Onkyo DV-SP1000 Universal Player

Very good point TonyPTony. I hope to see more. (why this rig has me so curious, I'm not sure...)

Lanny: What are you using instead of your SP1000 now? Curious. Looking at your thread(s) back in November you seemed smitten. Thanks for the feedback!

Right now I am using an older Pioneer DV-47A.
I am ordering a Toshiba SD-4960 universal player modified by Reference Audio Mods, with all the mods, and should have it in a few weeks.

Lanny, I looked at RAM's website. They seem to have it all covered, but one thing I did not see (and didn't expect to) was any mention of DAC replacement. I'm of the feeling that along with all these great analog and PS mods, the digital section has its own issues that may need to be addressed. If the DACs are not of the very highest quality then is it worth doing all this other stuff? I don't know what the 4960 uses, but at about $120 retail it's probably not using the high end line of BBs, Wolfsons, or AKMs. I'd be curious to hear RAM's view on whether their full blown out mods on different machines have significantly different results relative to the DACs that are used.

Tonyptony,
Interesting point.
E-mail Douglas Jesse at referenceaudiomods.com and ask him these questions.
Let me know what he tells you.
I would like to know this myself.
Thanks.

I shot him a note.

I don't mean to suggest a RAM'ed 4960 will not sound good (or even great). Additional searching shows me they have quite a fine reputation for this kind of work, as do many of the modders often mentioned here on AgoN. But I go back to my own experience of years ago, when I had my EAD DSP-7000 upgraded to a Mk.II. That mod replaced the original DACs with BB PCM63 'K' series DACs (among the best at the time). The original DACs were good, but the replacement made a huge improvement in the quality of reproduction. It leads me to suspect that making extensive mods on a player or DA converter will ultimately be limited by the quality of the digital section.