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- SA-3000 Upgrades
"Occasionally,
I sit down in front of my system to marvel at its detail retrieval,
sound staging, imaging, and depth. The SA-3000 is now at least the equal
and usually superior to other preamps that I have heard. For me the
test is musical enjoyment when simply in the room or the next room,
and in this respect the upgraded Counterpoint SA-3000 easily wins.
"So
for a few thousand dollars in upgrades spread out over several years,
I ended up with a preamp that produces music with unmatched transparency,
smoothness without loss of frequency extension. In short, a preamplifier
that is "musical" without suffering from the colorations that
that term seems to imply."
--
Joe Duray
(Excerpted from Joe's full review on the testimonials page)
- "Whoa!
What a difference. I've had my SA-3000 (Line Stage, Power Supply Level
II, Phono Stage upgrades) back in my system now for about a month and
I'm more impressed with it every time I sit down to listen. Everything
is right there in spades! The image, the detail, the harmonics, all
of it. I'm also very impressed with the way it sounds at low volume
levels . . . ."
--
Michael Grove
"You modified the line stage of an SA-3000 preamp and the results
were quite amazing. Together, the `line stage passives' and `purity' modifications,
along with the bypass of the solid stage buffer in the output, have resulted
in a grain-free, unrestrained sound."
--Tom
Schuman
"I've
been listening to my upgraded SA-3000A preamp as often as possible
over the past three weeks. I've found that trying to hear differences
among audio gear (except, perhaps, for loudspeakers) is usually difficult.
However, in this case the changes rendered were not subtle. I'm glad you
convinced me to go with the upgrades - I now have a "new" and
vastly superior preamp to what I thought was already a good unit and sound."
--
John Serocki
(Read
more about these mini-reviews on the testimonials page.)
I designed the SA-3000 in 1989 and I'm pleased to have an opportunity
to go back and develop some upgrades for this versatile little preamplifier.
Like all the Counterpoint designs, it used reasonably-good sounding components
for the price, but in my custom shop we can do a lot better.
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| Here is a completely-upgraded SA-3000. It has the Premium Line Stage upgrade, the Phono Stage upgrade, and the Level II Power Supply upgrade, as well as upgraded RCA jacks. The client does not use an MC cartridge so the entire internal MC JFET step-up circuit has been pulled from the phono stage. It sounds jaw-droppingly good. (SA-3000 courtesy Mark Ward.) |
The Upgrades:
Line
Stage Upgrade
Line
Stage Direct Out Mod
Power
Supply Level I Upgrade
Power
Supply Level II Upgrade
Phono
Stage Upgrade
Option: Transformer MC Inputs
Option: Upgraded Power Umbilical
Option:
Upgraded Volume and Balance Controls NOW with DACT and Remote Control options
Option:
Upgraded RCA Jacks
Option:
Circuit Board Damping
Option:
Upgrade Tubes
Line
Stage Upgrades -- This is the place to start -- all the signals go
through the line stage.
- LSP
Standard Upgrade. I replace the tube's grid bias, plate load,
and buildout resistors with Caddock Tetrinox film resistors and Mills
Non-inductive wirewound resistors, and I upgrade the input and output
coupling caps from the dry, colored-sounding IAR parts to liquid and
open-sounding TRT Dynamicaps. I eliminate
the field efect transistor from the line stage signal path. Quality
of local energy storage is improved considerably by removing the stock
WIMA polypropylene local power supply bypass caps and upgrading them
to Dynamicaps.
Price
for SA-3000 "LSP" Standard Upgrade: $630
-
LSP
Premium Upgrade. Just like the standard LSP upgrade, but using
Continental Capacitors' fine oil-filled
power supply bypass caps. This is a richer, more liquid-sounding version
of the upgrade.
-
Price
for SA-3000 "LSP Premium" Upgrade: $1200
-
Note: The Premium GOLD upgrade for the Line Stage has been discontinued
because the Premium upgrade, with its Dynamicaps, out-performs it.
-
-
SA-3000
"Direct Out" Mod. This is an additional mod you can
have done to the line section. I strongly recommend having
this mod done because unless you plan on driving 100-foot interconnects,
the solid-state output buffers can be disconnected. They color the
sound, adding a noticeable solid-state graininess and hard edge. I
install larger output coupling capacitors, to allow the tube to directly
drive your power amplifier.
