To Mod Denon DVD-5900 or not?

John,

I would put a slightly different spin on the value/attractiveness of modded gear. I would say that once a person understands the tremendous amount of sonic improvement that modifications offer, especially to gear that is not the "latest and greatest" or was not the "top of the line" offering when that model was being sold, then the modified gear will become more attractive and hold more value.

The fact that I know how good modified gear can perform/sound, I try to exclusively buy only modified/customized gear. The value/attractiveness to me goes way up when I know it's not stock.

Your points are well taken though.

Mike

I agree with all concerning the value of modded gear as it really depends on who modded it. But for the most part what I have seen is that modded units do not hold their value well. However, when I compare the sound of my unit to other high end units, as I mentioned above, my player turns into a great value (IMO). My player plus mods cost me less than the depreciation on most of those high end players assuming one buys new.

And I agree with Mike you simply can not believe the sonic improvements, at least in my experience, over the stock unit. This is especially true when you compare the sonics of the modded unit...mine in particular.... to the cost of the higher end units. The higher end units are priced to point and also bear the burden of marketing and distribution plus retail mark-ups.

In the end one has to be satisfied with ones own decision whether or not the cost to mod justifies the end result.

Chuck

Thanks to all who responded, I appreciate the honest feedback so I can make a better decision.

John(Jmcgrogan2),
Sounds like the safer way would be to look for already used modified players or higherend stock players. My question is, if you go with the higherend stock units, where do I start? What level retail should I be looking at to compete favorably with modded Denons? Would for an example, a used modded Denon 3910/5900/5910 compete with stock units costing in the retail $5k-$7K, or would I have to look higher or lower to get an equal increase in performance? You know what I mean? Where do I draw the line to start? I am assuming that the modded Denons would beat the stock players ranging from $3k - $5k, or am I wrong to assume that? This is where it gets confusing and too many choices, if i can weed out most and isolate a shorter list of possible candidates, that would help. To clarify, if I spent (hypothetically) $2,500 on a used stock unit that costs in the $5k -$7k msrp, would that same $2,500 amount spent on a used modded Denon give me better performance? Or would that stock player be on the same level if not better than the used modded Denon? Or do I have to look at used stock units costing more in msrp say from $7k-10k to have an equivalent level of performance as the used modded Denon?

cuttingedge168@hotmail.com, if indeed that is your real name, do you mind if I call you ce168@h.c for short?

I think I know what you're asking. Since I currently own two highly modded players, I guess I would recommend you look for a used modded player. I think the modded units represent a good value. To use your example, I just bought a modded cd player for $2600. It is a unit that listed for $3500 in stock form and had $3600 worth of modifications. IMHO, I would have had to spend over $4-5K on a used $8-10K stock player to equal or top it. Does that make sense? Don't get me wrong, I do think that modded units perform very well, at least the mods that I've heard. Better than stock units and better than many more expensive units. Stock units have other associated costs that drive up their list price, as Chuck states.

As Mike says, since I know how much a mod adds sonically, and how much it depreciates on the used market, I spend my money on used modified units. To get a $3000 worth of mods for $500 is too good to pass up.

That being said, I'd never be the one to originally purchase the mod. If you plan on keeping your unit for a very long time, this may be a worthwhile investment. However, I know myself, not much lasts longer than 2 years in my system. I'd take a beating if I was only getting back 20-25 cents on the investment dollar. Then again, it might force me to keep gear longer.....

FWIW ce168@h.c, why are you only interested in modded Denon's? There are many modded Esoteric's, Marantz's, Sony's and others out there too. One word of warning, make sure it is a reputable modifier, someone who can repair the unit if there are any problems, since most mods will void any factory warranty and some manufacturers have balked at even repairing a modded unit. Perhaps that's one reason that re-sale on a modded unit is so tough.

John

John(Jmcgrogan2),

Can you email me, or what's your email address? I would like to ask you some stuff offline.

Thanks,
Dan