Alert, Warning, and Caution about Modified Components

This information has previously been provided to the group under a previous, pre-existing  thread and is beyond dispute, argumentation, or refutation however the thread was deleted because of improper, abusive, antagonistic behavior by one of the participants which while it was a correct, justified, and measured response by the moderators it had the unfortunate, unintended, unnecessary consequence, result, and effect of removing this information that will be of value to some although of course many of the knowledgeable experts here will already know this.

There are some dealers who sell new equipment that they have modified, altered, or customized by some method, fashion, or design and I am not talking hear about professionals who are often degreed engineers who are fully educated, skilled, and qualified to make such alterations to components intended for use in a Music Reproduction System. I am talking about dealers some of which are actually "part time" as can be shown by they're store hours and these retailers, merchandisers, and salesman do not have the prerequisite qualifications to perform this type of work. Without expressing any opinion, judgement, or assessment of these "modifications" I offer to the group these agreed upon details of which those considering such action should be consciuous:

1.) Any modification of an electrical component carries with it a potential hazard of fire and/or electrical shock and as such can be lethal and this risk should be considered against the potential value of any "improvement" promised as a result of the modification.

2.) Any modification is certain to render invalid, void, and unenforceable any manufacturer's guarantee, warrantee, promise, or assurance regarding safety, reliability, and performance of the equipment subjected to the alteration. 

3.) Because of as stated in item 2 above, the manufacturer of such modified equipment is certain to decline, refuse, and reject any request to service, repair, or even inspect such a unit that has been altered contrary to or in in conflict or defiance of it's original design.

4.) Because the altered unit is now something unique unto itself and familiar only with the person who did the modification it is likely if not certain that no one will be willing to service or repair the unit other than the modifyer himself which as we know may be fully unqualified to perform any such work.

5.) You should also be cynical, suspicous and doubtful of anyone who asserts, insists, or represents in any way that his modified component is superior in performance, specification, or result from a factory original unit which has been fully tested and verified before even entering into production.


I will add to these facts that those who are unqualified to make such expensive modifications refuse to provide specific information, detail, and explanation of the work that they perform while those who are expert, qualified, and capable to do such work will explain the exact work that they perform.

This thread is limited, restricted, and reserved for discussion of equipment component modification and off topic response will be reported to the appropriate Audiogon authorities for deletion.