Mark,
Congrats on the award and review! PM going out to you. :)
For mods, I have my own ideas we can discuss.
aniwolfe,
In regards to footers and vibration control, I personally recommend some combination of wood and elastomers. Woods have all kinds of different sounds, so experimenting is best. I'm also going to be experimenting with some composites of carbon fiber. Metal seems to increase the resonant frequency, resulting in peaked highs. Of course, everyone's hearing, listening, and system goals are different, which is why free trials are always a positive.
Bacardi,
If you're really anti-modding, I would recommend trying a contact enhancer, like the one from Walker Audio. This will give you a similar benefit, at a much reduced cost. Just make sure to follow the directions, as you're dealing with electricity.