For less than $700, your Solid-1 will outperform the $2,700 Aragon 8008BB amplifier!

Designed in 1990, the Solid-1 was intended for people who wanted to own Counterpoint equipment, but didn't feel comfortable with tube gear. The Solid-1A (and E), which had more advanced circuitry, replaced the Solid-1 a year or so later. And for home theater center-channel use, the monobloc Solid-1M as added shortly after that. THX versions of the 1A (and 1E) and M amplifiers were also made available. They proved to be solid, dependable performers, and sold fairly well.

These amplifiers sounded, well, okay, in my estimation, but never really excited me. My skill and experience was with tube equipment, and my taste in sound quality favors tube gear. So I never could work up much enthusiasm for them.

Since I started offering upgrades for my tube Counterpoint designs in 1997, owners of Solid equipment have asked me to do upgrades for their units. At first I declined the offers, wanting to develop a full range of upgrades for the tube gear. However, I did try various ideas out on units that were in my shop for repair, and did do some minor upgrades at the behest of their owners. After doing this "background tweaking," I realized that the Solid amplifiers ware capable of truly brilliant performance.

In March 2000, I agreed to do my first Solid upgrade -- a Solid-1, pictured at the top of this page. Belonging to Mr B. Majeska, it was manufactured around 1991 and is an original, basic Solid-1. Prior to upgrade it sounded like a Solid-1: a bit edgy, a bit flat, a bit transistory. After receiving the Basic upgrade (below) it was transformed into a different class of amplifier altogether. This "typical-sounding transistor amplifier" is now a rich, detailed and very listenable amplifier without any discernable transistor colorations. I was impressed! Not only was the sound extremely musical and involoving, but the upgraded Solid-1 not only sounds every bit as good as the well-regarded Aragon 8008BB, in terms of bass quantity and quality, slam, pacing, tonal balance and imaging, the upgraded amp easily outperforms it in an area that I am very sensitive to: female vocals. The Aragon, like most all solid-state amplifiers, tends to brighten and harden female voices. I hate that. The same recordings, when listened to on the Solid-1, are warm where the Aragon is cool, liquid where the Aragon is hard, and inviting where the Aragon is off-putting. (These faults I am ascribing to the Aragon are not just something the Aragon does, they are something that transistor amps, including the original Solid amps, do as a general rule -- but hey, think about it: for less than $700, your Solid-1 can outperform a $2,700 amplifier!)

As with all upgrades, please allow two weeks for me to receive parts, and two weeks for the actual work, including listening tests.

Is your amplifier worth it? You bet. In your Solid-1, you have the basis of a powerful, dynamic and sonically exciting amplifier. You'd have to spend three or four times the upgrade money to purchase a new amplifier that would outperforman upgraded Solid amp. This rebuild comes with a 3-year warranty.

In North America, I am performing the rebuild through Alta Vista Audio, my wholly-owned custom audio shop.

The Upgrades:

Basic Rebuild
Option: Improved Input RCA Connectors
Option: Upgraded Speaker Terminals
Option: Circuit Board Damping

Basic Rebuild

At first glance, the inside of the amplifier doesn't look much different. But this upgrade is a parts upgrade and circuit topology upgrade. Several transistors are eliminated from the design. The ubiquitous DC servo -- a surprising source of transistory coloration -- is eliminated and the unit's DC offset is hand-adjusted to less than 20mV. Other parts that seemed like a good idea but actually color the sound are eliminated. The amplifier works quite fine without them. Parts are upgraded extensively: all small-signal transistors are upgraded to Zetex transistors. The critical resistors are upgraded to Caddock Tetrinox and Mills noninductive 0.1% wirewounds; the metallic-sounding emitter resistors are upgraded to FirstOhm metal-plate resistors, and warm-sounding carbon-composition resistors are used on transistor inputs. The rectifiers are upgraded to FRED rectifiers, and the the main and low-voltage main storage capacitors are upgraded to Nichicon KG type caps.

Pricing for the Solid-1 "Basic" Rebuild: $789
This price applies to Solid-1A's and E's as well.
The Basic rebuild for Solid-1M's is $589
For Solid-2's, which share much of the same technology, the Basic rebuild is $1,159. (This higher cost is due to the considerably larger main filter caps that need to be upgraded in the Solid-2. Take the top cover off your Solid-2 and compare what you see to the pictures of Solid-1's on this page and you'll see what I mean.)
(Note: prices increased 3.14.2005 due to changeover to better-sounding
Naked Vishay resistors. See "resistors" for more information.)

Option 1. Improved Input RCA Connectors
The old RCA jacks are removed and oxygen-free direct-gold-over-copper RCA jacks from Sound Connections are installed in the chassis.

Pricing for Option 1. Add $50 to upgrade the input RCA jacks connectors.
(add $100 setup fee if not done with the "Basic" upgrade.)

Option 2. Improved Speaker Terminals
I replace the original speaker terminals with direct-gold-over-copper BP-HEX/OFC speaker terminals by Sound Connections. Some chassis modification required.

Pricing for Option 2. Add $175 to upgrade the speaker terminals.
(add $100 setup fee if not done with the "Basic" upgrade.)

Option 3. 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 if not done with the "Basic" upgrade.)

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

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Pricing Updated: 1 February 2001