Sony's top of the line (MSRP $3,000) CD player from 1998. I bought this out of curiosity because of all the hype about this player. I was very impressed with the heavy duty construction, all copper anti-resonant frame, and ergonomic features. I was not at all impressed on the first listen. I had read reports that the XA7ES needed some modification to reach its full potential.
The first thing I did was amputate the captive 18 gauge power cord and replace it with an IEC jack. Internally, I ran 12 gauge wire from the IEC jack to the power supply input circuit board. Externally, I connected a Signal Cable MagicPower cable (10 gauge wire). This made a considerable difference in bass definition and impact.
The next thing I did was replace the wimpy 45 MHz master clock crystal with a precision LClock X03 master clock from LC Audio. The X03 is shown in the 3rd picture in the lower right corner (white arrow) and in the 4th picture in the upper left corner (red arrow). As you can see, the XA7ES is jam packed with circuity. There was only one location available that would accommodate the X03 circuit board: behind the face place. This required a disassembly of the face plate, which really entailed removing all of the external chassis coverings except for the rear plate. The master clock mod provided further improvements in bass definition, detail, and impact, in addition to improved detail in the midrange and treble. It was well worth the $256 spent for the X03.
This player generates as much heat as some amps. The case temperature (measured with a digital thermometer) reaches 103 degrees after a couple of hours of continuous use.
Weight: 33 pounds, 1 ounce. Dimensions: 17"W x 5"H x 14-7/8"D.
"So hot it burnsMice!"~DK
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
From my personal collection of vintage Sony ES components: TA-E90ES from 1996 (MSRP $2,000). Remote controlled, headphone amp/jack, phono stage for MM&MC cartridges. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) output stage (something Sony referred to as "MOS Exclusive Design"). Both XLR and RCA inputs and outputs. Inputs for CD, aux, tuner, tape1/DAT/tape2, phono). All discrete ciruitry in the signal path. Glass-epoxy circuit boards, shielded toroidal transformer, Elna SILMIC capacitors, copper screws, anti-resonant construction. An IEC power cable jack was installed. This provided the usual improvements in bass performance.
Weight: 22 pounds, 11 ounces. Dimensions: 17"W x 4"H x 14-1/4"D.
The case styling matches the XA7ES CD player and the TA-N90ES power amp.
"So hot it burnsMice!"~DK
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
From my personal collection of vintage Sony ES components: TA-N90ES from 1996 (MSRP $2,700). It provides 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 140 watts per channel into 4 ohms, and is very, very, solidly built. It is the companion amp to the TA-E90ES preamp. It is dual mono and has balanced and single ended inputs, glass-epoxy circuit boards, a shielded toroidal transformer, Elna SILMIC capacitors, copper screws, and anti-resonant construction. The TA-N90ES used metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) in the output stage (something Sony referred to as "MOS Exclusive Design")
Weight: 48 pounds, 1 ounce. Dimensions: 17"W x 7"H x 17-3/8"D.
"So hot it burnsMice!"~DK
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
From my personal collection of vintage Sony ES components: TA-F808ES from 1998 (MSRP $1,700). It provides 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 120 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Features a very clean phono section for MM and MC cartridges, heavy weight metal and vibration damping polycarbonate "Gibraltar" chassis, and remote control. The face plate of this amp is extruded anodized aluminum that is 1/8" thick along the front part and and 3/16" thick along the top part. Some Sony ES tuners can be connected to the tuner control port on the rear of the unit and controlled by the amps remote. Sony charges $47 for the cable. Fortunately I found one on eBay on for $20. This TA-F808ES is used with the Sony ST-R730ES tuner shown in the 5th and 6th pictures.
Weight: 51 pounds, 10 ounces. Dimensions: 17"W x 6-3/4"H x 17-1/4"D.
"So hot it burnsMice!"~DK
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
From my personal collection of vintage Sony ES components: TA-F808ES from 1998 (MSRP $1,700). It provides 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 120 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Features a very clean phono section for MM and MC cartridges, heavy weight metal and vibration damping polycarbonate "Gibraltar" chassis, and remote control. The face plate of this amp is extruded anodized aluminum that is 1/8" thick along the front part and and 3/16" thick along the top part. Some Sony ES tuners can be connected to the tuner control port on the rear of the unit and controlled by the amps remote. Sony charges $47 for the cable. Fortunately I found one on eBay on for $20. This TA-F808ES is used with the Sony ST-R730ES tuner shown in the 5th and 6th pictures.
Weight: 51 pounds, 10 ounces. Dimensions: 17"W x 6-3/4"H x 17-1/4"D.
How about this incredible ADC B100 vacuum tube preamp? I stumbled onto this on eBAY for $13. It had a problem with one channel. Long story short... it went back to live with its original designer, Mark Deneen (now the proprietor of Juicy Music and a heck of a guy and a preamp designer/builder).
