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Digital front end question

I've been out of High End audio for 9 years, and have just jumped back in. I need to know if digital front ends have changed that much in 9 years ... Can a Theta DS Pro Basic IIIa with a good transport compete with a Marantz 8001 ? And would I be insane to buy a $170 Oppo 980H and have Ric at EVS do $1100 worth of mods as my front end ? I already have a good transport, and can buy a used Theta Dac like mentioned above for $500 ...
timtim
usblues
1,217 posts
 
A few years ago Ric modded a Panasonic S47 for 3 or 400$ for me.It was a real good sounding player.I don't know what 1100$ gets you nowdays.Seems like alot,but I can't begin to know what he's going to do.He is very knowledgeable[sp].Best of luck,Bob
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
No, you wouldn't be crazy, Ric did some great things for my Pioneer DV-58AV. Ultimately it's not near as good as my Playback Designs MPS-5, that costs around 6-times as much.

I was talking with Ric about his 32-bit mods to the Oppo vs. buying the MPS-5. He said, "Get the MPS-5 if you can afford it." Without having heard Ric's moded Oppo, I can only guess that it's very good, but short of state of the art.

Talk to Ric about the best model Oppo from the point of view of ease of use and non-glitchyness. Mine would sometimes play the CD layer on a hybrid SACD, even though I set my preferences for SACD. The Pioneer (I've got Oppo, Pioneer and Playback Designs) was much easier to use and flawlessly played my preferred layers of SACD and DVD-A. Still, the Oppo is a great value.

Dave
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
Timtim,

The big thing with digitial is that it now sounds decent. Actually, some CD rigs actually sound awesome. You have to pay to play but there is (finally) some great sounding digital out there. A Benchamrk DAC, approx $975, sounds incedibly better than digital did nine years ago. The shrieking, etched, harshness and tinnyness is gone - with the good sounding stuff, that is.
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