Opinions Onkyo C-7030 cd player

Hi, I also have the C7030, great player, but I would like to see if it could be tweaked.
I see reading through posts here that Dr*audio looked at the service manual, Dr*audio, do you still have manual?,or can tell me where I might be able to get one.
I just need circuit diagram.
Cheers
 
Mine is a lemon too. It only lasted a dozen cds then started cutting out, one channel at a time, loud and quiet. I put a used Rega Apollo in its place and gave it away. I never found out why it was no good.
 
I haven't played a CD in two years, now. All of them have been ripped to FLAC and reside on my NAS drive. Being able to pull up one of 4000+ albums in 5 seconds is a joy and they sound better, as most of the jitter is lost in the transfer to the HD.
 
I haven't played a CD in two years, now. All of them have been ripped to FLAC and reside on my NAS drive. Being able to pull up one of 4000+ albums in 5 seconds is a joy and they sound better, as most of the jitter is lost in the transfer to the HD.

Every time we talk about cd players someone comes on and tells us how much better computer music is.
I play cds in 10 different places. I have 5 hifi system in different areas. I have 3 auto cd players and one portable like a boom box for portable use.
What I don't understand is how I would take an album from one system and be able to
play it in different locations too far to stream together? Also can it be done without having to learn 50 acrynyms.
 
Thats a lot of music rnorton, must of took a while to ripped 4000 cds, also interesting that they sound better

Actually, I ripped about 900 CD's. The rest of the files were obtained through 'other means'. The improvement is vanishingly small but audible on an A-B blind test. The Infinity RS-II's are VERY revealing of slight improvements or faults.

I walk around with 2000 albums (mixed MP3 and FLAC) in my shirt pocket on 2 256G cards in my FiiO X5. Never thought I'd see the day that that was possible.
 
Every time we talk about cd players someone comes on and tells us how much better computer music is.
I play cds in 10 different places. I have 5 hifi system in different areas. I have 3 auto cd players and one portable like a boom box for portable use.
What I don't understand is how I would take an album from one system and be able to
play it in different locations too far to stream together? Also can it be done without having to learn 50 acrynyms.

It's possible. My NAS drive is supposed to be accessible on line but it has never been able to do that. LG customer support is less than worthless.
 
Here are the tweaks for the C7030..these are changes if you are using the C7030 as a cd player..

C303, 306 are for the DAC and can go to 4700/10V. C308 is ref for the DAC and can go to 1000/10V. C327, 328 are for the op-amps and should go to 6800/16V. The op-amps are Njm4580's and can be changed to LM4562'S. You will have to determine the package type yourself since it does not say on the schematic. The caps will all be big but it will be OK to have long leads with the body in the air. Not too high, however. There are two resistors, R362 and 363 that can be jumpered out as well. These are inline with the power but the big caps make them unneeded. The head phone amps are also njm4580's if you want to change them too. Their caps are C403 and C404 and can go to 6800/16v. The PCB was not shown so I don't have ant idea of how hard it will be to replace these parts. Sometimes if it was to hard to remove the PCB I would solder the capacitor leads right to the IC power pins and the nearest ground. REMEMBER, that on the op-amps (dual) pin 4 is neg, and pin 8 is pos.

Here are the changes if you are using the C7030 as a transport only..( The above changes do not appy for the transport mod

C152, 159, 204, 206, 241, 242, 244 all can be made ten times bigger in value. With using the digital out there is not much more we can do. But, it can get better, so we'll do it. (keep the capacitosr voltage the same of course)

if you blow a fuse, those extra caps may do that to you, just put in a bigger value fuse .

I use the C7030 as a transport, i haven't done these changes yet, as a friend who tweaks all his gear(with very good results) was good enough to look at the service manual(thanks again to DR*Audio)

The idea behind the bigger value caps, is ic's work better if they have their own power supply and by adding the bigger caps the ic's work better.

i must admit i wouldn't have know how to work all this out myself, bbut when it's done for you and you can solder, it's easier.
CJ
 
Looks like I'm a little bit late to the party, but I have had an Onkyo C7030 for about a year and a half now and this looked like a relevant place to share my experience with it. Maybe it will help someone else make a decision in the future.

