede the same sound. I have heard the TP through very nice Mac tube amps and even a MW 9.0 tube pre; they sound good, but not as goos at the modded TP.

[GuyDebord]

2000 dollars for a seemingly simple tube mod? that makes the tp rig 4000, its clear why it sounds better to its owners....

[Shredder]

This is silly. I heard it before I bought it. I also heard various alternatives, such as the super nice tube pres I described.

Has anyone w/ a negative judgment on the MW TP actually heard one? I don't think so.

[GuyDebord]

This is silly. I heard it before I bought it. I also heard various alternatives, such as the super nice tube pres I described.

Has anyone w/ a negative judgment on the MW TP actually heard one? I don't think so.

what else did you tried worth 2000? just curious... only tube stages or also other things like dacs, world clocks, cables, power conditioners....

what difference were you trying to get?

[Shredder]

I spent months auditioning gear. Many DACs-Benchmark, Lavry, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto, unmodded TP. Pres-MW9.0, Mac, Classe. All excellent.

I chose the MW TP direct into my amps over the other options, ie nice Dac into nice pre, TP into nice pre, great Dac w/no pre.

You may disagree with my taste, but I didn't just just make this up or go on an on-line review. I did not just like it because it was expensive, because everything I auditioned was expensive and this was what I chose.

I have read many discussions on this forum in which modified Sbs or TPs were criticized. All, All, of the criticism, as far as I could tell came from people who head never heard the gear.

Give it a listen. I suspect most will like it. If not, you will be able to make an educated judgment.

[GuyDebord]

I spent months auditioning gear. Many DACs-Benchmark, Lavry, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto, unmodded TP. Pres-MW9.0, Mac, Classe. All excellent.

I chose the MW TP direct into my amps over the other options, ie nice Dac into nice pre, TP into nice pre, great Dac w/no pre.

You may disagree with my taste, but I didn't just just make this up or go on an on-line review. I did not just like it because it was expensive, because everything I auditioned was expensive and this was what I chose.

I have read many discussions on this forum in which modified Sbs or TPs were criticized. All, All, of the criticism, as far as I could tell came from people who head never heard the gear.

Give it a listen. I suspect most will like it. If not, you will be able to make an educated judgment.

hey, i dont argue with your right to spend your money and defend your investment... but seriously, only adding such an unsophisticated tube stage cannot compare to the built and sophisticated standards of a lot of the factory built equipment you say you auditioned. Just the specially made power supply of many of this devices (something that your tube stage doesnt have) makes me read the modright thing as gimmicky only....

[tomjtx]

I spent months auditioning gear. Many DACs-Benchmark, Lavry, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto, unmodded TP. Pres-MW9.0, Mac, Classe. All excellent.

I chose the MW TP direct into my amps over the other options, ie nice Dac into nice pre, TP into nice pre, great Dac w/no pre.

You may disagree with my taste, but I didn't just just make this up or go on an on-line review. I did not just like it because it was expensive, because everything I auditioned was expensive and this was what I chose.

I have read many discussions on this forum in which modified Sbs or TPs were criticized. All, All, of the criticism, as far as I could tell came from people who head never heard the gear.

Give it a listen. I suspect most will like it. If not, you will be able to make an educated judgment.

I auditioned a full blown bolder SB and a modded TP in my home for several weeks each doing careful, level matched comparisons. So at least some making comments have heard the other gear :-)

I stayed with the stock TP. The other gear was not an improvement to my ears.

I haven't heard the Modwright . Dan has a great rep and I suspect it sounds quite good. Whether or not one prefers it to the stock would likely boil down to personal preference.