C1 Preamp mod - BillD or HiTech Audio version

[MikeC 12]

Hello all!  New member here. I have owned a C1 since 1985, had a full chassis refresh by Roland at HiTech Audio around 11 years ago. They do not offer the BillD mod by that name, or at least didn’t at the time, but did offer a version that was said to be similar or at least as good. Does anyone have any knowledge of a comparison of these two? I am using it with an Aragon 4004 MkII, which replaced my Carver M1.5t about 6 years ago.

[wrf 4,979]

Hard to say how it would compare.  The BillD mods are well published.  Roland seldom shares the details of his upgrades.

[AndrewJohn 10,502]

Welcome to TheCarverSite, @MikeC, so glad you found us.

 

This is the first I heard of Rolland's upgrades..., specifically.  Some whispers in the past, but he's pretty secretive.  

 

Could they be identical?  Hard to say.

 

Can you take the top off your Rolland C-1, and snap some high-resolution pictures from a few angles, and post them in the thread?  Not for sure that will be definitive, but there are some here with some very good eagle-eyes that might be able to tell what kind of mods were done by him - and state some level of comparison - at least to the degree visual inspection can identify.

 

Great question!  Want to see more...

 

Again, welcome to TheCarverSite!  ...it goes without saying - we LOVE pictures of Carver and other audio gear - and, well, "nudies" of that gear too - take the top off and snap a few to share! 😉 

 

[MikeC 12]

Thanks!  5 or 6 years ago, Roland said their mod was just shy of $1 k. I thought that sounded pretty steep, so just went with the chassis refresh, which I’ve been quite happy with. But now, I wonder if I made a mistake. Would you know if the BillD mod carries a similar price, say at nelion audio if they still do the work?

[wrf 4,979]

Neilon does do BillD upgrades and likely for considerably less than $1K.  You can contact them at https://nelionaudio.com or send greg a message directly using this site messaging capability using his screen name here @Nahash5150.

 

Here is a full description of the options and prices for the C-1 Peamp.  https://nelionaudio.com/index.php?/services.html/carver/carverpreamps/carver-c-1c-11-restore-and-bill-d-upgrades-r5/

 

[Half Life 657]

First and foremost, welcome to the site!  Glad to have you here!

 

I recently had Greg at Nelion refresh my M1.0t.  It is now a mkii opt002 and does sound fantastic!  I was so impressed with how well that it turned out, I sent my C-1 to get the BillD mod, Gundry filter and remote upgrade.  Others here, that have had those units modified absolutely swear by the difference.  I don't think you'd be disappointed with the outcome.  Nelion is super easy to work with.

[MikeC 12]

Thanks much! This is very helpful. I will contact them for more specifics.

[MikeC 12]

I’m intrigued by the many positive experiences for the C1 BillD. I will pursue it with Greg. I have Infinity RS-IIIb speakers with rebuilt crossovers and refoamed woofers. Hopefully resolving enough to hear the difference!

[AndrewJohn 10,502]

1 hour ago, MikeC said:

Thanks!  5 or 6 years ago, Roland said their mod was just shy of $1 k. I thought that sounded pretty steep, so just went with the chassis refresh, which I’ve been quite happy with. But now, I wonder if I made a mistake. Would you know if the BillD mod carries a similar price, say at nelion audio if they still do the work?

 

Ouch!, I've seen some receipts from Rolland for CD player and amplifier work..., that seemed high to me and also lacked transparency (clear itemization and description of the work done)..., the owners love the work - but couldn't say what was done..., Nelion is not that way - you will know what work he does.

 

As for pricing - check the website out as @wrf has suggested.

 

And, give Greg at Nelion a phone call - he's super nice to talk to, and has no secrets about his work - folks here and on the Facebook Carver Groups all speak highly of his work.

 

...now I'm really curious about what that Rolland "$1000 upgrade" is all about!?  😉

 

Glad you found us, and we look forward to your posts here.  We LOVE pictures.

[MikeC 12]

When I spoke to Rolland at the time,he just mentioned further sonic improvements over the basic refresh that included quieter opamps and superior volume control amongst other things. When I asked if this is like the BillD mod, I believe he said this was their proprietary upgrade and is very noticeably better than the refresh, but would not comment further, nor mention the BillD mod at all. I have no idea if he gives any further information these days.

[Sk1Bum 11,513]

Hi Mike and welcome aboard. 

 

I have a BillD C1 with a M1.0t mkII opt 002 drive a pair of Infinity RS IIIa's, and it sounds very good.  The C1 is dead silent, the M1.0t is powerful, and the speakers can take it. I just wish my ears could.

 

Glad you found us.

 

[MikeC 12]

More encouraging news SK1Bum! Thanks. Another success story, and with RSIIIA’s, as close to the IIIB’s as can be. Outstanding! Did you have the standard C1 and convert to the BillD, or purchase it already modded?  If so, how quickly were you able to characterise the changes?

[Daddyjt 9,644]

Nothing but good things to say about @Nahash5150 (Nelion Audio) and the Bill D C1.  Below is my 2ch system - Bill D C1 ( mod performed myself) and Silver 9t amps recently upgraded by Greg at Nelion. You’ll be in good hands…

 

[Sk1Bum 11,513]

2 hours ago, MikeC said:

Did you have the standard C1 and convert to the BillD, or purchase it already modded?  If so, how quickly were you able to characterise the changes?

 

Yes, I found a C1 in excellent shape on ebay. I used it for a few months, and then sent it to @Daddyjt. He did the BillD upgrade, remote volume, Gundry filter, and IEC plug. He did an outstanding job. The most noticeable improvements are dead silence with no input and volume turned to 11, less gain, and of course the convenience of the remote volume control.  Mark did excellent work, and barring catastrophe, that pre will outlast me. I hope one of my daughters enjoys it as much as I do.  

 

Nelion is an excellent choice. Greg does excellent work, and he's done the mkII opt002 mod on a few M1.0ts for me. I have one more to go.