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"the upgrade company" <component mods>

254K views 2K replies 100 participants last post by  Mike Lang 
#1 ·
I have a very modest system by AVS standards (but I have always gotten great and REALISTIC advice from this august body)


Sony ES CD

Music Hall DAC

Adcom GFP-565 Pre

Bryston 2B-lp amp

B&W cdm-1 speakers

Velodyne DD series sub

14 gauges home depot speaker wire and cheap bluejean interconnects


I would love to imrpove my systems overall performance when playing both CD's and lossless files from my computer (through USB on Music Hall tube DAC).


I stumbled upon "The Upgrade Company" and contacted them for a quote. The price to upgrade my CD,DAC, Pre and Amp, while high seemed quite reasonable compared to purchasing new.


Does anyone have any experience with "the Upgrade Company"? Is it worth the cost? Does it work or is it more audiophile black magic/snake oil? Given the expense I am only interested in clear and obvious audible improvements.


Thanks

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#27 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by RUR /forum/post/17611777


I suspect prospective customers would be wise to solicit input from arthurs, jrebman and ted_b via PM over at Audiocircle (ted_b also posts here), in order to understand some of the negative feedback for TUC. All three are long-term, respected members of that forum.

Doesn't Ted_b own Modwright gear and has for a long time? He seems to be on a lot of the Modwright forums.
 
#28 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17613581


K shep, they are great right out of the box but just like wire they take some time to season. Not sure exactly how many hours before you stop noticing improvements but anything after day one is just icing on the cake. Morrow Audio solid core wire does the same thing. I highly recommend this wire as well. You get a lot for your money but not to the same degree as an upgraded cdp.

Wires and burn in? At least I know better than to trust your review on any equipment now.


Thanks.
 
#29 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17614247


Doesn't Ted_b own Modwright gear and has for a long time? He seems to be on a lot of the Modwright forums.

Ted has a very eclectic system (actually systems) containing gear from a variety of manufacturers. If you're insinuating that Ted would create or embellish stories of a negative TUC experience as a result of some form of Modwright loyalty, I believe you're badly mistaken.


What about jrebman and arthurs? Is it a conspiracy? Look, all I'm suggesting is that folks interested in TUC should be made aware that there are both positive and negative opinions of the product and of the owner.

Caveat emptor.
 
#31 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by WilliamZX11 /forum/post/17614418


Wires and burn in? At least I know better than to trust your review on any equipment now.


Thanks.

LOL - got me on that one too. How the heck can you determine wire break in? I'd really like to know that one. Morrow audio actually charges a wire break in service. Can you believe that! Yes, buy some wire from him, and for an additional fee he'll break it in before he sends it to you. WTF? And you wonder why there are so many internet millionaires?


However, this is a science forum, and I'm willing to be a guinea pig. I'd love for someone (rno63 perhaps?) to send me some of this wire - one already broke in, one not. You can mark it, just don't tell me which one is broken in. I"ll listen to both and If I can hear a difference I'll buy the cables FOR YOU and send it back to you too, plus I'll put in an order in for my own cables. All it will cost you is shipping them to me (I'll pay the return shipping).
 
#32 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kpt_Krunch /forum/post/17616925


LOL - got me on that one too. How the heck can you determine wire break in? I'd really like to know that one. .

Resistance/impedance characteristics change within a system as the wire burns in. It is the same as your system warming up and sounding better after it has been off for a while. This all can be measured through scopes. Also, as wire burns in, the molecular structure changes within the wire until it has settled into a particular system. My load path is going to be different than yours due to resistance/impedance changes within the compnents. Signals travel the least resistant path and all frequencies travel on differnt parts of the wire. There is also noise and vibration that occur within the wire and the less you have of this the better. A good way to to get rid of a lot of this noise/vibration is dedicated lines to maybe a power regenerator or even an isolation transformer. Then it comes down to having the right balance of shielding and filtering. Sometimes you can have too much of both. This is one reason why power cords can have different effects on a system as well.

In a nut shell if you can't hear the differences between a brand new cable (power,ic, speaker) and one that has been in your system for a while then I don't know what to tell you except for the fact you are missing some information.


Cheers!
 
#33 ·
wow...
 
#35 ·
sure... i made a BIG batch after reading that, since i was thinking the same as you...


 
#37 ·

Quote:
Resistance/impedance characteristics change within a system as the wire burns in. It is the same as your system warming up and sounding better after it has been off for a while. This all can be measured through scopes.

Really, can you show us some measurements then?


As far as the rest of your post, did you just make that all up? Or can you provide us with some verifiable data?
 
#38 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17617729


Then it comes down to having the right balance of shielding and filtering. Sometimes you can have too much of both. This is one reason why power cords can have different effects on a system as well.

rno,


I performed a crude comparison with these Synergistic Research Tesla power cords, with my pre amp and power amp. Blind swap between the stock cords and the Teslas. I couldn't hear an audible difference.

