To Mod Denon DVD-5900 or not?

It appears many audiophiles are using mod player of some sort. This really make me wonder if the mod is really superior over stock of higher price units: a) Is it cheaper with the mod? b) Is the sound really better. I too would appreciate if someone could comments on the sound of their mod unit as compared to the stock of higher price players.

I modify/upgrade speaker crossover networks with better parts and was amazed at the sonic improvement. I took this approach when I modified/upgraded my EAD CD-1000 mkIII. I replaced 28 critical caps with much better Rubycon caps, 4 power supply diodes with soft recovery Stealth diodes, replaced all internal wiring with teflon coated silver wiring, and the Auricap tweak right after the IEC inlet.

These are very basic mods/upgrades, I did not alter the circuit design at all, I just put in better quality parts. The results were again amazing. More musical, more air and space around voices and instruments, quieter blacker background, wider soundstage, better imaging, and details within the music were even more noticable. Everything became that much better, highs, mids, and lows.

If you have a decent CDP, it's going to respond well with better parts and is worth it because the source is so important.

Well I would say that you don't see modded Denon 5900's because the mod fad is relatively new. It has been picking up steam, but really only goes back a year or so. I know that mod companies have always been out there, but the Denon line really only became fashionable lately. I have heard of modded Denon 2900's though. I heard a Exemplar modded 2900. By the time mod companies became real fashionable the 2910/3910/5910 series was the established line from Denon. FWIW, I would think that a modded 5910 and 5900 would sound very similar, the difference would be the video performance.

As for the value of mods, this has been discussed here before and is a topic of hot debate. You may want to search the archives. Yes, I agree with Vman71, it does improve the sonics. However, make sure you plan to keep the unit, as you will never come close to re-couping your investment. You'll find that when selling modded equipment, even from a reputable mod company, you will have little interest and lose a bunch of money.

I do like listening to equipment from different mod companies, but I prefer to buy them with the mod already done, it's much cheaper this way. I currenly have two machines from different mod services. One had a $2800 mod that I paid about $500 more than a stock used one for, and the other has two mods totally $3600 that I paid about $700 more than a used one for. So figure if you pay for the mod yourself, if you ever sell it you'll get about 20-25 cents back on the dollar. Not a good investment IMHO.

I think modded units can easily compete with the more expensive stock units, however, the more expensive stock units will hold their value better and be easier to re-sell. So I personally wouldn't even consider modding your 5900. I would sell it and buy a already modded unit or a more expensive stock unit. This of course is just my opinion. I've been told before that it is wrong, mostly from folks who have paid top $$$ to have the original mod done themselves. Of course if you are handy like Vman71 and can do the mod yourself you can save a bunch of $$$, but just know that when selling, most people won't touch a modified unit. I notice that the views on my ads are cut by two-thirds if I even mention a mod was done. Even if the mod was done by a reputable service. Most folks won't touch a modified unit.

That is my experience anyway. You are free to do what you wish.

John