Hard Drive based system

Ecruz: Do you know if Paul added a digital input? Anytime I have inquired about adding digital input to a CD player it has always been met with a fairly high degree of skepticism. Thoug if anyone could do it i'm sure TRL could. I will be curious to hear what you make if this unit after you get it and break it in.

I just talked with him last night. He said he had never thought about it, but they would check it out and if they could put one in, they would. I may not know until I get it back.

All high-end CD players should include digital inputs these days. I know they don't, but they should, because many of us want to add hard drives as a source.

APL HI-Fi has a digital in for their mods. I am going to have Alex add one to my APL player. Then I can take the digital out from the Squeezebox instead of having to use its DACs and analog outputs.

Joemt,

You ask a good question. Since TRL does not provide any details of their mods it might be difficult for me to get any more information. However, when I got the original modified unit Paul Weitzel told me I'd be much happier with it as a transport.

Now, the latest mods for the Alesis focus on making it a much better CD dupplication/recording tool. TRL uses the Alesis for their 2-track masters on their recording labels. They are on a mission to make the Alesis the best CD duplicator and recording unit. I'll be sending mine in for the new upgrade. If you are using a stock Alesis you may want to consider the full TRL upgrade package at $550 which includes the new mods that I will be getting. It will take the Alesis to a new level and make it an excellent CDP as well (which like me, you may or may not need, since you’re using a DAC, but the option is nice for me as my DAC is non-os and the Alesis CD will give me upsampling options).

I realize the Alesis does not have the flexibility of the Squeezebox, but I'm not yet convinced that the Squeezebox device is the answer to hard drive digital playback. I think we are at the tip of the iceberg right now with this type of technology and better options are on their way.

There has been alot of talk in the past on
"Gearslutz" about Masterlink Mods.

One link had this info about the mods being done:

Mine was the first ML Jim mod'd. It was a definite improvement over the stock unit. Specifically, here's what gets done:

- install National LM6172 dual opamps at 3000/us slew rate.

- install larger Rubycon Z series electrolytic caps to extend the low end (and did it ever!!)

- install .01 uf wima poly caps on the input, MIT's on the output.

- increased the power supply bypass caps and installed .1 uf mono ceramic bypasses.

- Bandwidth limiting caps were used on certain stages.

- The opamps used as followers were cut and changed to closed loop buffers.

The converters themselves don't get changed as they're apparently surface mounted to the board and Jim didn't want to risk lifted traces and such. However, the changes he did make do indeed improve the overall sound of the unit - low end is extended noticeably and there's just more overall detail that I can hear.

Joe T.