ARC Ref phono 2 vs ASR Basis Excl 2010

I think something is very wrong here. Either ARC is hosing people with the price of the ARC REF 2 because it is essentially an unfinished product which must be sent off to be modded right away to fix all of things that ARC negelected or people are just plain crazy. What does GNS do besides swap caps and resistors and high speed diodes?? Does their mods really make the ARC *better* or is it just more spices added to the mix due to the new flavors of their passive parts? Does GNS actually modify the design of the circuit or are we simply talking about parts swapping? If GNS is so smart, how come they don't design and sell their own products instead of *fixing* other designs?

I understand sending a vintage piece back to its maker to have passive parts upgraded. I have done that myself with my Counterpoint gear. But my gear was made in the 1980s, not in 2010! I would not buy a very expsensive brand new piece of gear only to have to send it off and spend thousands more on it with some parts swapping outfit. For the prices ARC charges, you should expect to have really great passive parts used already. Something is wrong here people.

Apart from collecting records, I love modifying or having modified every piece of gear that I own.

Nothing is wrong with the standard ARC Ref 2 Phono, just that I think it can be improved upon, in my opinion.

I am having a hard time reconciling "nothing is wrong" but yet you feel the need to mod a brand new very expensive piece of gear. Doesn't that void your ARC warranty or does ARC acknowledge GNS mods? ARC usually doesn't look kindly on their gear that has been modded by Tommy Ten Thumbs and his merry band of brothers. They have been known to refuse to touch gear that has been modded.

Maybe some of you are the type of audiophiles that have never met a piece of gear they loved until it was modded with their favorite brand of caps and resistors and magic high-speed diodes. And then you can have your Goldilocks moment where everything is "just right" after your favorite mods have been completed.

Does GNS mod the brand new gear they sell or only brands they don't sell new? This would be telling me thinks. I just answered my own question. GNS does mod new Aesthetix gear, but it has to be bought new from them. That probably means they void the Aesthetix warranty with their mods and now they are covering the warranty.

Some of us are also the type of audiophiles for whom the pleasure remains long after the price and warranty has been forgotten.