The following is a summary of my review. The full review can be found on
my web site. Feel free to provide feedback in this thread.
Overall, I am very pleased with the 47Ai mods for all formats: redbook, SACD, and DVD-A. For redbook, compared with my Ah! 4000 w/ upsampling board, it matched the clarity and detail up top, had more weight and three-dimensionality in the mids, and provided more impact in the lows. For SACD, the 47Ai had the same advantages in the mids and lows relative to my Sony C555ES, but the Sony had more crispness at higher frequencies (although there was a price to pay on a couple of selections). DVD-A shared the same 47Ai strengths as the other formats. My Panny RP-91 didn't even compare to the stock 47Ai for DVD-A.
If you have a 47Ai, care about audio performance, and aren't looking to upgrade in the near future, then the ModWright basic multi-channel mods ($350) is a no-brainer. The tube upgrade costs another $350. I'm glad I did it, but I think the basic multi-channel mods gets you a large percentage of the way there.
If you're looking for a new player, I think there is value in going with a ModWright 47Ai, as I think it outperforms the stock Denon 2900 on audio(but at a $300 - $400 premium), which I have heard in my system. I would expect a modded 2900 to outperform a modded 47Ai, but that will cost a nice premium above the modded 47Ai. Of course, video priorities can sway the decision; I have not included video in my assessment.
Doug
