I modded my Pioneer LX500 and it completely changed my listening experience. Very resolving and dynamic. Dan is a visionary when it comes to tube modifications, but his work is not cheap. I guess it all depends on the rest of your system whether you will hear the difference.
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So I know it’s not the same but I have a Krell Digital Vanguard pushing the Pioneer Mod to my Vandersteen 2ces and I hear a big difference. More air and like I said revealing and dynamic. I would think with the treos you will hear the difference. Plus you can tube roll. I would call Dan and speak to him or Kristin. I thought it might be a mistake to spend that kind of money but Modwright is top notch! I have seen huge differences in tweaking the front end. Just ordered Spatial M3s so I expect even more from the Mod. |
I’ve owned two of digtial mods over the years. First one was the Modwright 999ES and currently own the Modwright Marantz SA8005. As mentioned in this thread, Dan does great work and his support is second to none. In my experience his work is a considerable improvement over the stock players and the Oppo is one of his most popular mods. I will say that his Marantz mod has exceeded my expectations. Also keep your eyes posted on his website as he will offer up to 20% off on his mods from time to time. Good luck |
There’s nothing you can achieve with a mod that you cannot achieve with a separate DAC which you can run straight from your Oppo. Probably less expensively, better SQ and with way more choices and flexibility. For the price of the mod you can get a great DAC. That system will also hold its resale value a lot better. You can get a DAC with tubes if you wish, but best place for tubes IMO is at preamp or receiver level. |
I bought a Modwright oppo udp205 right after they were released and have been absolutely satisfied with it. Before, I was using a standard oppo bdp-103 that had great sound, but not close in comparison to the udp205. (The idea of prior listening to an un-Modwrighted udp205 never occurred to me, and how could I have objectively compared the two after the time-span gap it would have taken to perform the modifications...?!) Nevertheless, the sound quality is superb....there is a solidity and tonal purity when playing pureaudio BluRay discs that I had never heard before, and since I listen through a pair of Klipschorns (CJ preamp, modified Hafler amp, anticables, premium audioquest interconnects), I pretty much hear it all. The Sgt. Pepper Bluray will leave you astounded! One thing that is CRITICAL to getting the proper sound from any oppo disc player is the configuration.... so immediately open the setup menu and configure it to your particular speaker setup, etc. The udp205 comes factory-supplied to provide 7.1 sound; if you have only two speakers, etc. I guarantee if you don't do this that the first time you hear it you will be underwhelmed....that happened to me. I was quite confused/upset by my udp205 upgrade purchase until I took the time to follow each step in the user manual.....and once I performed those steps, I was completely sold by how amazing the Modwrighted player sounds. (These multiple settings, including the distance from the listener to the primary speakers, also allows you to set the "Crossover" which "allows you to set the Bass Management kick-in frequency for all speakers." This setting can be changed while you listen to music, and the the results may surprise you....different discs for me alternate between 60Hz and 80Hz for the best sound.) |
@deanshias I've owned my 205 for over a year and I cannot tell you how happy I am with my decision. Once you roll the rectifier and output tubes (IMO the stock tubes are syrupy warm and slow) you take your 205 from being a solid but not overly impressive DAC to a world class device Dan and his staff at Modwright are amazing to work with and they 110% stand behind what they build. Feel free to message me with any questions. Good luck! |
I absolutely love my Modwright Oppo 205. You will most likely never get customer service at this level again anywhere else. I can’t say enough good things about Modwright. My 205 locked up because of a bad board and I knew the problem wasn’t in the tube output stage since the problems started in the HT side of things. Dan said to send it in so he could take a look anyway. Even though the warranty is dead because of the Mods, Dan purchased and replaced the bad board for me. He only charged me for the board and no labor for the repairs. I argued that should pay him for labor but he wouldn’t have it. |
Hey Dean, I rolled an early NOS 1950’s brown based GEC U52 in for the rectifier and NOS 1975 Reflektor Silver Shields for the output tubes. The U52 is considered one of the 2 best 5u4g rectifiers ever made and the Reflektors are considered the top 6922 ever. The sound is open, detailed and fast, but very musical. Soundstaging is amazing. Both front to back and left to right. Deep, layered and detailed. I could also see someone liking 7308 or 6922 NOS Telefunkens which have a warmer sound signature but are a little too slow and thick sounding for my tastes. I tried NOS 69 Tele 6dj8’s and without any hours on them, the Reflektors bettered them in all the areas previously mentioned except in mid range richness but at at the expense of speed and detail. The Tele 7308’s are considered superior to the Tele 6dj8’s though. Please be sure to post your thoughts on the 205 when it arrives! 👍 |
@jafant So my system is going through some real drastic changes. presently Krell Digital Vanguard-SR Blue Fuse, Shunyata Delta PC, Pioneer LX500 Modwright analog out with Audioquest Sydney.I use an external RME-ADI-2 DAC(find that superior to the Krell’s) Wireworld Equinox Balanced into the Krell. Running Audrivana from my MacBook Ifi USB into DAC. Acoustic Signature Triple X, w/HanaSl into SPL Phonos. Going to my Vandersteen 2ces which are now up for sale on ‘gon. Just purchased Spatial M3 sapphires and soon replacing the Amp with SPL Performer and Director combo. Speaker cables will change too but I’m using Audioquest Castle Rocks, probably gonna do a combo of Anticables for the Spatials ...I have to say that I am just so impressed with the SPL line. You guys should check them out. Exciting times. |
