Procedure needed to mod Onix xcd-99 opamps

[cedman1]

There was a thread somewhere on AV123 that had the procedure along with pics and items needed to mod the opamps on the xcd-99 CDP. Does anyone have experience with that modification?

I'm looking to do this mod in the near future and was hoping to get help/pointers to make sure I'm purchasing the correct parts and etc.

[bunnyma357]

Tis is the best thread I could find:

http://forums.av123.com/showthread.php?t=35707

deals with installing discrete Bursons, but the procedure would be the same for IC opamps. It looks like the XCD has sockets, so it should be an easy plug and play swap, unless you decide to solder like he did with the Bursons he put in. I put Audio-GD discrete op-amps in my DAC and they were an easy swap - although they may be illegal knock-off's of the Bursons - I never could figure out for sure if they were copies or the OEM supplier.


Jim C

[cedman1]

Thanks for the link!

[Sparky14]

I did the OPA-627 replacement on Brown Dog adapters....took me a whole 15 minutes and this was the first time I've opened up a CD player.

I did it on my Music Hall A25.2 amp as well.

There used to be a thread on HeadFi I think.

http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/ryan3050.pdf

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f6/help-music-hall-cd25-2-mods-pics-included-323695/

[soloz2]

the xcd-99 is not the same as the MH CD25.2, it is the same as the older version, the CD25.

I have a fully modded MH CD25, it's sitting in a box right now, but I've got some pics from when I swapped the 627's for some Burson Discrete Op-amps that might help you out.

[cedman1]

So what do you think of the Burson upgrade? I spoke with the gentleman at parts connection and he mentioned that while the opa627 was a nice upgrade that the Burson was the tops for the op-amp upgrade.

I started of wanting the ps-audio DLIII but I'm leaning towards just doing the op-amps and upgrading other parts of my system as well.

Thanks for the pictures of the install as well,

[soloz2]

the Burson op-amps really do step it up a notch.

I'll say this though:
the $500 Oppo BDP-83 is almost as good as my fully modded MH CD25. There may be a greater difference noticable on a higher end system, but my ELT525T driven by my Marantz SR7001, I could tell a difference but the two friends I had over both agreed that the difference was so subtle that they would be happy with the Oppo at less than half the price.
Also, my Marantz SA8001 is a bit better as well, a little harder to compare as the sound signatures aren't quite as close.