Wyred 4 Sound - SonoS modded

[jwhite613]

bbear, Welcome to AA!!!

[joeinid]

Originally Posted by jdandy

bbear.......Welcome to Audio Aficionado.

+1

[bbear]

thanks everyone for their warm welcome, I subscribe to many different, diverse forums and have never experienced such a welcome.

Anyway, whilst not wanting to wear out my welcome, but could someone please confirm that I understand correctly what I can expect from the Wyred 4 Sound modded Sonos ..

1. Upsampled I2S clock circuit removes the majority of the clock jitter, resulting in a much better sound (removes the harshness, etc)
2. The ultimate source of my music has to remain as 16/24 FLAC (if I want to go lossless). i.e. it cannot handle 24/96 FLAC
3. As a result of 1. and 2. above, the most that I can expect from the modded Sonos is a near perfect reproduction of the original ripped CD? (i.e. I cannot expect to get SACD or HD audio quality)

What led to my confusion is the post by W9TR:

"Besides 24/96 and very low jitter, the W4S mod transformer-isolates the digital coax output of the zone player. This keeps all the digital, Wi-Fi, and power supply noise from the zone player out of your system. "

This is why I assumed it could handle 24/96 FLAC.

The following comment does however make me think the modded Sonos may be suitable for my needs..

"I hear zero difference spinning the discs in the MCD500 vs. using Sonos"

If a faithful reproduction of CD is my aim then it sounds like the modded Sonos is ideal. However, if I am likely to be buying HD audio then perhaps the modded Sonos is not the right piece of equipment to invest in.

I am not sure how practical it is to buy downloadable HD audio as I am in Canada. I have heard that it can be difficult to buy from the web sites which offer such material.

[geodr]

Hi there, another new member just finally getting into digital audio and media servers, and very happy to find his forum.

A first question - if my only source material is standard CDs (to be rippeed to lossless) and other FLAC and mp3 files, and no hi-resolution sources, would I get any audible benefit benefit from upgrading a Sonos box, or is it just fine "stock"? (Will be playing though a consumer NAD system with older speakers begging to be upgraded.)

[Masterlu]

geodr... Welcome!

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by geodr

Hi there, another new member just finally getting into digital audio and media servers, and very happy to find his forum.

A first question - if my only source material is standard CDs (to be rippeed to lossless) and other FLAC and mp3 files, and no hi-resolution sources, would I get any audible benefit benefit from upgrading a Sonos box, or is it just fine "stock"? (Will be playing though a consumer NAD system with older speakers begging to be upgraded.)

Yes, you will get an audible benefit with the 96kHz mod.

[kfr01]

Originally Posted by geodr

Hi there, another new member just finally getting into digital audio and media servers, and very happy to find his forum.

A first question - if my only source material is standard CDs (to be rippeed to lossless) and other FLAC and mp3 files, and no hi-resolution sources, would I get any audible benefit benefit from upgrading a Sonos box, or is it just fine "stock"? (Will be playing though a consumer NAD system with older speakers begging to be upgraded.)

Welcome!

A question first: The W4S mod is all about improving the digital output for use with an exterior DAC. Will you be using it with an exterior DAC?

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by kfr01

Welcome!

A question first: The W4S mod is all about improving the digital output for use with an exterior DAC. Will you be using it with an exterior DAC?

Thanks Karl, somehow I missed that...

[geodr]

Thanks for the welcome guys. Say hi to Cape Cod, Masterlu - been going to Dennisport for 40+ years!

Anyway, wasn't planning on a DAC quite yet. Would just plug the ZonePlayer 90 directly into a NAD C 162 preamp, (w/ a NAD C272 power amp). My 30-yr old Boston Acoustics speakers probably deserve upgrade before spending money on a DAC and the Sonos upgrades, right?

I am by no means on an audiophile budget, but trying to get better sound and functionality than my present system offers.

[kfr01]

Geodr:

The W4S Sonos mod will really only make sense if you decide to run an external DAC.

I agree that your speakers should be first priority. I wouldn't even think about mods or electronics upgrades until your speakers are upgraded. A speaker's unique characteristics ("distortion" relative to the original signal) are orders of magnitude greater than any electronic component's character. Moreover, the mechanical parts of a speaker change (i.e., degrade relative design specifications) over time.

What are you thinking for your speaker upgrade?

Cheers,

Karl