Mods : Fools Gold or the Real Thing

There is also Stan Warren. His only transport specific mod I am aware of is the Aiwa CD changer. He may do other transport mods, but you would need to call him.

Why aren't manufacturers doing this stuff themselves?I look at this Ah!Tjube CD player and for the bucks looks good but wondering if modifying my Sony 333 would be worth it.This is the type of moded product you would think more folks would want to produce.

Look at it this way: every $1 that a manufacturer puts into a product drives the suggested retail price up by $4 - $8. Since most products are built to a price point that most consumers can afford, they can all be improved by substitution of higher grade parts and / or circuit design changes. Doing such things on a mass production basis would be both cost prohibitive and alienate potential customers. This is not to mention that many products are built with features and reliability in mind with overall performance considered further down the line. After all, most consumers are attracted to something that looks fancy and has a lot of "bells & whistles", works "okay" and costs as little as possible. That is why both "rack" and "mini" systems are so popular. They give you a lot of "junk" for your money but perform quite poorly overall. Sean
>

Other than cost versus price points; another reason manufacturers do not perform many of these mods themselves, is the simple fact that many of those high grade parts are not available in large enough quantities to make enough units, or the supply is unreliable. I can remember a conversation with Stan Warren, where he commented he was backed up because he was having trouble getting some Black Gate caps. If Stan can't get a couple dozen quickly, imagine Sony's problem.
Also in many cases it may take too long to manufacture the unit in that way, so labor cost would be too high.

If you want a YBA made in France, you have to pay up; or settle for the cheaper Audio Refinement made in China. Same for the Creek designed gear for Cambridge Audio.

I can understand why manufacturers don't use the higher quality parts -- the public, including many who purchase higher priced transports, are satisfied with the sound. My take is that the after-market modding in transports is no different than automobiles or even homes. You can buy a new BMW and still change the chips, wheels, tires, exhaust systems, and even crankshafts. The same applies to homes. You can purchase a newly constructed house and then put in custome kitchens, bathrooms and the like. The key is whether your investment in the aftermarket costs show up in the performance department