Any Modded ART DI/O owners out there?


I have a cheap Harman Kardon HD710 player right now.
And I am torn between keeping the HK HD710 as a transport, and then using a modified ART DI/O ($400 to $500) as the DAC, OR getting a Rega Planet 2000, or Rega Jupiter 2000.

I can also get a better transport for the ART DI/O down the road. What do you think?
Or should I just get a Rega Planet 2000 or Rega Jupiter 2000 and leave it at that?

Thanks!
atzen811
Atzen811
I believe the ART DAC will improve the sound of any moderately priced cd player. I was using a Cal Icon mk2 which orginally cost over 1000 and the sound was dramatically improved when I added the ART DAC. Both the soundstage and the smoothness. I then added the Monarchy upsampler which yielded further improvement but to a lesser degree than the ART.

I do think that the quality of the transport affects the final sound. I used a different cd player with the ART and the Monarchy. While the sound improved it was not as good as the sound with the CAL.

Also using the digital output,the cable quality affects the sound. I tried an inexpensive Canare cable which was not as good as the cable from wayne at boulder cables.

I have not tried either of the Rega Players but was thinking of trying them in place of the Cal Ikon and using an ARt/Monarchy/Rega combo

More information on the ART at WWW.Harmonicdiscord.com

Good Luck Jeff
I have a heavily modified ART Di/o and consider it good. I am not certain it's as good as some posters rave about.

I will be doing a test with the Di/o, Sony 9000, Sony SCD1 and another hot player in the next few weeks.