CD/DVD Modding : Pros & Cons.


The meaning of modding/tuning is for me crystal clear, better performance throught better parts, Pwr Supply regulations,new clock/converter etct.
are there any limits :
(1) price/performance
(2) warranty issue
(3) clear and proofable mods

Etcetera.....
rgrds
Tubin
128x128tubin

Showing 2 responses by dbld

FWIW - I don't think the new HD-DVD or Blu-Ray players will play CD, SACD, and/or DVD-A. The HD-DVD may play CD, I am not sure.

For video, perhaps one of these new technologies will do a good job with the old DVDs, but who knows if the old DVDs will even be that important to you in a year or two.

Here's my experience so far - I had a Sony Blu-Ray for demo, it outputted video and audio with pretty much no adjustability. In the store, the big improvement with this player was definitely the movie audio - by a long-shot - even over the video improvement. But this improvement is only realizable by using the analog outputs of the player due to the higher resolution of this audio.

Because of this, I think a legitimate question is: Will they begin to release Audio [2-channel] versions of Blu-Ray or HD-DVD? If not, then there will still be a use for a CD, SACD, and DVD-A player…provided you like those formats.

Now…my player is an Esoteric DV-50 that has been to The Upgrade Company. It also has an SDI output to feed my DVDO VP30 [the SDI is unecessary overkill BTW]. The video with this set-up was pretty darned close when comparing the old DVD Superbit version of The Fifth Element to the HD version playing from the Sony. However, the video from the same Superbit disc playing on the Sony was not so nice at all. It lacked detail and was washed out.

For audio, Dave Schulte at The Upgrade Company [TUC] has done just amazing work. The improvement is very easily noticeable. My player is considered by many to be a dinosaur, but I just cannot believe how well it performs after TUC’s work. I don’t know what he did, and because of the crystal clear result – I don’t care. I do know a lot of work has gone into it, with a lot of real parts.

I have tried other modded machines, and won’t bother anymore. Ckrody makes some good points, so my advice would be to ask Dave Schulte what he recommends depending on what you want for a result, and just get it done. If you are in the Philadelphia area, then you can try to stop by sometime for a listen.

One more thing regarding warranty – I had a video problem once with my player after I got it back from TUC. I returned it and he went through the whole thing. We had a lot of conversations trying to get it sorted out. It ended up being a bad SDI connection inside my Video processor not the DV-50. My point is that TUC went to bat and did everything possible to make sure the player was right without me demanding it. I was out the shipping [not inconsequential for a 55 lb player], but it was all my own doing anyway. I cannot complain.

Lastly - forget resale. This is a big minus to modding. You pretty much eat any investment in modding. Just accept that going in. Thankfully, I am more than satisfied with my decision. Actually, I am amazed more than anything else.

- sorry for the length
Rja & Tubin's words are words of wisdom from experience, but Audphile1 makes a great point if you want to try a modded piece...buy it used and already modded. Like I said above...as the one paying for the mods, you pretty much eat that part of it. Probably not the case if you buy it used and already modded.

FWIW, Rja hits the nail on the head with me. I was changing CDPs like crazy and just got tired of it [as well as my wife]. I hope to keep this player for a long time, and from the way it sounds, I think I will.