Modified equipment...

Get the mod only if you want it. I have some gear modified by Stan Warren who is very popular on this site. If I ever sell this stuff it will probably only sell well to a person looking for stuff modded by Stan.

Manufacturers use components they can get in large enough quantities to meet estimated demand, and to meet the price point they want to set. This means it is not necessarily the best parts in sound quality. The time it takes to put the unit together also matters in the design, so a better design may be passed over to save labor cost. The modifier only needs to find parts for your unit.

The only Stan modded unit I have that is probably worth more than a stock unit is my Pioneer DVD player I use in my den/home office system. DVD player makers come out with new models every 6 months, so mine while is only over a year old, is now 2 models obsolete to Joe Consumer. It sells stock on eBay used for only $80. I should be able to do a lot better selling on Audiogon as a CD player which is what the mod if for.