Underwood HiFi high-performance modifications

In exclusive partnership with top-tier modification house Parts ConneXion, Underwood HiFi is proud to offer the following carefully tested performance enhancement packages for Raysonic's CD-138, CD-128 and CD-168. The Raysonic US 1-year factory warranty is included on all premodified new machines.

By virtue of selling consumer-direct, we can offer these super-charged, brand-new models for a better price than the same modifications would cost retro-fitted - though we offer that, too.

Features: • Full-featured true balanced push-pull top loading CD player • Real class-A triode output stage • Very compact output buffer • 2 x 6922EH Russian triodes • Ceramic tube sockets. • Warm up function-extends tube life time. • 1 x Cirrus CS4398. • Upsampling to 24bit/192kHz • Philips CD transport mechanism. • Suspension system to isolate the CD transport from vibration. • Mundorf MKP capacitors. • Solen-MKP capacitors. • Large noiseless C-core power transformer • Mirrored display glass • Display dimmer & mute function. • Metal remote control. • Background light display LED on/off • Crafted from high-grade 8mm aluminium-brushed and anodized chassis in black or silver. Click here for specifications. The modified players are more detailed with added transparency. Dynamics are greatly improved. They have a larger more 3D soundstage. Bass response is tighter with better extension. A slight grain in the stock machine is also removed. Call to discuss our Level-1 and Level-2 XLR mods.	The Raysonic CD-138 is our favorite stock CD player at near its $1.950 price. The stock player is a beautiful top loading 24/192 upsampling machine. It uses a Class A triode output stage. It has variable outputs and can run directly into a power amp. It offers both RCA and XLR outputs. We offer a mod for each type of output. The player uses a Philips VAM 1202 transport and has a nice metal remote. The CD-138 was one of Stereotimes' 10 Most Wanted Products of 2010. The review summed up with "it’s nice to know that great high-end equipment can still be had at reasonable prices. Sadly the music retail industry may dictate that many people will begin building music libraries via the internet, music server downloads etc. CD players may soon become more like - well, turntables. But if you’re still inclined to anchor your stereo system with a gorgeous looking and sounding CD player that won’t jeopardize the family’s nest egg, I can’t think of a player anywhere near this price I could recommend more than the Raysonic CD-138." - Read the entire review here. Our Level-1 and 2 mods are available for either the RCA or XLR signal paths since they are totally separate. The following upgrades constitute our Level-1 mode [$1.200 + freight retrofit, $2.690 pre-modified] • 2 x dual Burr-Brown OPA-627AU op amp modules using two single op amps mounted on a custom DIP adaptor • 4 x Mundorf M-Cap metalized polypropylene output coupling caps • 4 x Rel-cap TFT Teflon film & tin foil coupling cap bypasses • Two feet of DH LABS 23 gauge pure 99.99% pure silver solid-core hook-up wire with foamed teflon tape wrap dielectric • 8 x Cree Silicon Carbide high-voltage Schottky rectifying diodes • 8 x Nichicon KZ Muse PS electrolytic caps • 8 x Takman Japanese-made audio-grade metal film 1% signal-path resistors • 1 x sheet of Soundcoat for damping chassis resonance • 4 x large EAR compliant Sorbothane isolation feet • 1x pair of Vampire direct gold-over-copper Teflon dielectric machined RCA jacks • WBT 4% silver solder used throughout • 5 hours of Labor Level 2 [add $250] is as the above but replaces the Burr Brown opamps with 2 x 'dual' Burson Audio discrete opamp modules on custom circuit board assemblies terminated with DIP-spaced flying leads. There are over 68 discrete parts per module.
Sonic improvements The unit is quieter. Black are blacker, resolving more low-level detail for better ambiance retrieval. The tube stage is now smoother with a more liquid midrange and more inner detail while at the same time being more dynamic. Transparency is much improved and you can now look farther into the soundstage. Images are sized better and more defined. Stage width and depth are both improved. Bass slam and extension are dramatically improved, with fuller weight and authority. The tube output stage sounds more like solid-state in this area now.	The following details the Level-1 modifications for the Raysonic CD-168 player [$1,150 + frt. retrofit; $3,190 + frt. preinstalled]: One pair of premium machined Vampire direct gold plated over copper body Teflon insulated RCA female jacks replace the cheap stamped jack modules 4 x Black Gate C-series output coupling capacitors & FK-grade PS caps 6 x Riken Ohm ½ & one watt signal path 1% carbon comp. resistors with gold-plated leads 2 x Audio Note 1% Tantalum Film (exotic) ½ watt signal path resistors 8 x Cree 1A 600V high-voltage SiC Schottky rectifying diodes are installed in the power supply We replace the stock I-V op amps with the world’s best (Burr-Brown OPA-627s in a special dual DIP module). 2 pieces are used along with two machined gold-plated DIP IC sockets. 2 x 4.7uf Mundorf M-Cap metalized polypropylene coupling caps 2 x 0.022uf with Rel-Cap TFT Teflon film and tin foil bypass coupling caps. 4 x large EAR compliant Sorbothane feet 1 x HiFi Tuning German-made “pure silver” 1A, slo-blo, 5x20mm fuse 1 x sheet of Soundcoat chassis damping material is cut & applied to control chassis resonance 4 x pieces of DH Labs 99.999% pure solid-core long-grained silver output signal wires with foamed Teflon tape wrap dielectric WBT high silver content (4%) solder used throughout 6 hours labor To keep costs down, this modification is done to the RCA, single-ended side of the player only. We can do it balanced for an additional $400 Adding a DEXA clock will run an additional $480.00 The 12-month factory warranty is covered on all modified players if they are purchased new. Modified customer units will have a one year warranty on all mod work performed.
	We are glad to introduce our modifications for the Raysonic CD-128 tube CD player. The stock player is a superb value and one of the finest stock players that we are aware of for under $2,000. Please note that our modified CD-128 is clearly better than the stock CD-168. The CD-128 received a Blue Moon award at 6moons.com for Build, Design, Musicality & Value in the under $2,000 price range. We take this machine and make it dramatically better. Our Level-2+ mod makes it superb and as good as any stock player that we have heard under $5,000. Our modifications were designed by Chris Johnson, the founder and former president of Sonic Frontiers. Premodified machines carry the full Raysonic 1-year warranty. Retrofits are warrantied for 1 years for the mods only.

