The auction is for the modification only and does not include the Sony SCD-1 or Sony SCD-777ES SACD player which must be purchased separately.

The flagship Sony SCD-1 SACD player was probably the best digital bargain of the early part of the decade and was launched alongside the Sony SCD-777ES to stir interest in the SACD market amongst high-end consumer products. The auction is for the modification only and does not include the Sony SCD-1 or Sony SCD-777ES SACD player which must be purchased separately.

It was the year 2000 when we first embarked at Audiocom to upgrade the Sony SCD-1 & SCD-777ES SACD players. In 2007 the upgrades for these mighty players get a complete makeover and the level of performance we can now achieve from CD & SACD goes way beyond that of any previous upgrade.

Where the Sony SCD-1 scored highly with SACD it was always under par with its CD playback. CD only players at a similar price point leapt ahead on sonics leaving users to turn to off-board D/A converters to improve the CD quality. Considering the SCD-1’s already fine performance the upgrades we install markedly improve the quality of SACD sound, bringer it much closer to the ‘analogue’ quality it is capable of

Unearthing SCD-1 Sound

Where the SCD-1 primarily falls down on performance is its master clock system and regulated power supplies. In the 1999 Stereophile review measured jitter was a reported 146.8ps peak-peak. While this was quoted amongst the lowest measured by stereophile it can be substantially improved upon by upgrading the OEM clock and adding a dedicated clock power supply. This ensures that not only the data related jitter is reduced by the extremely low phase noise clock but power supply jitter is dramatically reduced. To achieve this we replace the OEM clock with the new Superclock 4 ultra-low jitter master clock and dedicated power supply.

The SCD-1’s DC regulated power supplies are supplied by 78xx & 79xx generic regulators. The output noise of the 7805 is typically 40µV, with a ripple rejection (AC noise) of 80db at low frequencies which worsens considerably as frequency increases. This noise riding on the DC rails arrives at the power input pins of every digital & analogue processing stage; noise on the input of the DAC = noise/errors on the output.

Audiocom offer 5 levels of upgrade for the Sony SCD-1 & Sony SCD-777ES, here we will cover only level-2 for pratical reasons. In the level-2 upgrade we the generic +5V analogue regulation with ultra-low noise, wide bandwidth discrete regulator boards. These regulators feature (1) very wide bandwidth (2) ultra-low noise (3) high PSRR. The new regulators design means noise is rejected at the input so the circuit being powered is "isolated" from input noise. Compared to the best standard regulator which at best offers 80db rejection, the new regulators provide a PSRR of 130db across a wide bandwidth.

Passive component quality in the SCD-1/777ES is very good, Elna Silmic capacitors, Riken resistors, are used throughout the audio board with a mix of good quality op-amps in the analogue output stage. As part of the level-2 upgrade we replace key components on the audio to wring the last ounce of performance, selecting specific parts and optimising values for the circuitry. These high grade parts include Black Gate NX capacitors for locally de-coupling the digital filter, S-TACT (A Synchronous Time Accuracy Controller) and Current Pulse DAC’s, Sanyo OS-CON SP regulator bypass capacitors, digital de-coupling capacitors. The OPA2604 op-amps Sony selected for the current-to-voltage conversion is replaced with the LM4562 from National Semiconductor. The blend of these new components lowers distortion, noise floor and improves the audio signal. The auction is for the modification only and does not include the Sony SCD-1 or Sony SCD-777ES SACD player which must be purchased separately.

1.      1x Superclock 4 ultra-low noise clock PSU.

2.   2x Super-regulator 3 for +7V DAC power supplies.

3.      2x Super-regulator 3 for -7V DAC power supplies.

4.      2x Sanyo OS-CON SP for DAC reference.

5.      1x Sanyo OS-CON SP for +5V digital bypass.

The Level-2 modification for the Sony SCD-1 or SCD-777ES SACD player is available at £625.00 inclusive of labour & VAT (excludes carriage). To purchase the Level 1 upgrade please contact us.

Once you have purchased the level-2 modification please contact us to schedule and book your SACD player for the installation. We can offer reasonable rates for insured courier collection & return to mainland UK from your home or workplace (excludes weekends).

The modification work is completed with 4-5 working days from receipt of the CD player. The Level-2 modification is covered by a 2 year parts & labour guarantee, this guarantee excludes any OEM parts such as laser.