I too am not surprised that the cord made a bigger difference on the transport, considering that's where jitter originates, and you're talking about a component not necessarily optimized for its functionality as a pure transport or with the greatest of care concerning its digital output.
Sean, I would love to possess the confidence to take what you're saying about DIY to heart. I have reason to believe that my '98-vintage VTL MB-185 Sig. mono's could be made better by modding, but the factory wants big bux (plus of course the cross-country shipping costs and risks involved) to do a coupling cap upgrade alone. But I wouldn't feel comfortable, with no prior experience worth mentioning, in mucking about inside a high-powered tube amplifier. I plan on checking around with some local tech guys, but I can't be sure they'd know all the best things that could be done with these. Maybe it's time I started learning something about this stuff, but it seems daunting to an electrically-challenged ignoramus like myself.
Sean, I would love to possess the confidence to take what you're saying about DIY to heart. I have reason to believe that my '98-vintage VTL MB-185 Sig. mono's could be made better by modding, but the factory wants big bux (plus of course the cross-country shipping costs and risks involved) to do a coupling cap upgrade alone. But I wouldn't feel comfortable, with no prior experience worth mentioning, in mucking about inside a high-powered tube amplifier. I plan on checking around with some local tech guys, but I can't be sure they'd know all the best things that could be done with these. Maybe it's time I started learning something about this stuff, but it seems daunting to an electrically-challenged ignoramus like myself.