CDP Mods

Early B.

I want to take my Bada CDP to the next level.

I'm considering replacing the five caps on the DAC board and 2 caps on the power supply board with Sonicaps. I'm also considering a clock upgrade.

Any thoughts or suggestions about what I should do here? Would these cap upgrades make a difference? What other mods would you recommend?

Thanks.

VR3

I think the only way you can upgrade that thing is..

Is if you have to make a new top for it to accomodate the new caps you put in because they are so bad@$$ they need to be stacked to fit in there...

All joking aside, I dont have a clue but I will follow this closely!

Ricardo

I've thought of doing something similar; I know now that Sonicaps do make a difference over Solen for crossovers, but have no idea if it will make a noticeable difference in the CDP; it sounds pretty good already, and we are probably talking at a couple hundred $$, so I'll let you go first and let me know...

Sonicaps vs Solen are not that different in size; they'll fit in there ok.

Early B.

The total cost of the Sonicaps will be $54 plus shipping, I think.

VR3

Dont mind me asking....

What exactly is it you are trying to upgrade on the CDP that you currently do not like?

Ricardo

Then go for it; worst case, you put the Solens back; wasn't thinking...for the size they must be very low values.

RuSsMaN

You don't need Sonicaps in the power supply, only in the signal path. I've seen a lot of members damp the chassis with dynamat or the like, and they have reported good results.

Looks like 5 caps, a good tube, maybe some dynamat, and finish it off with a set of black diamond racing cones underneath. I wouldn't waste time doing much more.

Cheers,
Russ

TroyD

I dynamatted the living crap out of my Jolida and it made a very noticeable improvement in the sound.

BDT

Early B.

Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote:

Dont mind me asking....

What exactly is it you are trying to upgrade on the CDP that you currently do not like?

Nothing in particular. Just modding for the hell of it.

I'm not interested in buying another CDP, and I want to maximze what I already have, as long as it doesn't cost too much.

Early B.

Thanks for the responses so far, fellas.

Once I make these minor mods, I'll post the pics and results.

Early B.

TroyD wrote:

I dynamatted the living crap out of my Jolida and it made a very noticeable improvement in the sound.

Troy --

Did you use Dynamat Extreme? Also, what specific noticeable improvements did it make in the sound? I'm asking because the modded versions of both the Jolida and Bada sounded identical when we ran an A/B test on them.

Thanks.

F1nut

What are the values for the power supply caps and who makes them?

Yes to Dynamat Extreme.

Who's mods, what mod's?

Early B.

F1nut wrote:

Who's mods, what mod's?

I got my Bada modded at Verastarr (aka: Hot Rod Audio Mods) near Atlanta, GA. They also perform mods on the Jolida. Here are the exact mods they perform on the Jolida (http://www.hotrodaudiomods.com/cjojd100.html), but after the mods were done, we tested the Bada against the Jolida, and we couldn't discern any differences between the two.

Only minor stuff was performed on the Bada -- damping (inadequate though, IMO), changed out op amps, replaced RCA plugs to Cardas, and added some silver wire. These mods were done over 2 years ago, so I might be leaving out some stuff.

Early B.

F1nut wrote:

What are the values for the power supply caps and who makes them?

They are Solen caps -- two of 'em @ .33uf 630v.

F1nut

Ok, I haven't heard the Bada player, so it's impossible for me to say how it sounds. However, as both are built and possibly designed by the same folks, I wouldn't be surprised if they sound very close.

Their Level 1 mods aren't doing much and they don't really say much about what they do for the Level 2/3. I wonder why?

I thought they looked like Solen's. I'd probably leave those alone. However, those electrolytic caps could be replaced with Black Gates.

Early B.

F1nut wrote:

Their Level 1 mods aren't doing much and they don't really say much about what they do for the Level 2/3. I wonder why?

Yeah, you're right. The biggest change is the tubes. Some of that other stuff is really not very valuable. Another reason to become an informed consumer, otherwise you'll be paying a lot of money for stuff that won't make much difference.

F1nut

At least the Parts Connexion folks give you a more detailed list, but their Level 1 mod costs more, closer to Hot Rods Level 2 price.

Other than swapping out those caps I mentioned above and the output caps Russ mentioned, I think you'd find a big improvement in upgrading the clock. There's a number of coupling caps that could be upgraded, but without a schematic, I'm shooting in the dark.

Early B.

One more question --

There are three Gen I 3.0uf Sonicaps to choose from:

3.0µF / 200VDC
0.75 x 1.30
$8.60

3.0µF / 400VDC
1.23 x 1.30
$14.55

3.0µF / 600VDC
1.20 x 1.80
$17.95

As you can see, there are big differences in size and price. The two 3.0uf caps currently in my CDP are labeled 250v. Which 3.0uf Sonicap should I buy and why? Will a 200v Sonicap work here? Will a 600v cap perform any better than a 400v? Are there sonic differences between the two?

Thanks.

F1nut

Are they 3.0uF or .33uF?

Early B.

F1nut wrote:

Are they 3.0uF or .33uF?

Corrected. Thanks.

Ricardo

I'd go with the 400V...but have no scientific reasons behind it; if in doubt, pick the middle

F1nut

"They are Solen caps -- two of 'em @ .33uf 630v."
"The two 3.0uf caps currently in my CDP are labeled 250v."

Use .33uF 600V for the first set and 3.0uF 400V for the second.

Early B.

I decided to do the Sonicaps and Dynamat, but not the clock at this time. The clock and power supply I want costs more than I paid for my CDP!!!

I'll report back when everything's installed...

Early B.

Installed copious amounts of Dynamat Extreme today. Didin't notice any difference in sound.

phipiper10

Thanks for saving me the effort, was next on my list of tweak considerations.

Instead I got signal cable digital refernce powercable and vibrapods en route.

Ricardo

phipiper10 wrote:

Thanks for saving me the effort, was next on my list of tweak considerations.

Instead I got signal cable digital refernce powercable and vibrapods en route.

I have the digital reference cable in my Bada; I think the light is bluer now

phipiper10

Awesome, blue is my favorite color..and I bet it looks cooler than the stock cord too, so another tweak/upgrade well worth it.

Early B.

phipiper10 wrote:

Instead I got signal cable digital refernce powercable and vibrapods en route.

In my experience, the PS Audio cords are a better choice for about the same price.

Hadn't tried vibrapods on the Bada. I actually prefer the stock feet because they have built-in vibration isolation. Let us know how they work.

phipiper10

The pods will be for my amp...I'm leaving the feet as is on the cdp, at least that's the initial plan. The cdp feet almost look like the vibrapod cones they have now.

F1nut

Early B. wrote:

Installed copious amounts of Dynamat Extreme today. Didin't notice any difference in sound.

I can't say I've ever noticed a different either, but I will continue to use Dynamat on any piece of gear that rolls thru here.

Early B.

Sonicaps arrived today. Oh my goodness!! They're huge!!!

I assumed they'd be a little larger, but the 3uf ones are about four times as large as the existing caps.