Price
for SA-3000 "Direct Out" Upgrade: Add $110
SA-3000 Power
Supply Upgrades. Every
bit of audio you run through the preamp will benefit from sweeter-sounding
power.
-
- I offer
two levels of upgrade for the SA-3000's power supply, for different
budgets and listening preferences.
- Power
Supply Level I Upgrade. The solid-state high voltage power supply
in the SA-3000 provides the power the tubes use to amplify the signal.
Though the stock circuit accomplishes the job of regulating the voltage,
it sounds substantially better when upgraded. This upgrade is similar
to the Line Stage Passives upgrade, the Level I Upgrade improves the
many of the power supply's resistors and capacitors, upgrades several
solid-state parts with high-gain Zetex transistors, and -- most importantly
-- replaces several key electrolytic capacitors with Continental,
Nichicon MUSE and Dynamicaps capacitors. A very audible
improvement in richness and clarity with a greatly reduced transistor
edginess.
-
Price
for SA-3000 Power Supply Level I Upgrade: $800
Add $110 setup fee
to this price if not done with an "LSP" upgrade.)
- Power
Supply Level II Upgrade. It's like the Level I Upgrade but with
better components,and with more components upgraded. You don't need
to buy a Level I if you opt for this upgrade. This upgrade goes much
deeper, with more components upgraded, and more expensive components
used in upgrading, like replacing the main storage electrolytic with
a Continental Capacitor Type A part,
for a quieter background and silkier highs and modify the rectifier
tube socket to take the better-sounding 6BW4
type rectifiers. Additionally, the voltage reference is changed
from a string of solid-state diodes to a single, neutral-sounding resistor.
The net result of all these improvements is an amazingly luscious, detailed
sound with deeper bass.
-
Price
for SA-3000 Power Supply Level II Upgrade: $1200
Add $100 setup fee
to this price if not done with an "LSP" upgrade.)
SA-3000
Phono Stage Upgrades.
SA-3000
"PSR" (Phono Stage Rebuild). What's good for the line stage
is superb for the phono stage, where the using high-quality components
really shines, especially in the first stage and riaa de-emphasis network
where high-frequency energy levels are extremely high. Upgrading the phono
stage is more costly than upgrading the line stage because it is over
twice as complex, but the increase is sound purity, imaging precision,
air and musicality, is readily apparent. During the process, I remove
a lot of solid-state parts from the signal path, including two solid-state
buffers per channel, and one JFET per channel -- these are no longer the
'80's, and no one cares that these parts resulted in better measurement
specifications, the bottom line is that the phono section simply sounds
better, more musical, tubelike and liquid, when the parts are removed.
Price
for SA-3000 "PSR" Upgrade: $1000
(add $110 setup fee this price
if not done with an "LSP" upgrade)
Phono
Option : Transformer Step-up MC Input. Natural sound with
no transistor interface -- for the listener who wants the best possible
sound for MC cartridges.
The original
SA-3000 has both MM and MC inputs and uses a JFET (junction field-effect
transistor) for the MC step-up. JFETs, like all transistors, have their
own sonic signature. It's not bad, it's not real transistory, but it's
not as smooth and sweet as a tube.
It is possible to eliminate the JFET from the
MC signal path and use a transformer as an MC step-up device. We use transformers
designed expressly for this purpose by the Jensen Transformer
Company.*
(Click
here to read more about why
transformers are your best choice for MC step-up.)
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| Jensen step-up transformers
on the rear eliminate the original transistor step-up circuit, providing
liquid sound. (Picture is of SA-9 belonging to Michael Savuto, Analogue Associates -- a fine modifier of Acoustat servo
amplifiers). |
There
are two ways the SA-3000 can be modified to use MC stepup transformers:
1. For
The Fellow That Knows What He Wants: The original MC step-up JFET
is removed from the input stage and replaced with a pair of MC transformers.
The MM inputs remain available for MM use. Not only does the flexibility
of the preamp remain unchanged, there is an additional benefit even
when listening to MM cartridges! This is because even when in MM mode,
the SA-3000's MC JFET is connected from the tube cathode to ground. It's
biased fully "on" and "looks like" a pure resistance
to the phono tube, but as we know, using the very best-sounding resistors
is important in an audio product and that JFET in the tube's cathode circuit
is not a great-sounding resistor. By installing an MC transformer and
removing the MC JFET, both the MC and the MM inputs benefit.
