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Modded CD Player or Stock CD Player?

I am starting this thread in the hope of starting an active and productive discussion on recent experiences folks have had with regard to trying modded digital front ends versus stock front ends. I suggest the criteria for comparison include such things as:

1. Price Performance – “bang for the buck”
2. Reliability,
3. Other factors people use to assess each option,

[So you have a reference point on my system it now consists of all solid state electronics and very revealing speakers as follows...

1. Modded Denon 3910 (Hot Rod Audio Mods) and Stock Cambridge 840C front ends,
2. Soundstring interconnects,
3. Classe CP-60
4. Classe CAM 200 monoblocks
5. Soundstring speaker cables
6. Dynaudio C1 speakers on Dynaudio stands]

My own digital front end experience is likely similar to many others as I first encountered CD players in 1984 (a college friend had a NAD player and we were all a bit envious and in awe of him and his pop and hiss free format playing a rather expensive Police Synchronicity CD). After graduating I bought a near first generation Rotel player in 1986, followed by a used Sonographe that I kept until it died in 2001. I had a Rotel 971 for a while that was replaced by a better sounding (the technology keeps improving) Cambridge 840C that is now sonically upstaged by a modded Denon 3910. The move to a modded player was brought on by an interest in DVD-Audio and SACDs. I have a revealing enough system that the stock Denon was hard to listen to on Hi Rez recordings. The Denon used to sound awful on redbook also, but the modded Denon has a sound that is more detailed than the Cambridge AND a lot smoother like a very good analogue.

I am holding off completing my assessment on reliability as it has only been a few months, but so far so good. The performance has been outstanding and the price comparable (I got my stock Denon player at a discount) to the stock Cambridge CD player. The Cambridge is no slouch – I am keeping it as a back up and also would likely have it modded at a later date.

What are other people’s experiences with modded units versus stock?
ryanvt

Showing 4 responses by dawgcatching

dawgcatching
139 posts
 
Nmuntean,

Well, the background is quieter (I went from level 4+ to 6, I believe) frequency extremes are more present, the player is fuller, not quite as "digital" and overall more realistic. It is hard to say exactly the full extent of the upgrades, as I had nice components at the time, but as I have upgraded my amplification (first to a SMC-modded DNA-125 and Dehavilland pre, then to a super nice Karan integrated, and now back to the DNA-125 and an SMC modded preamp (best yet in my system) the digital playback just keeps getting better and better. When I first heard the upgrade done, it was noticeably better, but the differences are even more pronounced as my system improves around it. I am pretty much sold on upgraded pieces at this point, between my SMC units, the VSE Sony, and Modwright and GNSC stuff I have tried in the past.

Did you see the new clock upgrade? the internal unit is fairly affordable at $600. If you took your system to full Level 7, it would cost you less than $1000, and sound wise, if it is indeed a step up over the level 6, is going to sound spectacular.
dawgcatching
139 posts
 
yeah, that has been my experience on most of the electronics. Also, there is a difference between just "mods" and "upgrades". Having a designed upgrade route is key. If you look at upgrading used units, the cost really isn't that bad: probably no worse than buying at retail and selling used here. For example, you could get an SMC Audio modded RLD-1 preamp for $2300 (mods plus a used unit) which probably has a re-sale of $1400 or so used. If you purchased a new preamp for $2500, it would be tough to re-sell used for more than $1300 or $1400.
dawgcatching
139 posts
 
Yeah, you will get more resolution the better your system gets. If you get that Level 7 mod, you probably won't have a "limiting" CDP until the rest of your system is worth $30-50k. I haven't demoed a bunch of other CDP's at home (the one I did demo, McIntosh MCD201) wasn't even in the same ballpark. I am still trying to get a loaner on an ARC CD7 to see how it matches up.
dawgcatching
139 posts
 
I purchased a use Sony SACD 9000es with Vacuum State Level 4 upgrades, and had them bring it up to Level 6 for a minimal charge. All told, including the used purchase price ($400) and the price paid for the mods ($1800), probably around $2200 has been spent on this player, and it is probably worth around $1200 on the used market.

I haven't found a stock player at even $2000 used that can touch this unit. I am going to bring home an ARC CD7 to compare it to one of these days, just to see how it stacks up. The stock SCD-1 wasn't even close to the Level 6 9000es. I expect the CD7 to beat it, but how much better it is will be interesting.

If you figure the mod is well-thought out (most of the modders listed in this thread have done hundreds or thousands of CDP upgrades and all have been well reviewed), and perhaps you paid $1500 for that mod; you would be quickly looking at a $4500 upgrade if sold at retail. In addition to the cost of the player, you can get into some rarefied air pretty quickly without spending a bunch of money.

I have a feeling that when I upgrade, I will be purchasing another "already upgraded" unit, probably Modwright Platinum truth, Wadia with GNSC mods, or an SCD-1 with VSE upgrades. Those units in the $3K range used probably are as good as most anything on the market.

Any idea why modded players aren't more popular? They seem to offer, by far, the most bang for the buck.
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