Aesthetix Romulus Signature Upgrade Worth the $3,000 ?

If you're only spinning CDs then the cap and resistor upgrade on the analog board combined with the Sistrum Apprentice rack gets you beyond Signature. I used Jupiter copper foil caps which are better than the Dynamicaps used in the Sig upgrade. Much better. They are on the level of the Stealth caps used in the Eclipse upgrade. 

Problem is the dealer nor Aesthetix will do this for you. You need a DIY friend etc...I purchased my unit used and did the upgrades. Total cost for the Romulus and upgrades was around $4000. Aesthetix will only do the full upgrade at a crazy high cost to you. 

Before  ever spending that kind of money on the full upgrade I would sell it for the better Luxman DA06 dac. Combined with a great used transport like the PS Audio memory player or a CEC unit, you would have a better sounding digital front end. 

Any decent repair or tech guy can upgrade the select resistors and caps on your analog board. It is simple to do. Sure it voids warranty, but if it is a used unit, then who cares? I sold mine for what I had put into it. Great unit, but I like the Luxman better as an FYI. 

Grannyring you did not hear the Romulus with the PS Audio Transport and to suggest that the Luxman is better is ludicrous. I can tell you the PS Audio transport and Romulus together smoke the Romulus as a CD Player.

The Romulus including upgrades for 4000.00. Not that really sounds like a bargain.

I am the purchaser of Grannyring's modded Romulus. On its' own, it is an excellent, musical player. However, when linked to my ML 31.5 transport, it goes to another level. I only do Red Book. Thanks again, Bill!

Taters, 
Finding a  used Romulus and  upgraded as suggested by Grannyring  is smart  and  very  cost effective. Saying that player  is  better sounding than another is as always purely subjective and system dependent Germanboxers had the Luxman player and he loved it. He replaced  it with a Lampizator Big 7 DAC which he felt was an improvement.  Someone else  may choose  the Romulus  or the  Luxman over the Lampizator.  On and on it goes in this hobby.I assume that they all can be an excellent choice in a given system.