I got my UDP-205 when it was first released by Oppo. I was very familiar with how very good recordings sounded. In September, I got it modified. I heard a distinct improvement in the recordings. Jazz female vocalists sounded less grainy to me. It sounded to me like it smoothed out the digital rough edges on my digital music. I am using the stock tubes included with the mod, but I have different tubes on order to experiment with the sound. Several people have commented on the price of the mod. Keep in mind that this is not only a mod to the Oppo unit, but it also includes a very high quality external power supply (External PS 9.0 v. 10) and cable. On the ModWright website, look at pictures of the UDP-105 mod to see the power supply and special cable. |
I second what allanw says about the significance of the ModWright power supply. A separate, tube-rectified power supply is the quietest type that you can get; it's not common because it's so expensive. And you can even update the already-excellent umbilical that's made with Cardas wire with the WyWires version that was created in partnership with ModWright. Good power is the start of great sound, right? Some of the internals of the Oppo are also improved: better wiring, Bybee products, etc. That's a big plus. And of course, the tube-based output stage is a tremendous benefit in bringing a more "analogue" sound to the digital format. You get the best of both worlds, and that's the endgame. I like that the "Truth" modification takes a holistic approach to this process - improve the functional basics of the player and then bring a more analogue sound through the tube-based output stage. Expensive? Of course - high-quality custom work always is. Worth it? Every penny. |
@deanshias I too have been interested in the Modwright Oppo 205. In case you didn't know, there is only one review online of it: https://darko.audio/2018/03/human-after-all-the-modwright-modded-oppo-udp-205/ The best rectifier for the power supply is the expensive Emission Labs EML 5U4G. Sixmoons review of the Modwright Oppo 105 mentioned a large sound difference in it over the Slovtek rectifier. |
@deanshias,
http://www.tubeaudiostore.com/eml5u4gmesh.html These tubes are made in Czechoslovakia... |
Right...so you take your car to have the engine rebuilt. Then after the job is done if you dont like it you should have them completely take the engine apart again and have them change it back to the way it was and get all your money back. IDIOTIC!!!! I wish people had to qualify before being allowed to post...like an Audiogon IQ test. |
I have a friend whose ears I trust sell his Linn Klimax server for a Modwright Oppo and he prefers the Oppo. Just as an aside, try putting a Vibrapod under each of the Oppo's feet. I am normally not much of a believer in this type of stuff, but IMO, there was a big improvement in the sound. I generally don't feel like expending the effort for A/B comparisons, but I went back and forth a few times and I much preferred the sound with Vibrapods,. I used the 3's, which were what I had around. |
Dean, good questions and I am interested in your impressions as well. Subscribed :-) Thanks for the audio circle link A quick search shows a lot of short posts that are positive and the usual good internet reviews-for-hire. Just wondering if there is anyone out there that regretted this 2.5k mod since the 205 sounds *really* good by itself. |
I just got mine back from Dan. If you think the Oppo is a good player, this thing is many levels above it. Even with the stock tubes (which I've since replaced with Mullards and an RCA vintage 1944 rectifier) it sounded great. The NOS tubes take it to a whole other place. The soundstage is huge, stretches from wall to wall in my listening room, the noise floor is much lower and the level of detail is incredible. I'm very happy with what I got back and believe this is the best player I've ever owned. |
Another LX500 user here sold 10K worth of PS Audio when i got it! I was looking to get a 205 used around the time they started going up in price but after talking to Dan it seems the LX500 is 95% the sound quality of the 205 so I got one on his recommendation and it is spectacular with the sound quality. Only wish it had balanced outs. |
One of the features I like most about the Oppo UDP-205 is its capability to play the higher resolution files. Whether or not one believes that a person can hear differences, I have the option to see for myself. I have downloaded DSD512 and DXD files, and played them without any issues. These sound very sweet with the mod. |
Damn this sounds so much better! My wife needed 3 seconds to tell the difference. Not by a little... but substantially. The first impression is that everything is larger!.. Wider, more imaging, more sonics, details are where they need to be, pleasurably analytical, voices and instruments sound like they have their own speaker. I now understand when reviews said harshness disappears, very musical (for me it means that my foot is tapping, singing, and getting into the song and not just impressed by how good it sounds). HT is more engaging also. Very happy with upgrade. Only problem is... I'm curious to see how better tubes sound! |
@deanshias, Glad to hear you’re enjoying the mods on your oppo. Dan is great to with and his mods are worth every single penny. Let the fun begins with tube rolling. I found NOS Telefunken 6922’s and Philips rectifier hit the sweet spot with his mods. https://upscaleaudio.com/products/philips-5r4gys-made-in-holland |
@unsound Yes, perhaps so. But only if you ignore what IMO is the ultimate futility of building up an expensive disk based system. Ripping CDs and SACDs is what everyone will eventually turn to for great convenience and better SQ. Not to mention downloaded files and streaming. Getting a fine external DAC and hooking it up to an Oppo is a great first step. Different strokes! |
