Given what I've seen on AA relating to the superclock mods for the Sony SACD players and the sonic differences I've heard between well-made and flimsy transports, I'd say mods are the real deal. Remember that essentially everything you can buy retail is a compromise to meet a price point; a modifier who knows what he/she is doing can give a lot of bang for the buck in the way of improvements. The trade off is voiding the warranty on your unit, which may or may not be an issue depending on its age.
