CD Player Modifications. Is it worth the ?

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?

As an owner of a "modded" 333ES player I can speak from some experience... I think the money I spent was worth it for a variety of my own reasons but my advice to you would be not to mod the NAD and my reasons are:

1. It will void the warranty and while I had no problems with my NAD 540 when I owned it there have been reports/discussions about the "reliability" of some of NAD's cdps. If there is a component failure then you will have to pay for the repairs regardless of the fault.

2. The probable cost of mods may be similar in net outlay costs of selling yor 541 & purchasing the Rega 2000. Possibly more to mod...

3. The 541 in my opinion is a very nice player at its price-point and there doesn't seem to be much previous discussion of anyone modding this particular unit and therefore there is very little feedback to go by.

Good luck with your decision

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.