Thirteen 6922's in there. Not to mention a pair of Jensen step-up transformers for MC cartridges.
Marantz 510M Power amp. 256 wpc @ 8 ohms. Build 1974 - 1978. This was the flagship unit for their power amp. Similiar amplification circuitry was used in their famed 2500 and 2600 receivers. The cooling system was supposedly a NASA concept:rolleyes: The fan can be a little noisy, but the amp can power just about anything. 0.03% THD at rated conditions.
Any interest in the innards of a Yamaha R-1000? Not quite up to the CR-xx20 or even CR-xx40 receivers, but not half bad sounding. Plus, the price was right (picked it up at the 'swap pile' at our town transfer station, a/k/a dump).
Make yourself necessary to someone. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ & Pro 11+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS* Twisted Pear Buffalo III Dual Mono ESS Sabre32 DAC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
Make yourself necessary to someone. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ & Pro 11+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS* Twisted Pear Buffalo III Dual Mono ESS Sabre32 DAC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
The transformer in this thing is pretty big for a tape deck. It's been in my collection since 1988, and it's still running strong. It's a great tape deck IMO.
I've had a couple of those and they're pretty nice. I like the exposed cassette look on that whole series.
CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S-Tubes add soul!
Comments
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Vinyl II: Audio Technica AT-LP120X USB * AT120Eb * ART DJ Pre II * Acrylic Turntable Mat
Video: Hisense 55H8F * Panasonic DMP-UB200 * ROKU Streaming Stick + * Z-line Designs Elektra
The first thing I did was amputate the captive 18 gauge power cord and replace it with an IEC jack. Internally, I ran 12 gauge wire from the IEC jack to the power supply input circuit board. Externally, I connected a Signal Cable MagicPower cable (10 gauge wire). This made a considerable difference in bass definition and impact.
The next thing I did was replace the wimpy 45 MHz master clock crystal with a precision LClock X03 master clock from LC Audio. The X03 is shown in the 3rd picture in the lower right corner (white arrow) and in the 4th picture in the upper left corner (red arrow). As you can see, the XA7ES is jam packed with circuity. There was only one location available that would accommodate the X03 circuit board: behind the face place. This required a disassembly of the face plate, which really entailed removing all of the external chassis coverings except for the rear plate. The master clock mod provided further improvements in bass definition, detail, and impact, in addition to improved detail in the midrange and treble. It was well worth the $256 spent for the X03.
This player generates as much heat as some amps. The case temperature (measured with a digital thermometer) reaches 103 degrees after a couple of hours of continuous use.
Weight: 33 pounds, 1 ounce. Dimensions: 17"W x 5"H x 14-7/8"D.
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
Weight: 22 pounds, 11 ounces. Dimensions: 17"W x 4"H x 14-1/4"D.
The case styling matches the XA7ES CD player and the TA-N90ES power amp.
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
Weight: 48 pounds, 1 ounce. Dimensions: 17"W x 7"H x 17-3/8"D.
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
Those are some really nice Sony components.
Hey guys what is the plural of Sony? Is it Sonys, Sonyies, Sonies?:D
Mains: polk R30
Center: polk CSi3
Rear Surrounds: polk R20
Subwoofer: polk PSW404
DVD: Panasonic DVD-S29
You simply say, "That's a nice Sony he's got there. Those other ones he's got are nice too. All of them." :-P
They are indeed really nice looking Soneaux, by the way.
Sonae...:D
Features a very clean phono section for MM and MC cartridges, heavy weight metal and vibration damping polycarbonate "Gibraltar" chassis, and remote control. The face plate of this amp is extruded anodized aluminum that is 1/8" thick along the front part and and 3/16" thick along the top part. Some Sony ES tuners can be connected to the tuner control port on the rear of the unit and controlled by the amps remote. Sony charges $47 for the cable. Fortunately I found one on eBay on for $20. This TA-F808ES is used with the Sony ST-R730ES tuner shown in the 5th and 6th pictures.
Weight: 51 pounds, 10 ounces. Dimensions: 17"W x 6-3/4"H x 17-1/4"D.
"Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
"Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
"Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
Sony just doesn't make 'em like that any more.
Thirteen 6922's in there. Not to mention a pair of Jensen step-up transformers for MC cartridges.
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ & Pro 11+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS* Twisted Pear Buffalo III Dual Mono ESS Sabre32 DAC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ & Pro 11+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS* Twisted Pear Buffalo III Dual Mono ESS Sabre32 DAC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
Nice epoxy PCB's, if nothing else.
"God grooves with tubes."
"God grooves with tubes."
Nice photo, BTW!
Nice deck! What does that thing weigh?
No luck finding the manual huh?
I was a bit disappointed in the guts of the AMC DAC8. The chassis and face plate are heavy, but the guts are very sparse.
H9
Pass Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul!