GTLO, believe me, I don't have a grim view of modifiers products. I do have realistic one IMO. The comments about low resale value of modded equipment come from looking a Audiogon ads every day for years. If you buy a product used and have it modded, you are in a better place for resale. My views echo other owners of modified stuff who have posted on this subject here and at Audioasylum.
You are right, Kyle will work with you on repairs. Repairs are the reason I ended up with an amp modified twice. My first version (Doug Jesse did this one, not Kyle) mod started making weird noises and I had to send back to Kyle. After talking to him, I decided to go with the second upgrade because I really like the HCA-2 and there wasn't anything another additional $800 was going to buy me that offered as much of a potential upgrade. After getting the amp back, one channel went kaput within a week. Another cross country trip to California and three weeks later a cold solder joint Kyle said was a PS Audio defect was repaired. So you can see where my cautions about repair hassles are coming from.
All this said, if you are an owner who doesn't change equipment often and you've got a piece you really like and want to take to the next level, modifying it can be a great option.
You are right, Kyle will work with you on repairs. Repairs are the reason I ended up with an amp modified twice. My first version (Doug Jesse did this one, not Kyle) mod started making weird noises and I had to send back to Kyle. After talking to him, I decided to go with the second upgrade because I really like the HCA-2 and there wasn't anything another additional $800 was going to buy me that offered as much of a potential upgrade. After getting the amp back, one channel went kaput within a week. Another cross country trip to California and three weeks later a cold solder joint Kyle said was a PS Audio defect was repaired. So you can see where my cautions about repair hassles are coming from.
All this said, if you are an owner who doesn't change equipment often and you've got a piece you really like and want to take to the next level, modifying it can be a great option.