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Are some of us losing our minds over upgrades??

I happened to run across a thread from 2011 regarding upgrading CD players; in particular, a Sony XA5400ES which was in the A- column of Stereophile for a few years. Some member had this model Sony player upgraded by Modwright( not sure if related to the amp and pre-amp company). The upgrade cost $2000, and the AG member claimed it was NOW the best sounding player on the planet.

OK, let me cut to the chase, I have seen adds for used Sony XA5400ES on AG between $1000 to $1200. Original retail was $1499 Call me crazy or a cheapskate, but lets say for argument sake you bought this player for $1100, and had it upgraded by Modwright, you have invested $3100 plus shipping in a CD player that may not necessarily be superior to the Ayre CX7emp which was the player that was being compared to both the pre-upgraded Sony, and of course the post-upgraded Sony. Nevertheless, I don't understand the logic behind such a move. I would like to hear from members that may own an upgraded XA5400ES, or anyone else who wants to provide insight into the upgrade craze. Thanks, Jim
sunnyjim

Showing 2 responses by vhiner

vhiner
544 posts
 
I've heard mods done to a variety of DACs, amps and preamps. John Hillig and John Wright are masters at this and their mods are absolutely worth the very reasonable sums they charge. However, most of their mods are in the sub $1,000 range.

I think the challenge with multi-thousand dollar mods is judging the return on one's investment. If one is going to keep the gear, then it's strictly a subjective call; if you like the sound, it was worth it. If, however, you plan on re-selling the gear, I don't find the super expensive mods to be a "sound" investment because you rarely recoup the investment when re-selling.

To get a taste of what a moderate modification can do, replace your stock fuses with some Hifi Tuning or Synergistic fuses. Be careful, though. You might get bitten by the upgrade bug. ;-)
vhiner
544 posts
 
Biconero117,

A cursory review of Audiogon's listings reveals that hundreds, if not
thousands of audiophiles *are* very concerned about re-sale because they
are trying to "work their way up" to better sounding equipment.
For wise shoppers, buying equipment which holds its value eventually
enables them to afford truly great equipment. The goal for these savvy
consumers is better sound, not just collecting gear.

Be careful about labeling others' comments "silly" on a public
forum or you might end up looking silly yourself.
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