My dad started his machine shop in our basement. I was his first "employee" at age 9. Physically impacting physical objects was second nature to me. Relocating the Mac9 racing engine from our racing go-cart as a kid onto a minibike then, unexpectedly, passing my dad coming the other direction in his Corvair van at 65 MPH was one of those "just because you can, doesn’t mean you should" moments.
My life as a "modder" of audio gear began innocently enough with interconnects It was the moment that I leaned that an $80 interconnect on a $350 CD player can sound better than an $800 player from the same manufacturer with the factory OEM cable attached. Years later, I "popped the hood" (or, in the UK, "lifted the bonnet") and looked inside. Discovered great examples of structural integrity, zero compromise, and attention to detail. Also noticed compromises due to manufacturing efficiency, in field service and cost considerations. Also found the occasional "weirdness" that was difficult to wrap my head around. And, some old, and VERY old thinking. I did eventually fill one item on my "bucket list", built a speaker, and was awarded a patent in 1990.
Attempting to describe sonic improvements from performance upgrades subjectivity is difficult, even if you have good command of vocabulary. I can sling authentic audiophile gibberish around with the best of them. But, until YOU have experienced something, you haven’t really experienced it. As someone said: "An opinion is what you get from someone else. A viewpoint is what you observe yourself." Taking a car from 0-60 in 5 seconds can be exhilarating. Doing it in 3 seconds is a different experience altogether. You go from "Wee, we’re having fun now!!" to blurred vision, lightheadedness, and the real prospect that you are having an medical emergency. Relating that same experience in an over-the-top audio equipment mod just doesn’t have the same impact.
My "mods" generally involve "low tech" solutions: improve connection integrity, parts quality, and sometimes just getting things out of the way that make it sound worse. Speakers, in particular, are guilty of errors of omission AND errors of commission. They can cover up detail, focus, spacial information, compress dynamics, etc. They are also guilty of adding sounds on their own. Things vibrate (and need to be dampened), reflections, and micro-phonics of components. Addressing BOTH of these phenomena provides good, consistent results. Sometimes $10 spent in the right area(s) can yeild more sonic benefits than $100 spent in the wrong area(s).
One of those things that gives me pleasure is discovering how much music can come out of inexpensive (yes, cheap) components if you get things out of the way and let them play. I’m also the same guy that bolted a turbo onto what is technically a British 4-cylinder tractor engine from the mid-60s. It’s not my 0-60 in 3 seconds rocket, but it’s a heck of a lot more fun to drive these days.
Part of my "education" process is to take a look at things from the totally opposite position from where I am "firmly positioned." Some may call it "intellectual humility." I reference a statement from the past: "There are no absolute truths. Only relative truths. And, workable truths." In that regard, one of my favorite books is: "Better Off. Flipping the Switch on Technology." The story is about an MIT student who decided to live with, do a research paper on the Amish for 18 months. No electricity. No internet. The life lessons he learned were profound. Won’t be the spoiler here. I’ll just recommend it.
Nice discusssion here. OP, thanks for the topic.