SACD/CD player update

@lak  Fair question, tough to accurately answer.  The modifications to the preamp and amplifier took place over years.  The SACD mod. was once and done.  The notes of the music were always there.  What the modifications accomplished was providing a much more transparent sonic window to draw me into performances allowing for an emotional  connection to those performances.  Taking all of the mods into account, I would estimate a 25% overall improvement to the sonic satisfaction my system now provides.  I'm sure that I paid more than that, but my previous post mentioned that I worked to minimize the law of diminishing returns, not eliminate it.

One last comment.  There are those on A'gon who believe that everything we experience as we listen has some measurement attached to it.  That is not experiential.  There are so many intangibles involved in the listening experience.  So what intangibles have I noticed the more improvements I make to my gear?  I find myself on my laptop or reading at the beginning of many a listening session only to find myself putting that stuff down and even turning off the lights allowing me to become immersed in the music.  At least for me, that's what all of this modding and tweaking over the years is about.

I also have an Oppo 105 and would never consider a mod. First of all, if you mod you will never get anywhere near your money back if you sell. And what is the life expectancy of a disk player anyway? Modwright mods begin at $2500. (Apparently Ric Schultz is no longer doing the 105s.) There is absolutely no reason that you cannot do as well, and IMO better, with that money on a separate DAC. For a reasonable price there is a universe of options out there competing for your money. At a minimum, your Oppo can output to the spdif of a fine DAC. No reason IMO to get a new player.

But in the long run, what you might consider doing, in addition to buying a separate DAC, is lifting your audio quality by ripping your CDs (and with the help of your Oppo, your SACDs) and not playing them as disks, but as files. They will sound better. Hearing my ripped DSD files through a really good DAC is a particular audio pleasure.

I still use my Oppo to play video, but with the sound through the separate DAC, but my audio goes straight from a hard disk through a lap-top to the DAC. I also use my Oppo to preview disks, but if I like them they are ripped right away and all digital music controlled from a phone.

I do enjoy Dan's modifications on the various players.  I am on my third one, the Marantz 8005.  If you are concerned about the resale, find a used one or better yet a show demo.  If you go that route you can save a bunch and not suffer as much on the resale.  I have done that on all three of my players.  I really enjoy the Marantz modifications and it beats my two previous Sony mods.

@jafant   Interesting.  I've also wondered about the modded 8005 versus the SA-10.  Perhaps the tube analog board and tube rectified outboard power supply might tip the scales in the modded player's favor?? 

Question:  Have you upgraded the stock Sovtek 5AR4 rectifier?  I placed a Cryoset Gold Lion GZ34 in its place.  To me it eliminated a slight "hardness" to the sound.  Also using a Herbie's Rectifier damper on the G-L.