711smilin,
I cannot proclaim to be an expert on the TRL Sony 595 because I do not own one. However, your claims that TRL uses fairy paste might be a bit exaggerated don't you think?
I had extensive conversations with Paul about the mods done to my Alesis ML9600. To the best of my knowledge clocking issues were resolved and as a result of the mod the component does not do a significant amount of error correction. While this has improved the Alesis, this also means it may have some problems reading scratched or old discs, although to date I have had no such issues. Doesn't sound like fairy paste to me.
I believe clocking improvement is a big part of what TRL does as part of any mod regardless of the unit. In my case they performed more work on the digital side than the analogue side due to the design of the unit. Hence it is best used as a transport, which is fine with me anyway. Granted I did not see any epoxy on my unit but there was chassis dampening done to it. I'm sure there were other things done that I couldn't tell, but I think some people have a problem with TRL due to the fact that they keep their mods proprietary (which I am told is the reason the epoxy is really there). Other modders list the services they provide and therefore people seem to be more comfortable with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion as to which mod company is best for them. I chose to take the leap of faith with Paul and I don't regret it. At the same time I'm interested in what Alex is doing and look forward to hearing the results of his work.
Before I purchased the Alesis I looked seriously at the modded Jolida JD-100s. Underwood was one company I looked at. They have a stellar reputation for the Jolida mods, yet there is significant debate as to whether the mods are in the best interest of the original intent of the JD-100 design. Obviously Underwood lists their mods which include high quality capacitors, new clock, new power supply, and better wiring among others. There are a lot of pieces replaced and I can see the point of the anti-modders. In reality sometimes less is more.
There are obviously TRL fanatics out there and I can see why. Paul seems to know his business. He is involved in recording and engineering and even though he may not be in the spotlight, perhaps some people prefer it that way. To each their own. You are obviously a big fan of Alex's work and I don't hold that against you as you are someone with first hand experience with it. But in the end it's all opinion, nothing more nothing less. Each of us has one and we can use the information shared on this board and others to make our own decisions as to which products are best for us.
BTW - look for the 6moons review of the TRL modded Alesis.