Anyway, I bought mine new off of Amazon for about $140. I had never seen it cheaper, so I bit. I am a pretty young, first generation "budget audiophile", so I have not heard any other CDP's in my time. However, there has never been anything that has stood out to me as wanting. Not even a bit. I first used it in a system with a pair of Teac LS-H265's (on cheap Dayton Audio stands) and a refurbished Denon AVR-E200, which is about as budget as you can get. But it sounded WAY better than anything I'd ever heard, given that I had only experienced MP3's prior to that. I've since upgraded to Elac Debut B6's, a Music Hall A15.2, a Musical Fidelity V90 DAC, and about $200 worth of interconnnects borrowed from a buddy and the C7030 has kept up brilliantly. It's only being used a transport, but it is incredibly reliable, durable, quiet, and "HIFI-ish". In combination with the MF DAC, it sounds absolutely amazing to me, with huge detail, spaciousness, and enjoyability. I guarantee that if you're comparing a $1,000 system using this CDP as the source, it'll crush anything using MP3's, cost notwithstanding. I've compared my system to some worth over $10,000 using MP3's (PSB/McIntosh and GoldenEar/NAD) and my setup killed them. It's obviously due to an inferior source (the old garbage in, garbage out concept), but all that to say that if you're looking to make the jump to a better source, you will almost certainly be thrilled with the C7030.

A word on some of the QC issues people have brought up. My player has zero buzz, hum, or clicking. It also has no trouble with scratches on CD's. I use a lot of CD's from the library, so they're pretty beat up, but the CDP has never once given a single trace of an issue. I've had zero issues with it, period, so if you've experienced anything otherwise you probably have either a defective unit or an issue with another component in your setup.

Sorry if this was long-winded or overly subjective! I just hope that it helps at least one person jump the MP3 ship and learn how magical music CAN be without having to spend a king's ransom.
 
Looks like I'm a little bit late to the party, but I have had an Onkyo C7030 for about a year and a half now and this looked like a relevant place to share my experience with it. Maybe it will help someone else make a decision in the future.

Anyway, I bought mine new off of Amazon for about $140. I had never seen it cheaper, so I bit. I am a pretty young, first generation "budget audiophile", so I have not heard any other CDP's in my time. However, there has never been anything that has stood out to me as wanting. Not even a bit. I first used it in a system with a pair of Teac LS-H265's (on cheap Dayton Audio stands) and a refurbished Denon AVR-E200, which is about as budget as you can get. But it sounded WAY better than anything I'd ever heard, given that I had only experienced MP3's prior to that. I've since upgraded to Elac Debut B6's, a Music Hall A15.2, a Musical Fidelity V90 DAC, and about $200 worth of interconnnects borrowed from a buddy and the C7030 has kept up brilliantly. It's only being used a transport, but it is incredibly reliable, durable, quiet, and "HIFI-ish". In combination with the MF DAC, it sounds absolutely amazing to me, with huge detail, spaciousness, and enjoyability. I guarantee that if you're comparing a $1,000 system using this CDP as the source, it'll crush anything using MP3's, cost notwithstanding. I've compared my system to some worth over $10,000 using MP3's (PSB/McIntosh and GoldenEar/NAD) and my setup killed them. It's obviously due to an inferior source (the old garbage in, garbage out concept), but all that to say that if you're looking to make the jump to a better source, you will almost certainly be thrilled with the C7030.

A word on some of the QC issues people have brought up. My player has zero buzz, hum, or clicking. It also has no trouble with scratches on CD's. I use a lot of CD's from the library, so they're pretty beat up, but the CDP has never once given a single trace of an issue. I've had zero issues with it, period, so if you've experienced anything otherwise you probably have either a defective unit or an issue with another component in your setup.

Sorry if this was long-winded or overly subjective! I just hope that it helps at least one person jump the MP3 ship and learn how magical music CAN be without having to spend a king's ransom.


In what way does the Musical Fidelity V90 DAC sound better than the onboard dac of the C-7030?
 
In what way does the Musical Fidelity V90 DAC sound better than the onboard dac of the C-7030?

Despite the fact that aural memory is pretty weak, I found that the midrange was fairly dramatically improved most of all. Listening to songs I had heard dozens of times prior was almost shocking in that aspect. Sounded more rich and full, as if the woofer and tweeter were working together better (if you will), instead of being their own separate piece of the puzzle. Lows improved noticeably as well; things sounded rounder and more controlled. Sounded more like actual notes than before. Highs seemed at first the least affected, since the C-7030 does have a very good DAC. But I listened to a couple of very well mastered albums and the highs were a bit more detailed and clear. Overall, the sense of space in recordings definitely seemed to open up more, and a few of my albums felt dramatically more realistic.

I was willing to see what a DAC could do for my setup because 1. I read nothing but fantastic reviews for the V90 DAC praising its "giant killer" status (even though audiophiles seem to hate that phrase) and 2. Because I found an open-box deal for one for only $215. For me, the small investment was worth it since I've found the musical presentation nicely improved. BUT, it was not a night and day step up from the C7030 DAC (which is very very good, like most everyone on forums says). If you have that CDP and you're curious about, but not sold on, the idea of a DAC, I would buy one from Music Direct where you get a return period. That way if you don't like it, you can get a refund (less a restocking fee).
 
Just got this player a few days ago, and I'm impressed so far. Will update with longevity concerns if they arise.
 
