Review: The Sid Sound Improvement Disc 14 Tweak


Category: Accessories

The Sid Sound Improvement Disc $39
12/20/2008
Website: www.highend-electronics.com

The SID (Sound Improvement Disc) improves the sound of CD, SACD, DVD–A & DVD sound & picture. The Sound Improvement Disc is an accessory that is placed on top of the CD, results in a better separation of instruments and a much clearer reproduction of the voice.

The SID is the easiest and the least expensive way to upgrade your HI-FI system. The best way to hear the difference that the SID makes to the sound is to play a piece of well-known music for a maximum of 30 seconds without the SID, and then the same piece with the SID in place.

Well that’s just what I did and wow! It cleaned up each CD I played. All it took for me was about 10 seconds to hear it. From top to bottom the music improved. The first thing I heard was the dynamics; with out the SID in place the music was dragging and sounded slow. The BASS is so mush tighter and faster. The MIDRANGE was smoother and life-like. The TOP-END was much more cleaner and had more detail. Back and forth I went with the little green SID and again it improved my audio CD’s. Not bad for the price and easy to use.

The only comparison I did was with the Herbie’s Audio black-hole. The black-hole was warmer but not as clean as the SID. Also the SID can be used over and over on each CD/DVD where as the black-hole is a one time sick on damper. The main thing is this tweak works and will last a long time. “Just trust your ears.”

Pros: The SID does what it was design to do and does it well.

Cons: None.


Bill Glenn
www.thecablenut.net
[email protected]


Associated gear
B&K 505. Krell kav-250. Classe cp-35. Ming-Da MC-7. Ref-Mod Oppo 981. Chang 3200 PLC. B.G. 420’s Bolender Ribbons. B&W-804. SPK-Cables Analysis Plus Oval 9 and Anti-IC’s Background: Electronic Tech.


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Herbie’s Audio black-hole
bglenn
I just listened to it yesterday. I didn't hear the significant differences you did but I figure, what can it hurt to use it?
Just tried this $39 mat for CD, SACD, DVD, Blu-Ray players and WOW!! It works. I tried it on my regular CD player which is a classic Sony ES model (XA20ES with modified power supply with new Japanese-made capacitors and Wolfson DAC chips) and played Miles Davis "Sorcerer" and the original "Steps Ahead" CD. It's like someone lifted a very sheer curtain. Playback is on a pair of KEF Q500 speakers with a Polk PSW10 subwoofer (85Hz hi-cut). The KEFs have about 100 hours break in so they are where they need to be for accuracy. The cymbals sound crisp but not in your face, but its Wayne Shorter's tenor that kicks ass. On the Steps Ahead disc, the vibes and Michael Brecker's tenor sound like they are in the room with you, literally.

I tried the mat on a Sony 7200 Blu-Ray player that handles my DVD-Audio and SACD discs. Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" and Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", both SACD discs, take you to another dimension entirely. Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue" is amazingly sweet sounding with Dylan singing from across the room. Seriously. Maiden Voyage, which is the Rudy van Gelder 24-bit remix is extraordinary. Especially the ensemble playing. At the head of "Maiden Voyage". To say it sounds full is an understatement. The RVG versions tend to sound s little "tight" in the midrange. Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder" and Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" tend to sound "dry" in the upper mids, this mat removes the veil and open up the disc's sound so the subtleties have more presence.

$39 bucks!!
+1 on Herbie's CD mat but OPPO owners Beware! I originally bought it for my OPPO 95 but it frequently caused  TOC read errors on some discs and eventually came loose inside the loader, requiring factory service to clear.  I put it in a drawer for a few years after getting it back with the machine and started using it again when I got a Sony SACD-1 top-loader.  This player cost $5k new and the previous owner had a boat load of upgrades done to it, but Herbie's li'l $39 mat  makes it even better.