Changes & Improvements to the Listening Room's Two Systems

Gentle reader,

As you no doubt know, I prowl the various thrift stores in our area looking for music (LPs & CDs) as well as other things that interest me. If you look to the right at the list of popular pages, those are some of my other passions.

Finally after many months of nothing but DVD players and DVD/VCR combos and other electronica that does nothing for me, did I on Wednesday, spy in the stacks at Salvation Army a gem in the form of a high-end Yamaha universal player: DVD-S2300MK2. Here is the official page: DVD-S2300MK2 - Audio & Visual - Product Archive - Yamaha United States 

According to the reviews I have read, it sold for $999 starting in December, 2003 and only for a couple of months as a new model was in the works. I think what makes it a "Mark 2" is the addition of SACD playback. 

 I will not go into a description of SACD, suffice it to say, it is a vast improvement over standard CDs. Another group invented DVD-Audio as competition for the SACDs, just as HD-DVD was for Blu-Ray and Betamax was for VHS. If you have NO idea what those last two are, you are a lot younger than I!

So, I tested it in the store with a CD, being Wednesday (25% off) I got the Yamaha for $7.50. Non-Wednesday price was $9.99 1/100th the price when new. 

I brought it home and hooked it up and test played a couple SACDs. Sound's awesome. Did I mention this thing is heavy? No? Well, it is. Not 30+ pounds like the SONY DVP-S9000ES was, but it's up there.

So, there it is, top right above the also awesome Nakamichi CD changer. The Yamaha sits where the equalizer with the Oppo universal player on top of it sat previously. I moved the former to the bottom right and it now sits atop the CD recorder that I also found at the same Salvation Army.

Above is a larger view of the two digital disc sources. Below is the wiring involved in connecting all these bits and pieces together. Not shown are the two pairs of interconnects that send signals to the Dynaco Stereo 200 power amplifier and the subwoofer.

So, you may be thinking what did I do with the Oppo? Well, as it plays everything the Yamaha does AND decodes/plays HDCDs which the SONY SACD changer also does not play, it has moved to the Six-channel system:

As you can see, the large Cerwin-Vega speakers are not in their usual places. Green masking tape marks where they go. I am still so impressed with those little speakers that I modernized/modified (the ones on stands) that I ordered ribbon tweeters for them too. 

Now, other changes as can be seen below include some nice Chinese-made speaker cables I found at another thrift store. I don't recall the brand, but they are thick and well made and factory terminated with banana plugs. 

This first photo shows them in place of the twisted pair units that my wife said look like umbilical cords. Plus, I did a much neater installation as shown above and below.

I also used them to replace the Monster cable to the front speakers of the six-channel system. Below is a detail shot showing them next to the Monster units I still use for the stereo system.

Above, the Dynaco Stereo 200. You are not likely to ever see another one! 

Some months ago, I was again fortunate to find a beast of a SONY home theater receiver at, you guessed it, a thrift store. I do not remember which one, but I got it very cheap. It is a STR-DE5ES.

It is difficult to photograph black components. They often end up looking grainy as you can see. The top receiver is the one that it replaced. It too is quite capable, but older and has less inputs and capabilities. Many of those go unused as it is for music only, no movies. The business ends below:

And finally, a top view to show the size difference. See that serial port above? The Yamaha has one too. Turns out, they are used for software installation and updating by the factory folks.

It's been a busy day and frankly, I'm tired and going into the den (AKA listening room) and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Thanks for looking,

Scott