I'm REALLY late to the 7030 party! Mine arrives tomorrow. I've been looking for a single deck/player for awhile now and after doing some research, I thought this player would fit the bill, for my little DIY audio test rig. One thing I look for; is weight and build quality and reviews from folks here. At ~15lbs this is no toy. Can't wait to, get it set it up and give it a spin. Price paid; $180 on Amazon, although shipped from a 3rd party I believe.

Does anyone know if you can hack this thing and make it a 7070 with USB file support. Or, are there electronics missing and firmware left out of this model?
 
@redjr how do you like it so far?
I haven't had a lot of time listening to it yet, but the little I've done is very positive. I'm listening to it now as I write this. It far better than the cheapo blu-ray players I've been using. I've also only used the analog out. I have not tried digital yet. Hopefully, I'll have more time this week to give it a more critical listen. I was immediately impressed with the weight and build quality. It very rare today to buy a CD with this much heft. But In fairness, it is a 5-yr old model. It still appears to be a very solidly built piece of gear. My first mult-channel AVR was an Onkyo and was similarly built. Very solid. It's hard to believe we're still buying CD players in this age of thumb drives and streaming, but I'm old-school and a hard-core believer in physical media, despite the obvious industry trends. My younger son feels the same way! And he's grown up in the digital-age for sure. :) He likes to buy his CDs too!

I really like the clean look and lines of the 7030 too. So much so, I may just buy one of their matching integrated amps to pair with it - somewhere in the house! :D

Rick
 
Every time we talk about cd players someone comes on and tells us how much better computer music is.
I play cds in 10 different places. I have 5 hifi system in different areas. I have 3 auto cd players and one portable like a boom box for portable use.
What I don't understand is how I would take an album from one system and be able to
play it in different locations too far to stream together? Also can it be done without having to learn 50 acrynyms.

I agree with this for the same reason. Only the system I am using now, the one in my signature, is connected to a computer. I use four other systems in our house, one in my classroom at school, and two in our cars. For me CD's are the way to go. I recently bought a TEAC CD-P650. Peace and goodwill.
 
I've had a C-7030 for a few months so I can't comment on durability. I think that it's one of the best sounding CD players I've ever heard. I used to be a CD repairman, among other things, and my experience goes back to the very first Sony that was never sold in the US. I think this sounds as good as any CD player at 5 times the price. I hate the tiny unreadable controls that require me to find a flashlight whenever I need to change something, though, and the menuing for MP3 files is awkward as hell. It does, however, make good MP3's sound VERY good.

I also have a C-390, that I've had for several years. This is a 6 disc unit. All of its specs are a bit lower than those of the C-7030 but still better sounding than anything else in its price class. Durability has been very good. It's the reason that I bought the C-7030 for the living room when the C-390 went to the bedroom system.
 
Here are the tweaks for the C7030..these are changes if you are using the C7030 as a cd player..

C303, 306 are for the DAC and can go to 4700/10V. C308 is ref for the DAC and can go to 1000/10V. C327, 328 are for the op-amps and should go to 6800/16V. The op-amps are Njm4580's and can be changed to LM4562'S. You will have to determine the package type yourself since it does not say on the schematic. The caps will all be big but it will be OK to have long leads with the body in the air. Not too high, however. There are two resistors, R362 and 363 that can be jumpered out as well. These are inline with the power but the big caps make them unneeded. The head phone amps are also njm4580's if you want to change them too. Their caps are C403 and C404 and can go to 6800/16v. The PCB was not shown so I don't have ant idea of how hard it will be to replace these parts. Sometimes if it was to hard to remove the PCB I would solder the capacitor leads right to the IC power pins and the nearest ground. REMEMBER, that on the op-amps (dual) pin 4 is neg, and pin 8 is pos.

Here are the changes if you are using the C7030 as a transport only..( The above changes do not appy for the transport mod

C152, 159, 204, 206, 241, 242, 244 all can be made ten times bigger in value. With using the digital out there is not much more we can do. But, it can get better, so we'll do it. (keep the capacitosr voltage the same of course)

if you blow a fuse, those extra caps may do that to you, just put in a bigger value fuse .

I use the C7030 as a transport, i haven't done these changes yet, as a friend who tweaks all his gear(with very good results) was good enough to look at the service manual(thanks again to DR*Audio)

The idea behind the bigger value caps, is ic's work better if they have their own power supply and by adding the bigger caps the ic's work better.

i must admit i wouldn't have know how to work all this out myself, bbut when it's done for you and you can solder, it's easier.
CJ
where did you get the schematic? I cant find one. I want the service manual
 
I've had a C-7030 for about six months and I can seriously say that it takes about three months for this player to really open up. I've got it hooked up to a monster Pioneer AVR and the tonal qualities and separation are the best I've ever heard. I've heard some static about how they break down so I just leave mine on. It's kind of hard to believe that there are actually better players out there....
 
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