Romulus CD player--

Audiolabyrinth,
You simply have to go down the path that works best for you. I have no interest in telling others what's right for them, none.I just relate my listening experiences and the outcome observed. Premium active (tubes for me in particular) preamplifiers present more naturalness, truth and realism and I must have that vital contribution.
Charles,

Ok you Aphiles. The Star Sound Apprentice 103 stand with 1.5 inch cones is just simply delicious under the Romulus. Hard to believe a simple stand/footer could make such a sweet improvement in my music.

Less electronic or reproduced sounding music.....notes float in a space as if the speakers were not there at all. Music has a delicious richness and tone that is more intoxicating. Precise imaging with a noticeable absence of haze, smearing and noise you never thought was there.

Ya, I like the stand a lot :-)

It's nice to read that Grannyring is enjoying his modified
Romulus, but it's not IMO, a true indication of the Romulus Signature product's performance.

First,the his digital card hasn't been changed,next the
Signature upgrade includes HRS Nimbus Couplers(no need for add on cones)and finally,he hasn't heard the VC option running direct.

If you're interested in this product, find a dealer that can demo a true Signature Romulus for you.

Kana you need to back down man. You have no idea how the units differ as you have not heard mine. Is it possible the Star Sound rack is better sounding than the HRS? Is it possible the Jupiter caps are better sounding than the Dynamicaps? They are. Is it possible the 70 pound tube regulated Dude is better sounding than the 4x4 inch circuit board card that is the VC in the Romulus Signature? Oh my it most certainly is possible.

Is it possible one's complete system and room are tuned to get more out of a given player? You bet it is.

Do some not want to deal with a computer as a front end transport? Many do not.

Is it possible that my unit is 90 plus percent of the full Signature? Certainly.

You make the stock unit sound like a distant relative. For $7000 it better not be.

My guess is you're not an experienced modifier and don't know the kinds of gains that are possible with effort and experience. I have both.

Not sure what your motivation is, but you seem to be narrow minded and rather myopic on this topic.

I like the Aesthetix company and Glenn has been helpful as we talked through these upgrades. Is there more I can do? Why yes and that will come in the future.

No unit or brand of DAC is so fully baked that careful upgrades couldn't yield additional sonic improvements.

I don't have a Signature model, no I have a unique hybrid unit placed in a well tuned complete system that you have never heard. Stand down Kana.

No absolutes in this hobby. None. Impossible to know what a given unit sounds like in the context of a complete system. I pointed out just a few of the variations above. The totality of my Romulus, in my system vs. a Signature in another system with no Dude, no Apprentice rack, no mods is impossible for you to judge.

@ Kana813, Do you have a signature Romulas running direct to amplification?