AUDIO ACCESSORIES

Including Audio Upgrades and Modifications by the Professionals



Surround Sound AC-3 /DTS Receiver/Processor Upgrades

If you have a high quality Dolby Prologic or THX receiver and wish you could add AC-3 or DTS rather than replacing it with what may be an inferior unit, then consider our upgrade. We add the THX/Dolby approved DB-25 input connector to your receiver, and integrate the 5.1 inputs into the existing volume control and switching. With an outboard AC-3 or DTS processor, you can choose between PROLOGIC , AC-3 or DTS using your own remote control. This upgrade is available on any model with separate R and L surround outputs.

The conventional right and left audio outputs from the Laser Disc player attach directly to your existing Receiver. You continue to have access to both Prologic and Stereo audio. The AC-3 RF output is attached to a stand-alone AC-3 processor.The digital output is attached to a stand alone DTS processor. Its six-channel output without volume control is attached to the new six-channel input we add to the Receiver. Using the remote control, you can switch between Prologic, AC-3 or DTS with the same volume control working on both.

This upgrade offers three benefits. First, it allows you to enjoy your choice of the best Prologic processing, and the best AC-3/DTS processing. Second, by using an outboard AC-3 processor, you can upgrade or add new discrete channel processors, such as DTS without replacing or upgrading your receiver. And finally, the system cost of conversion is substantially less than total replacement.
Alternatively, we can modify many Prologic units to have pre out/main in on all 6 channels(i.e. Kenwood 990D,Yamaha 3090,Onkyo 838 receivers ).This allows for an easy connection of DTS processors.
We can also add DTS decoding inside many AC3/Prologic units, so that everything is inside the one unit (e.g.Pioneer VSX-D3S.)

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AC-3/DTS Upgradeable Receivers

The following is a list of receivers that we are presently doing upgrades on. If your particular model is not on this list, call us to see if yours is upgradeable.

The way things are going, it may well be cheaper to buy something new.To check just drop us an email.


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DTS UPGRADE

DTS Ugrades to any Prologic or AC-3 RECEIVER - PROCESSOR - DAC

Trevor Lees Audio offers the MSB Technology upgrades that allow for the addition of DTS to virtually any high quality processor/preamp, some higher end Dolby Pro Logic receivers and integrated amps that use digital Pro Logic processors, any outboard Dolby Digital AC-3 processor and any Dolby Digital AC-3 receiver, or AC-3 tuner/preamp and almost all DACs. The upgrade is MSB's proprietary circuit board designed around the Motorola 56009 engine and is configurable for 2,4,5,or 6 channels of output, so our upgrade is usable in stereo only systems as well as most home theater surround sound systems. Basic pricing is between $999-$1300 Aust and is applicable to most systems. High performance options are available for separate component based systems. Some typical examples are given below.

  1. Add DTS to your existing dolby digital receiver such as a Pioneer VSX-D3S. Cost is $1200.00 Aust

  2. Add DTS to your dolby digital processor/preamp. Cost is $1200.00 Aust.
  3. Add a 5.1 DB25 input to your existing pro logic receiver/amplifier.Cost is $300-$600 Aust.Then you need to add an exyernal dolby digital/dts processor.


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LASER DISC UPGRADE TO AC-3

MSB offers AC-3 upgrades to any model Laser Disc player. We offer a much higher quality output than is found on the new consumer players. To access Dolby AC-3 5.1 channel audio a new output is installed. Modulated RF is carefully sensed without degrading the existing audio channels. The output is amplified to set the proper level and then buffered, with a high quality Burr Brown line driver. Muting circuits are also added to set the required DC offsets to meet the LDAP standards. A gold RCA connector with teflon insulation is installed on the back panel of the laser disc player and the upgrade board installed within the unit. High quality parts are used including all 1% Roderstein resistors and WIMA capacitors. The player itself receives no circuit changes, so the ability of the player to be repaired or upgraded should not be inhibited.

LIST PRICE: $399 Australian for any Model Laser Disc Player
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DOLBY DIGITAL INTERNAL RF DEMODULATOR TO LD PLAYER

Though most receiver based Dolby Digital processors are both demodulator and decoder equipped, many outboard and high-end products are not. With these products you only have a decoder, and need to use a separate demodulator. We can add an internal RF demodulator to your Laser Disc player, connecting its output to the existing digital outputs supplied on the back panel of most players.
With this upgrade, you can connect your player directly to the digital inputs of any processor for Dolby Digital, Dolby Prologic, or standard CD stereo playback.This eliminates the need for an individual AC-3 RF output. For non-AC-3 software, the digital output presents the standard digital data as you would expect. Analog outputs are unaffected by this upgrade.

LD Player Internal RF Demodulator: List Price $900 Aust.
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Warranty: Upgrades


All upgrades are warrantied for 1 year. Our upgrades will not interfere with the base unit operation, but each manufacturer may respond to warranty issues differently. We make no assurances as to how a manufacturer will respond to a warranty repair; we will warranty our outputs for 1 year.

Golden Tube Audio Amplifiers SE40 Upgrades


As early dealers for the amplifier model SE40, we have seen three versions to date. Revision 1 models lasted for just a few months, but based on the sound of that early model, we ordered many units. The sound was very natural from top to bottom and exhibited superb midrange, some of the best I have heard. Consequently, we placed forward orders for many units. Soon Revision 2 and then not too long after, Revision 3 (Rev3) arrived (still the current version). Neither Revisions 2 or 3 ever lived up to the sound of Revision 1.

Now we are going to get technical... From our investigations of the differences between the circuitry of all three versions, we have developed a kit to make both the Rev 2 and 3 amplifiers and the Rev 1 quite drastically improved in sound quality.

Golden Tube like to run the 6SN7s input tubes with over 7 volts dc heater supplies. We have found when testing units that this heater voltage is nonlinear compared to input ac volts from the mains, consequently with mains voltages above 230 volts, eg 240 volts, the heater voltage runs almost 8 volts affecting tube life and sound quality. The SE40 amps until recently have come with 0.82 ohm / 5 Watt dropping resistors in the heater circuit to the input tubes. This in most amps will need to be increased. Simply measure your dc heater voltage on the two 6SN7 input tubes. In Australia we normally increase the resistor to about 1.5 ohms. Latest factory units come with 1 ohm. Our kit consists of 4 new, computer grade power supply capacitors to replace ridiculously small 10uF/450V caps and 33uF//33uF = 16.5uF caps. 8 new coupling capacitors to replace WIMA (red) capacitors (we also change the value of the 0.22uF capacitors since they roll the amp off at far too low a frequency, when compared to the power supply size of the amp thus creating somewhat loose forward bass). We also supply 4 new resistors to increase the input impedance so that if you are running the amps in mono format, the input impedance will still be above 100k ohms (and not the 50k load as manufactured).

Customers report a huge improvement in top end extension.

Price for the kit: $US175 including airmail postage anywhere in the world.
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Updated August 1999