SA-7,
    7.1
 
 
    

SA-7/7.1 Upgrades

There are a lot of upgrades possible with the SA-7 and 7.1. This preamp was the least expensive "pre-thousand-series" Counterpoint models, but that doesn't mean we can't get coax incredible sound out of it. After all, like the more expensive preamps, it has a chassis, some knobs and a power supply. All we need to do is upgrade some of the circuitry and components and it will outperform preamps costing five times as much.


 

 

Line Stage Upgrades

Line Stage-Only Mod

Power Supply Level I Upgrade

Power Supply Level II Upgrade

Upgraded Transformer

Phono Stage Upgrade

Option: Upgraded Volume and Balance Controls

Option: Upgraded RCA Jacks

Option: Upgrade Tubes
Option: Circuit Board Damping




Grant Davis' heavily-upgraded SA-7.1.





Line Stage Upgrades -- This is the place to start -- all the signals go through the line stage.

Standard Line Stage Upgrade. I replace the tube's grid bias, plate load, and buildout resistors with Caddock Tetrinox and Vishay "Naked" film resistors and Mills Non-inductive wirewound resistors, and I upgrade the output coupling caps to TRT Dynamicaps. If your unit was upgraded by Counterpoint to use the MOSFET buffer, I bypass it and re-bias the line stage tube to lower its output impedance so it can drive your power amplifier directly. If your preamp never received the MOSFET bufferis upgrade, I bypass the original, troublesome cathode-follower (it likes to whistle) and set up the tube to directly drive your power amp. Upgrading the resistors and capacitors gives the tube the kind of support circuitry it needs to speak with exceptional clarity and purity; bypassing the output buffer or cathode follower eliminates solid-state or CF colorations and gets you a more transparent triode sound. The whole effect is a richer, livelier more detailed sound with more precise focus and timbreal accuracy. Energy storage is increased by removing the small film power supply bypass caps and upgrading them to TRT Dynamicaps.

Price for SA-7/7.1 Line Stage Standard Upgrade: $550
(Note: price increased due to changeover to better-sounding
Naked Vishay resistors. See "resistors" for more information.)

Premium Line Stage Upgrade. Just like the standard Audio Stage upgrade, but with Continental Capacitors Type A power supply bypass caps. This is a richer, more liquid-sounding version of the line stage upgrade.




Price for SA-7/7.1 Line Stage Premium Upgrade: $980
(Note: price increased due to changeover to better-sounding
Naked Vishay resistors. See "resistors" for more information.)


SA-7/7.1 "Line Only" Mod. If you never use the phono stage, this inexpensive mod will give you better sound and a quieter background with your CD, DVD and other line sources by disconnecting the phono stage. Why? Because in the SA-7 and 7.1 the phono stage is always connected to the line stage, so its noise is always in the background, and it presents a difficult load for your line-output components to drive.



Price to Disconnect SA-7/7.1 Phono Stage: $55
(add $110 setup fee if not done with either the Standard or Premium line stage upgrades)

 


Phono Stage Upgrades -- For your vinyl collection.

 

 

Phono stage upgrades will clear up component colorations, allowing your to hear more of what's in the record's grooves.

 

SA-7/7.1 Phono Stage Standard Upgrade. 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.

 

Price for SA-7/7.1 Phono Stage Standard Upgrade: $800
(Note: price increased due to changeover to better-sounding
Naked Vishay resistors. See "resistors" for more information.)
(add $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades)



 

SA-7/7.1 Phono Stage Premium Upgrade. Just like the Standard Phono Stage upgrade, but with Continental Capacitors power supply bypass caps. This is a richer, more liquid-sounding version of the line stage upgrade.

 

Price for SA-7/7.1 Phono Stage Premium Upgrade: $1035
(Price to change to $1035 on May 1, 2008)
(Note: price increased due to changeover to better-sounding
Naked Vishay resistors. See "resistors" for more information.)
(add $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades)




 

Power Supply Upgrades -- The engine that runs the SA-7/7.1


The quality of the power provided by the high-voltage regulator in the SA-7/7.1 can be greatly improved. I offer two levels of upgrades, and yes -- they are audible. The music speaks with more naturalness and authority.

 

SA-7/7.1 Level I Power Supply Upgrade. The high voltage power supply in the SA-7/7.1 uses a few Zener diodes, a transistor and some $2.00 aluminum electrolytic to provide the power the tube uses to amplify the signal. It accomplishes the job of regulating the voltage, but sounds pretty "electronics" and artificial. In this upgrade, I make it sound substantially better, with more bass, transparent upper mids and treble and better imaging by rebuilding it with Continental capacitors in a critical location, and non-inductive Mills wirewound resistors.


Price for SA-7/7.1 Level I Power Supply Upgrade:
For Line Stage Only: $635
For Phono Stage and Line Stage: $735
Add $110 setup fee to this price if not done with an "LSP" upgrade.)

SA-7/7.1 Level II Power Supply Upgrade. You get everything in the Level I upgrade, but I use Continental Capacitors in all portions of the high-voltage supply and FRED diodes for a silent, clean background, free from switching noise and grunge.

Price for SA-7/7.1 Level II Power Supply Upgrade:
For Line Stage Only: $1075
For Phono Stage and Line Stage: $1175
(add $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades)

 

SA-7/7.1 "Power" mod. The power transformer in the SA-7/7.1 can be upgraded to an extremely nice toroid. Counterpoint built their own transformers, which made sense from a business perspective, but as a designer I always wished we could use Plitron toroidal transformers. I don't know how they do it, but Plitron toroids sound great. No one else comes close. All other transformers make the SA-7/7.1 sound sluggish and thick; a Plitron brings the sound to life: delicate and vibrant with a dead-quiet background. These transformers are custom-built to my specifications. Allow 10 weeks for these transformers to be built. Provided in a die-cast aluminum box. Price to Upgrade to Plitron Transformer: $350 (Price includes new box, required because the upgrade is too large to fit in the  SA-7/7.1 chassis or transformer box. Add $110 setup fee if not ordered with either the Standard or Premium line stage upgrades)

 




 

Better RCA Jacks. The jacks on the SA-7/7.1 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: $50/stereo pair.
(add $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades)

Upgraded Volume and Balance Controls. 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. For the "he-men" (and she-women) out there, why not have the balance control bypassed altogether? It degrades the signal; you know you don't use it -- why have it? Price to Upgrade Volume Control: $115 Price to Upgrade Balance Control: $130 Price to Bypass Balance Control Altogether: No Charge (add $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades)

 


Tube Options. Click here for information about the line stage tube, here for information about the phono stage tubes.

 

Circuit Board Damping Option. 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 $110 setup fee if not done with either of the line stage upgrades.)

 

If I can be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.

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