Reference disc player...UDP 205 or Marantz?

I don't think I can afford the Oppo mod, because it will end up costing about 3700.00 total, and I can't justify that.

Don't forget the month or more it takes to do the mod and you're without the Oppo, the voided Oppo warranty, plus the possibility the mod goes awry.

Betcha anything he would have no difficulty hearing the improvement in sound quality though.

Dave

Following up on my earlier posts and some of the recommendations of a Modwright modded Oppo (or Marantz), I thought I'd chime in with my experience.
When I decided to upgrade from my Oppo BDP-95, I decided to go all out and get the top modded Oppo BDP 105D from Modwright, with all the bells and whistles, upgraded tubes, etc. The reviews were outstanding.
Suffice to say, it was a mistake for me. It sounded poor in comparison to my stock Oppo BDP-95. It sounded bloated and like mush. I tried multiple tubes recommended by Modwright to tune the player, but after a month, I gave up, and sold it as fast as I could, here, on Audiogon. Once I sold it, I ordered a stock BDP-105D and was positively thrilled. It was an improvement over the BDP-95.
Another person on one of the audio forums I frequent had a similar experience to mine, too.
Maybe it just didn't suit my system, but I've never had an experience like that with any component, before. My lesson was that I will never spend good money modifying a component to that extent. I will just purchase a better component in stock form, for a similar combined price.

Interesting. First I have ever heard of this reaction but not questioning your experience.

Dave

Holy cow!!! Rnrmf...that is a tragedy!! You just talked me out of ANY possibility that I might use them! Thanks very much for your advice, and sorry about your lousy experience! 

I think I'll just buy a stock player, and be happy with it! 

Actually, it's very similar to modifying a car with aftermarket performance parts. It can ruin the driveability of the stock car, and make it feel completely out of synch with what the manufacturer intended. 
I'm a car guy, and I've done just that...ruined a couple of nice cars with mods that looked good on paper, but in practice were a disaster.