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To mod or not to mod, dac is the question

I have recently purchased an Oppo BDP-83. I am very pleased with everything about it. But as all of us know audiophiles are CRAZY....sooooo...I am trying to figure out what upgrade would be the best bang for the buck to make it sound even BETTER. Understand that only one option is affordable and/or passes the WAF.

Do I Mod the BDP-83 or do I buy a good DAC?. Which option would improve the playback sound quality the MOST?.

I have been reading about some of the mods offered and it seems to be unanimous that mods do bring it up to a much higher level, but I also read about the platform and transport reliabilty issues and investing a fair amount of money in such. The thought having a DAC (never had one) if it significantly improves the sonics seems to be an attractive option as well. Well Audiogon ... weigh in!!
kyneo
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Mod's are never cost effective given the small if any improvement in sound they produce. Couple that with the fact they void the warranty, makes a no mod approach best. Used equipment is another story.
shinytoys
41 posts
 
Uru...very well put my audiogon friend...

I'd like to comment on what Piet said...

If you have a very expensive piece and you KNOW you are going to keep it for some time to come, then yes, I do believe in some modding.

By expensive, I mean the big guns...Krell, Pass, Mac, and all of their unnamed and equally expensive bretheren.

Otherwise, have a DAC attack.

I have (not being a wanker and bragging), Perpetual Audio's rig with Monarchy supply and Revelation Cables, Music Hall 25.2 (thanks Roy, you're an unusual breed but you make killer electronics), Cambridge Dac Magic (you folks could have done it better and lost the wall wart, sounds damn good). There are 2 Theater systems in this house and 4 2 channel rigs.
I have owned some big gun Cd players and DAC, but this is much more fun...:)
loomisjohnson
1,949 posts
 
Personally, I've never quite understood the virtues of modding a budget piece of gear. sorta like those guys who take a honda civic and put 100k of aftermarket crap on it--at core it's still a honda civic and they could have bought a ferrari for the same $$. now, i understand that for many people, doing the modding is the point, but in this case, i assume you're not planning on doing your own soldering, so it's not about the challenge of a diy project. ergo, if your real objective is sound improvement, i'd vote to either get a dac or buy a better player.
pettyofficer
462 posts
 
What Ferrari costs as much as a Honda Civic with aftermarket crap on it. Not everyone is going to be able to afford a Ferrari, otherwise it wouldn't be a Ferrari if it were a dime a dozen. Even the Ferrari Manufacturers understand that, and purposely limit production.
Modification is a risky business, but it does give one the opportunity to replace some of the cost cutting by Manufacturers using cheaper parts. Just how many High End Super Expensive Audio Manufacturers, utilize Transport Disk Drives from Pioneer, Sony, and Phillips? Apparently, they are doing a little bit of "Modification" themselves, aren't they? What is the difference, apart from the very expensive costs?
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
The Oppo sounds plenty good enough as it comes from the factory. Your time and money would be better spent seeking out very high-quality source material and also spending the time, money, and effort in seeing to it that your ROOM is a good as it can be.

Anything else is just twiddlng about the edges - better sources and a better room will blow away any improvements you could make to the Oppo and/or adding a DAC. Plus, improving the sonic characterisitcs of the room will improve the sound of EVERY type of source material you have - CDs, DVDs, tuners, and vinyl.

-RW-
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