CD Player Modifications. Is it worth the ?

Check out the LCAudio products at www.diycable.com
I installed four of the AD825 opamp modules replacing the BB units in my sony 9000es. I also replaced the coupling caps with Black Gates and installed top of the line Cardas RCA's and Bybee Filters purchased from www.modwright.com

These mods have made a huge difference.

I would say theat looking at your system on another thread and depending on your budget I would sink all I could into some nice speakers and then think about modding this player or another unit. Some machines are easier to work with than others. The folks over at DIY should be able to tell you what they have available for your player.

I would highly recommend the Bybee's from www.modwright.com they are so easy to install and make a huge all around improvement.

Chelillingworth, thanks very much for you top notch advice, I appreciate it.

Toss the NAD (or at least sell it used). A modified Pioneer from Stan Warren is only $400 complete with mod, and it will run circles around a modded NAD. It's in a compeltely different league.

The "fully modified" Pioneer DVD from Stan Warren can't hang with a better quality red book player. Stan himself will tell you that it will not have the bass impact, body, pace, tempo or warmth of a "good" cd player that is considered "musical". At least that's what he told one of my buddies that had him modify one for him. Sean
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CORRECTION TO SEAN'S LAST POST. He is taking words completely out of context regarding Stan Warren's statements. I speak to Stan over 40 times a year, and he has never made a statement like: " the modified Pioneer will not have the bass impact, body, pace, tempo or warmth of a good cd player that is considered musical". NEVER, NEVER, NEVER DID HE MAKE THIS STATEMENT!

The only thing that Stan has ever said about the Pioneer is that it is slightly lacking in bass impact and dynamics as compared to his other more expensive outboard d/a's and transports, and some of his other modified cd player variants. To be specific: some cd players, which Stan used to mod (namely the Teac), had a slight edge in its bass and dynamics, but the Teac is not nearly as musical, nor as refined as the latest Pioneer, that Stan now recommends modifying. I know this personally, because I still have one of the Teac's too!

The modified Pioneer is a wonderful unit for anyone looking for a cd player under the $1000 mark. It is sonically refined, and does not have any of the typical sonic anomalies that are so characteristic of virtually every other "budget" high end (read under $1200) cd player.

If the Pioneer had such "bass, impact and pace problems" that Sean claims Stan had stated , then why does he have so many satisfied customers ? Is Stan a hypnotist? Perhaps a cult leader? Maybe he uses drugs his customers? I know, he's an alien from the constellation Virgo, with the intent of controlling his customer's minds and ears! That's it, I'm in his control..... All of his customers are in his control! That's why we love his modified digital products so much. Invasion of the body snatchers is for real!

Sean I really think you should avoid making such statements like: "Stan will tell you himself.......". You are not his spokes person, and more importantly, you are speaking in regard to another persons conversation, that you did not participate in yourself.