CD/DVD Modding : Pros & Cons.

I am pretty much sold on modifications of good sounding equipment. With the caveat that maybe I have never spent enough retail to get to the point that I can't benefit from modifications.

Thus far, I have had the following pieces of equipment modded with very good to fantastic results: Audio Van Alstine Hybrid Fet-valve 250 w/ch amp, Airtight ATC-1 tube preamp (power supply was also removed from the chassis and put into a separate chassis among other things), Rega Planet (the original) CD players that I use as a transport to feed my dacs, and a EAD (?) transport. All of my work has been performed by Joseph Chow at Audiohorizons. I have yet to be disappointed. My system(s) clearly reproduce musical in a much more satisfying, spacious, and involving manner after mods.

I don't think though that you can modify bad sounding equipment and make it sound great - at least not in gereral.

If you want to try a modded unit, I would suggest looking for an already modified by a reputable modder used unit. This to me is more logical because the resale value of the modded components is terrible. If you buy 2/3k player and spend about $1k to modify it, the money spent on the mods will be lost for the most part when you sell the player.
If you are not one of those who likes to change things frequently, this may not apply, given the fact that you will like the sound and overall performance of the modded unit to begin with.

I have a modded Pioneer from Audiocom UK,I waited 9 months!! and when the baby arrived back i opened it only to discover that I payed 1800€ and I got a 100€ half mods.
I´m really disgusted from that but It´s my fault to trust the people,I asked my money back but you can imagine the reply, I´ll go to the court against Mr. Bartlett from Audiocom.
That´s why I´m trying to share experiences, never make the same mistake twice.

Thus far, I have had the following pieces of equipment modded with very good to fantastic results: Audio Van Alstine Hybrid Fet-valve 250 w/ch amp

Jay, wondering if you could expalin what was done to your FetValve, and how it improved the sound.

IMO: If you keep pieces for a long time like I do then mods make more sense. If you're an audiophile who changes equipment frequently then I think modding might not make much sense since you might find what you're looking for with your next acquisition. I don't think either method is superior to the other so no value judgement being made here. If you've found a component that you like a lot and plan to hang on to it for a long time, fine tuning through mods might be the way to go. No worries about recouping investment etc. One caveat however, mods should be done by reputable technicians with a track record. Most Gon'ers know who they are.