CD Player Modifications. Is it worth the ?

To be COMPLETELY honest in this, i may have somewhat embellished what Stan told him. I specifically remember that the owner told me THREE times within the same phone conversaton that Stan told him the DVD would not have the same amount or quality of bass, bottom end or warmth as his current redbook player. From what i can remember, this was the same day that he talked to Stan on the phone. The owner obviously found this to be "disturbing" enough to repeat it to me multiple times during our conversation.

As to my comments about the unit lacking pace, drive, etc... this MIGHT be based on another conversation with the owner that i had AFTER he had gotten the unit back and listened to it. It is "possible" that i am combining his listening results with what his initial conversation with Stan consisted of. However, there is NO doubt in my mind that Stan DID alert him to the lack of bottom end PRIOR to the actual modification taking place to his unit. Sean
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So, after all of the "banter", would it be advantageous to modify my NAD C541? Or should I abondon the unit and purchase, say a REGA Planet 2000?

That is a personal decision. ANY unit can be improved upon by thoughtful and careful modifications and parts upgrades. You are best off to start with a unit that you like and go from there. Since the Rega can also be improved upon ( like any other unit ), you might be in the same boat in terms of wanting to upgrade or have it modified some time down the road. Be aware that some people prefer their units better BEFORE they were modified and are not as happy with them once the work is completed. Such are the crap-shoots with unproven or "one off" designs. Unless you can hear a unit that was modified IDENTICALLY to what you will be getting, you really don't know what it will sound like. The problem with this is that many "tweakers" tend to "progress" as they go along, making changes and updates as they learn and are exposed to more units. As such, the unit that "Billy Bob" has that was modified two months ago might not be the EXACT same unit that "Sammy Joe" gets back when he sends his unit in for mods next week. It might be "close", better or worse. That would all depend on the individual unit, the mods that were done differently and the end users personal preference and perspective.

Obviously, there are some here that think that the Pioneer DVD or Aiwa / MSB combo as modified by Stan Warren is the most cost effective way to go. My suggestion is to find someone that you can trust that works on that type of gear and talk to them about your options. If they are "straight up" and want to keep the customers happy, they will let you know what they think is the wisest move in terms of bang for the buck and the investments that you have already made.

A call to Stan Warren would probably be a good place for you to start, as i think that he is both good at what he does and honest. You might also try John Hillig at Musical Designs, Dan Wright at Modwright, Ric at EVS, Richard Kern, etc... These guys are all reputable and will present the options to you from their personal point of view. After all, it makes more sense from MY point of view to talk to the guys that you will actually be handing money to rather some knuckleheads ( like me ) on a forum that are simply running their mouths. It is good to post things publicly though, as it gives everyone the chance to share their experiences, as different as they may be. Sean
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Thanks Sean, sound advice.