CD Player Modifications. Is it worth the ?

All i can say is "WHATEVER".

Since some of you seem to think you know what took place better than the guy that was involved in the conversation and transaction, i'll let you believe what you want to. In the meantime, PLEASE get YOUR facts straight. If need be, the owner of said unit will verify that Stan told him what he did.

My one question is WHY would Stan tell him that the newer units would not have the bass response of his Sony when Stan already knew what unit he had and was going to modify ? As mentioned, it is not one of the newer "bad dac" units but is a Pioneer 434. If i remember correctly, Stan already had the unit in his possession but had not begun to work on it when that conversation took place. I may be wrong on that part, but i can verify it if need be.

As to having to "defend" Stan Warren, i did not "impune" him in the least. You are letting emotions enter into what SHOULD be a logical discussion and putting words in my mouth. I actually stated that i applaud his honesty in the matter. If you read my follow up reply, i stated that i think that he is a very capable and experienced engineer and tweaker and placed him above another well regarded and respected "modifier" of gear. Once again, that is simply a "comment" that i made and my PERSONAL OPINION.

As to having to "defend" your personal preference ( or someone else's ) in a piece of gear, RELAX. My comments were just that: comments. I passed on information that has been passed onto me directly from the sources. Unfortunately, everyone does NOT hear the same or have the same tastes or goals when it comes to a music reproduction systems or even the type of music that they listen to. I'm glad that you enjoy what you have and i'm glad that some others have agreed with you, but GET OVER IT. You can't tell me what is best nor can i tell you. That is why there are SOOOO many brands, models, designs, modifications, etc...

Until EVERYONE can universally agree that specific components are the best ( BAR NONE ) and someone assembles a system of those specific components, OR can verify that they have the most perfect "golden eared" hearing, it all boils down to PERSONAL PREFERENCE. As it turns out, the people that listened to this specific unit did not PREFER it to some of the other units that THEY had. That is not to say that you, or anyone else for that matter, would necessarily agree with their observations and opinions.

As to what i have or am using, that is NOT the point. Nor did i EVER say that what i had or was using was "better". I specifically stated that i "MIGHT" have the opportunity to audition said unit. At that point in time, i'll be able to see where i stand on the issue. Until then, i can't pass judgment or offer anyone MY "opinion". Whether i love the unit or hate it, i'm NOT going to post my results either way. I don't feel like being dragged through the mud, being crucified and having people yell "heretic" at me while throwing stones. I don't need that from EITHER side of the fence.

I appologize for trying to share honest yet "alternative" points of view. Obviously, this was NOT what some people wanted to see and hear. If this has offended some of you, robbed you of your manhood, made you feel humiliated in public or reduced the resale value of your product, TOO BAD. Grow up and figure out that not everybody likes the same things or has the same impressions. That includes audio, cars, food, types of socks and underwear, etc.... Nor is every "test" conducted under the same conditions. There are therefore a LOT of variables involved that nobody can account for.

Now i'm going to go and eat my peanut butter and sardine sandwich with mustard, mayo and onions. Don't tell me that this isn't good, cuz i know better. Besides that, i've done testing at several different deli's and 35 out of 36 people liked it better than pimento loaf with hot sauce and dried clams on "aged" bagels. The one guy that didn't like it was the one that made the competing sandwich. Obviously, he was biased and we were "right".... Sean
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To be COMPLETELY honest in this, i may have somewhat embellished what Stan told him. I specifically remember that the owner told me THREE times within the same phone conversaton that Stan told him the DVD would not have the same amount or quality of bass, bottom end or warmth as his current redbook player. From what i can remember, this was the same day that he talked to Stan on the phone. The owner obviously found this to be "disturbing" enough to repeat it to me multiple times during our conversation.

As to my comments about the unit lacking pace, drive, etc... this MIGHT be based on another conversation with the owner that i had AFTER he had gotten the unit back and listened to it. It is "possible" that i am combining his listening results with what his initial conversation with Stan consisted of. However, there is NO doubt in my mind that Stan DID alert him to the lack of bottom end PRIOR to the actual modification taking place to his unit. Sean
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So, after all of the "banter", would it be advantageous to modify my NAD C541? Or should I abondon the unit and purchase, say a REGA Planet 2000?

As an owner of a "modded" 333ES player I can speak from some experience... I think the money I spent was worth it for a variety of my own reasons but my advice to you would be not to mod the NAD and my reasons are:

1. It will void the warranty and while I had no problems with my NAD 540 when I owned it there have been reports/discussions about the "reliability" of some of NAD's cdps. If there is a component failure then you will have to pay for the repairs regardless of the fault.

2. The probable cost of mods may be similar in net outlay costs of selling yor 541 & purchasing the Rega 2000. Possibly more to mod...

3. The 541 in my opinion is a very nice player at its price-point and there doesn't seem to be much previous discussion of anyone modding this particular unit and therefore there is very little feedback to go by.

Good luck with your decision

That is a personal decision. ANY unit can be improved upon by thoughtful and careful modifications and parts upgrades. You are best off to start with a unit that you like and go from there. Since the Rega can also be improved upon ( like any other unit ), you might be in the same boat in terms of wanting to upgrade or have it modified some time down the road. Be aware that some people prefer their units better BEFORE they were modified and are not as happy with them once the work is completed. Such are the crap-shoots with unproven or "one off" designs. Unless you can hear a unit that was modified IDENTICALLY to what you will be getting, you really don't know what it will sound like. The problem with this is that many "tweakers" tend to "progress" as they go along, making changes and updates as they learn and are exposed to more units. As such, the unit that "Billy Bob" has that was modified two months ago might not be the EXACT same unit that "Sammy Joe" gets back when he sends his unit in for mods next week. It might be "close", better or worse. That would all depend on the individual unit, the mods that were done differently and the end users personal preference and perspective.

Obviously, there are some here that think that the Pioneer DVD or Aiwa / MSB combo as modified by Stan Warren is the most cost effective way to go. My suggestion is to find someone that you can trust that works on that type of gear and talk to them about your options. If they are "straight up" and want to keep the customers happy, they will let you know what they think is the wisest move in terms of bang for the buck and the investments that you have already made.

A call to Stan Warren would probably be a good place for you to start, as i think that he is both good at what he does and honest. You might also try John Hillig at Musical Designs, Dan Wright at Modwright, Ric at EVS, Richard Kern, etc... These guys are all reputable and will present the options to you from their personal point of view. After all, it makes more sense from MY point of view to talk to the guys that you will actually be handing money to rather some knuckleheads ( like me ) on a forum that are simply running their mouths. It is good to post things publicly though, as it gives everyone the chance to share their experiences, as different as they may be. Sean
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