The following details our Level-1 modifications for the Raysonic CD-128's single-ended outputs [$1,190 + freight retrofit or $2,690 + freight preinstalled]:

We add one pair of premium machined Vampire direct gold plated over copper body Teflon insulated RCA female jacks on the output to replace the cheap stamped jack modules.
11 x BlackGate STD and FK grade PS caps, NX grade DAC PS Caps and N grade output coupling capacitors
2 x Riken Ohm ½ and one watt signal path 1% carbon comp. resistors with gold-plated leads
2 x Audio Note Tantalum film resistors
2 x Kiwame 2-watt carbon film resistors
8 x CREE 1A 600V high-voltage SiC Schottky rectifying diodes installed in the power supply
We replace the stock I-V op amps with world's best - Burr-Brown OPA-627 in a special dual DIP module – 2 pcs. total, one for the I-V and one for the output buffer
4 x 4.7uf Mundorf M-Cap metalized polypropylene coupling caps
4 x 0.01uf with Rel Cap TFT Teflon film and tin foil bypass coupling cap
4 x large EAR compliant Sorbothane feet
WBT high silver content (4%) solder used throughout
1 x sheet of SoundCoat chassis damping material cut & applied where applicable, to control chassis resonances
4 pieces of DH LABS 99.999% pure solid-core long-grained silver output signal wires, with foamed Teflon tape wrap dielectric
6 hours labor

The 12-month factory warranty is covered on all modified players if they are purchased new. Modified customer units will have a one year warranty on all work performed.

Sonic improvements
The unit is quieter. Black are blacker, resolving more low-level detail for better ambiance retrieval. The tube stage is now smoother with a more liquid midrange and more inner detail while at the same time being more dynamic. Transparency is much improved and you can now look farther into the soundstage. Images are sized better and more defined. Stage width and depth are both improved. Bass slam and extension are dramatically improved, with fuller weight and authority. The tube output stage sounds more like solid-state in this area.

The following details our Level-2 modifications for the Raysonic CD-128's single-ended and balanced outputs [$1,750 + freight retrofit or $3,295 + freight preinstalled]:
Level-2 includes all Level-1 mods above plus:

10 additional Riken Ohm ½ and one watt "signal path" 1% carbon comp. resistors (gold-plated leads) in the I-V section
2 additional Audio Note Tantalum fil resistors
2 additional Kiwame carbon film resistors
4 additional 4.7uf Mundorf M-Cap metalized polypropylene coupling caps
4 additional 0.01uf with Rel CapP TFT Teflon film and tin foil bypass coupling cap
2 matched pair New-Old-Stock Reflektor mil-sec ultra low noise 6H23p-eb (these are Super 6922s)
4 additional Burr Brown OPA-627s used in 2 additional modules. 2 duals for the I-V and 2 duals for output buffer
5x20mm 1A, slo-blo Pure Silver HiFi Tuning fuse (German made).
8 hours total labor (2 additional)

Improvements for the Level-2 are similar to the Level-1 but just at a higher level in single-ended mode. Highs have even more sparkle and extension. Bass goes lower with more authority. Transparency is further improved. Level-2 also adds all parts needed to use the unit in balanced mode. Balanced, it is quieter with more resolution and even greater dynamics than the RCA Level-2.

Options
Add a DEXA D Clock to dramatically lower jitter $480
The clock improves the midrange naturalness, adds better detail retrieval, makes soundstaging better and adds even more weight to the bass. The full Level-2 + clock is sold as a package for $3,690 + frt. It easily outperforms the Shanling T-200 that we received superb reviews on. That machine was compared to players selling for over $13,000.

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