The mods are intended to improve it as a streamer/DAC, i.e. standalone digital solution. It can be used with an external DAC, but our mods would not benefit it.
It is an amazingly flexible unit with Roon, Tidal, Spotify connectivity and just about any other way to connect to local or network storage and plays all high-rez formats (not sure about MQA).
My goal was to make it a fantastic all-in-one solution for about $2500, in a world in which digital is simply changing very fast. There is no need for a dedicated server, as you can use a NAS, locally connected HD or connect to any network via WiFi, Chromecast, ethernet, etc. It is also a fully capable Roon endpoint.
Thanks,
Dan