Could you please give me an example of how a power cord made an audible difference in your system or a system that you witnessed?


 
#41 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by K Shep /forum/post/17623551


I will reiterate.

Sure, all frequencies were noticeably better between a stock power cord and the Lessloss DFPC. This is just one cord though but just about all after market cords I have used were much better than the stock cord except for the Magic Power cord from Signal Cable. Not much going on there for me. Improvements were better after running dedicated lines as well. The Oyaide R-1 outlet makes an improvement as well. These are noticed more on the highs with added sparkle and clarity. The tighter connections and polishing takes the dioding effect down to a minimum. Oyaide connectors are very nice.

I have also felt the power cord on the source makes the bigger improvement over the pre and amp as well.


Regards.
 
#42 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17623488


Well, hopefully you didn't buy those then!

No I didn't purchase either of them.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17623488


Maybe try some others.

No. I had the opportunity to borrow the cables for an in home, weekend audition and I am now convinced that after market power cables are not for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17623488


Is your system resolving enough to tell?

Oh? So that might be the reason why I am unable to hear an audible difference in $900 power cables, because my system in not resolving enough?


Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17623488


Do you have an Upgrade Company player?

No. My player is a stock Arcam FMJ CD17. The majority of my listening is via AIFF through an Ayre DAC.
 
#43 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by K Shep /forum/post/17626287


Oh? So that might be the reason why I am unable to hear an audible difference in $900 power cables, because my system in not resolving enough?

yea, k, it's that crap system/room you have...



my goodness... that's an impressive pile of it in those 2 posts...
 
#45 ·
i'm holding my breath in anticipation of the next time we "meet"...
 
#47 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17623488


Well, hopefully you didn't buy those then! Maybe try some others. Is your system resolving enough to tell? Do you have an Upgrade Company player?

Heavens! That doesn't mean your system is resolving. It means that whomever designed your system was incompetent such that power cord changes resulted in audible differences! I would be profoundly disturbed going to a doctor's office and finding the equipment he uses is sensitive to PC swaps.
 
#50 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17626550


I rest my case. Non resolving! Full of stock computer parts and chokes. So yes you would have a tough time hearing the differnces in power cords. You saved yourself some money.


See you guys somewhere else!

Hey wait, where are you going rno? Where else can we see you? This is all very very interesting. I mean, $3000 for a speaker wire (1M) which would be squat because of my 'stock computer parts' and inferior power cable, not to mention a gawd awful wall outlet. But wait, what about the wire in the house leading up to that outlet, what if there's a fault in there.


Lets say I believe you, seriously. So I call my mortgage broker and ask her fo for a second mortage so I can spend about $6000 grand on speaker wire, $1000 on a 6 foot (is it that long) power cable, $1200 or so x what, 2, maybe three (for my DVD player, tube amp, and while I'm at it the amp/wires in my subwoofer), $3000 in interconnects ('cause I mean, after all, that could be the fault), oh, and say, $20,000 to pay an electrician to re-wire my house with whatever wire is required to to make sure I get the best signal to my equipment).


So lets say I do this, what's that running me, roughly, lets see....... $35,000 or so (give or take) and wait - still no difference
. Why, oh, of course, after spending all that money I forgot the end source, the wires in the crossover connecting to my woofers and tweeters in my speakers, why, that is just cheap computer stuff that is choking all that wonderful sound I should have after taking out another mortgage to upgrade everything else. Oh, I forgot, I would have to add, what, fifteen, twenty grand in lawyer fee's as when my wife finds out I will be served with Divorce papers (or loonie bin papers, or both) and, well, I suppose you do see where I'm going with this, right?


Though to be honest, if I even spend 10% of all this on all these upgrades, I guarantee you and everyone else here that I will hear a difference, I will 'will' myself to hear a difference, even if it's ever so slight, so I can justify all this money spent to get that extra, what is it anyway, 5% better, 10%.....1%.


No really, stay, I want to hear more, literally.
 
#51 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17584971


Also, the more revealing your system is the more you realize what you have. Go to his website and read the testimonials.

Trust a testimonial from a website?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17611744


What do you know, another happy customer and the unit is probably not even broken in yet. Blast away guys.

Break-in?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17613581


they are great right out of the box but just like wire they take some time to season. Not sure exactly how many hours before you stop noticing improvements but anything after day one is just icing on the cake.

Season, thats a new one for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17617729


Resistance/impedance characteristics change within a system as the wire burns in. This all can be measured through scopes. Also, as wire burns in, the molecular structure changes within the wire until it has settled into a particular system.

Burn-in?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17624208


The tighter connections and polishing takes the dioding effect down to a minimum.

What?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rno63 /forum/post/17626550


Full of stock computer parts and chokes. So yes you would have a tough time hearing the differnces in power cords.

Stock computer parts?


rno,


I really hate to see you run off, I have so many more questions. No I don't...good by.
 
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