We are in WA State, close to Portland, OR.
My comment about fuses is simply meant to convey that I don't advocate oversizing fuses in any of our gear. It will simply void the warranty as you introduce issues of liability, etc.
The SS OP stage can certainly be fit in either the Sony or the Oppo. I have both players en-route to my shop right now and both mods will be developed in parallel. I will thus be evaluating the SS OP stage in both players.
While I am a fan of both tube and SS sound, we did choose pure SS design for our first amplifier - the KWA 150 - and based on customer feedback, I believe we have achieved the goal of tube magic and SS strength. SS devices have come a long way and Alan Kimmel - long time tube designer - has applied his expertise to SS designs with similar principles.
I don't believe that one is better than the other - tube vs. SS designs. Rather, I believe that they both have their strengths and I prefer to use whichever technology sounds best for a given application.
The history of tubes vs. SS design is interesting. When transistors first became available, everyone got away from tubes, despite the fact that the first SS designs sounded terrible. Many people then returned to tubes and SET designs in particular. These days, I believe that a melding of modern tech and tubes allows for brilliant design possibilities. Better SS devices and knowledge learned over time have also allowed for exceptional SS designs.
There is also the subjective preference part of the equation. We all prefer different tonalities, presentation, etc. Those who know our designs and my sonic preferences, are familiar with our house sound. I don't like clinical, bright and cold sound. I also don't like characteristic 'tubey' sound, lacking detail and bass. I believe that it is possible to design for a very neutral and natural sound, that reproduces the original event as nearly as possible.
More and more, I am finding that customers and spouses/friends of our customers who are in the music business, classically trained musicians, etc., are very drawn to the sound of our designs. This tells me that no matter whether we are using tubes or SS devices, we are reaching our desired goal.
Sincerely,
Dan W.