Oh boy exactly the point read Jp1208's post, 6 units modded!
I made the digital path mod choice mistake once... Never again, as a matter of fact I have built my own digital from the ground up now to save money and time and really do understand what the mods are worth and are actually doing to the sound. Not everyone has the patience or solder/ and tech skills to do this no doubt.
DAC period. Forget modding unless you can do the op amps yourself which is really the only main analog thing that will change the sound in your design, caps yes, but to a lesser degree in a design like that. And don't fall for the 400 dollar digital clock! Get a dac thats reclocking or DIP device to do it with its own power supply for you outside the transport, they hold resale pretty well too.
Also the truth is with all the digital options in music today your not tied to a single machine, a good DAC will always be a good dac with anything you throw at it, so you can have a DVD transport, and still have an input or more to do a music server, and any other device you desire down the road. Plus DACs themselves are far more upgradable very easily over most DVD players with limited space and generic build.
I do agree on modding good gear to better parts, like hi end amps, preamps, speakers etc...Anything thats good analog in the first place. That actually in most cases can only make them better, digital is a different story. Sure a nice Pass or Mcintosh Preamp with some killer caps, and a nice power supply upgrade or something is well worth it, and will actually hold resale in most cases, digital forget it.
Don't get me wrong, not to say that these guys taking a 500 dollar machine and putting 1500 in parts is not making a difference, but for a 500 to 1000 dollar dac can be just as good or better, unless you HAVE to have SACD and the internal DAC of the oppo as the prize possesion than your tied to the internal DAC mods in your stand alone unit if its that important to you.
I made the digital path mod choice mistake once... Never again, as a matter of fact I have built my own digital from the ground up now to save money and time and really do understand what the mods are worth and are actually doing to the sound. Not everyone has the patience or solder/ and tech skills to do this no doubt.
DAC period. Forget modding unless you can do the op amps yourself which is really the only main analog thing that will change the sound in your design, caps yes, but to a lesser degree in a design like that. And don't fall for the 400 dollar digital clock! Get a dac thats reclocking or DIP device to do it with its own power supply for you outside the transport, they hold resale pretty well too.
Also the truth is with all the digital options in music today your not tied to a single machine, a good DAC will always be a good dac with anything you throw at it, so you can have a DVD transport, and still have an input or more to do a music server, and any other device you desire down the road. Plus DACs themselves are far more upgradable very easily over most DVD players with limited space and generic build.
I do agree on modding good gear to better parts, like hi end amps, preamps, speakers etc...Anything thats good analog in the first place. That actually in most cases can only make them better, digital is a different story. Sure a nice Pass or Mcintosh Preamp with some killer caps, and a nice power supply upgrade or something is well worth it, and will actually hold resale in most cases, digital forget it.
Don't get me wrong, not to say that these guys taking a 500 dollar machine and putting 1500 in parts is not making a difference, but for a 500 to 1000 dollar dac can be just as good or better, unless you HAVE to have SACD and the internal DAC of the oppo as the prize possesion than your tied to the internal DAC mods in your stand alone unit if its that important to you.