Raysonic CD-168

Raysonic CD-168

The following details the Level-1 modifications for the Raysonic CD-168 player [$1,150 + frt. retrofit; $3,190 + frt. preinstalled]:

  • One pair of premium machined Vampire direct gold plated over copper body Teflon insulated RCA female jacks replace the cheap stamped jack modules
  • 4 x Black Gate C-series output coupling capacitors & FK-grade PS caps
  • 6 x Riken Ohm ½ & one watt signal path 1% carbon comp. resistors with gold-plated leads

  • 2 x Audio Note 1% Tantalum Film (exotic) ½ watt signal path resistors
  • 8 x Cree 1A 600V high-voltage SiC Schottky rectifying diodes are installed in the power supply
  • We replace the stock I-V op amps with the world’s best (Burr-Brown OPA-627s in a special dual DIP module). 2 pieces are used along with two machined gold-plated DIP IC sockets.
  • 2 x 4.7uf Mundorf M-Cap metalized polypropylene coupling caps
  • 2 x 0.022uf with Rel-Cap TFT Teflon film and tin foil bypass coupling caps.
  • 4 x large EAR compliant Sorbothane feet
  • 1 x HiFi Tuning German-made “pure silver” 1A, slo-blo, 5x20mm fuse
  • 1 x sheet of Soundcoat chassis damping material is cut & applied to control chassis resonance
  • 4 x pieces of DH Labs 99.999% pure solid-core long-grained silver output signal wires with foamed Teflon tape wrap dielectric
  • WBT high silver content (4%) solder used throughout
  • 6 hours labor

To keep costs down, this modification is done to the RCA, single-ended side of the player only. We can do it balanced for an additional $400

Adding a DEXA clock will run an additional $480.00

The 12-month factory warranty is covered on all modified players if they are purchased new. Modified customer units will have a one year warranty on all mod work performed.

Sonic improvementsThe unit is quieter. Black are blacker, resolving more low-level detail for better ambiance retrieval. The tube stage is now smoother with a more liquid midrange and more inner detail while at the same time being more dynamic. Transparency is much improved and you can now look farther into the soundstage. Images are sized better and more defined. Stage width and depth are both improved. Bass slam and extension are dramatically improved, with fuller weight and authority. The tube output stage sounds more like solid-state in this area now.

Raysonic