2. For
The Man Who Is Afraid To Commit: If you know you will not be using
an MM cartridge, we can keep the existing MC input jacks and their associated
JFET step up circuitry. But we take the MM jacks and connect then to a
pair of MC transformers. Both sets of inputs become MC inputs, and both
are available for use (using the internal MC/MM switch to select between
them). One set provides gain via a JFET, and one via the new transformers.
However please note that unlike the option above, the original MC JFET
which is located between the input tube's cathode and ground in a classic
cascode circuit, is not removed. When the SA-3000 is in MC mode, the MC
cartridge signal comes to the JFET which provides low-noise signal gain,
driving the tube through its cathode. But even when we select the MM (new
tranformer-driven MC inputs) that JFET is still in the tube's cathode.
It is biased on so hard that it looks like a resistor so it should
not color the sound . . . but you can still hear the its subtle "JFET-y"
sound: a slight brightening, a slight grain and mist on the treble.
Price
for SA-3000 MC Transformer Inputs (either way):
$280
for the transformers, and $420 for installation.
(Add
$110 setup fee to this
price if not done with a Basic upgrade. We can accomodate nearly all MC
loading requirements when the upgrade is performed. Contact me for details.)
Click here
to find out which Jensen transformer is right for your MC cartridge.
* If you'd
like to provide your own MC step-up transformers, please contact us. We
need to check for fit and compatibility and if we can install the parts,
deduct $224 from the cost of this option.
Other Upgrades.
Upgraded Power Supply Umbilical Cord.
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| You know how a good interconnect sounds miles better than the $2 interconnects that came with your CD player? Or how high-end speaker cables trounce zip cord? Or how a good AC Mains cord can transform the sound of your system? The same applies to the cable that connects your preamp to its power supply. New in summer of 2007 I am offering upgraded power supply umbilicals that so completely outperform the original $20 umbilical in every way possible. It's not even a close race. |
Click here for more information and pricing for the Power Supply Umbilical upgrade.
Upgraded Volume and Balance Controls, including the DACT stepped attenuator.
-
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| TKD
makes excellent feeling and sounding volume and balance controls.
Once you've heard (and felt) the difference between a $7.00 volume
control and a $70.00 control you'll understand why people go to
such lengths to get cheap controls out of their signal path. (Shown in SA-1000) |
 |
The best-possible, best-sounding control: Danish Audio ConnecT's stepped control with optional remote control.. Click here for more information and pricing. |
For the "he-men" (and she-women) out
there, why not have the balance control bypassed altogether?
You know you don't use it, why run the signal through it?
-
-
Price
to Upgrade Volume Control to TKD: $115
Price to Upgrade Balance Control to TKD: $130
Price to Bypass Balance Control Altogether: No Charge
For pricing on the DACT volume control, click here.
(add$110 setup
fee if not done with an "LSP" upgrade)
-
- Better
RCA Jacks. The jacks on the SA-3000 can be upgraded to use jacks
with much better metallurgy. This can be done selectively: you might
wish to only do your CD and phono inputs, and the main outputs. I can
replace some or all of your jacks with direct-gold over copper CM1F-OFC
from Sound Connections.
-
Price
to Upgrade RCA Jacks: $70 for first stereo pair, $30 for each pair
thereafter.
(add $110 setup fee this
price if not done with an "LSP" upgrade)
Circuit
Board Damping
Circuit
boards are light and stiff -- they are resonant as heck, which causes
smearing of the sound. Your audio will be substantially improved when
we apply thick wool felt damping pads between the circuit boards and
the chassis to damp all resonances. This results in MUCH tighter imaging
and spatial resolution, MUCH greater retrieval of low-level details,
a surprising reduction in edginess, and a greater weight to the tone,
which makes everything sound fuller and more "real." Click here for pricing. (add
$100 setup fee this price if
not done with an "LSP" upgrade)
- Tubes.
Tube
Options. I can provide replacement tubes for this unit. Go to the
Replacement Tubes page and select the SA-5000
information to read about the required tubes, and what I suggest.
If I can
be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.
Payment
Terms and Policies
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