Precision Fidelity C7/A: To modify or leave as is?

Are you planning on keeping it forever? If so mods may be for you. If not, I would rethink modding as it usually does not dramatically improve the resale value against the cost of the mods.

My experience is with a modded Cary pre-amp (cathode follower stage added along with upgraded caps, power supply, & standby switch) that generated only bluebook value on resale and a McCormack DNA-1 deluxe that was modded to the A level by Steve. Again resale value added was about 20% of the mod cost.

If resale does value does not matter to you and it is only about improved performance - mod away. A final note is that some mods may degrade the performance or balance of components chosen by the designer.

Thanks for responding: Yes, we plan on keeping the C7/A for the rest of our lives. At this stage, I simply do not know if $800.00 in V-Cap upgrades -- as excellent as they are supposed to be -- will be a move backward, contravening Mr. Moore's engineering philosophy on the C7/A that an impeccable, scientifically rigorous engineering concept should not need upgrading.

I recall the C7A-Revised being a fantastic sounding preamplifier. If you have merely a C7A, perhaps investigating what exactly the "revised" referred to would be an excellent starting point. Perhaps some generous "revised" owner out there would be willing to take a few detailed internal photographs for you to examine, as well as answer a few questions about the circuit changes in the "revised" version.

Cap upgrades are a crap shoot at best. Often, a designer will use seemingly pedestrian parts that are perfectly voiced into the circuit. Changes will render differences, but only your ears will emphatically tell you whether boutique parts are actually better. In my experience, you have a 50/50 shot of actually improving things without destroying the fundamental characteristics of the unit; presumably, it's these original characteristics which made the unit both worth keeping for an extended period, and worth attempting to improve. You takes your chances.

-Richard

Thanks for the response Richard. This piece is in fact the "C7/A Revised," as I recall printed on the circuit board. I think it is a monument to fine, fine engineering bar none but the perhaps a handful of other preamps. Thank you.