[Ric Schultz]

I have been modifying the Oppo players for a few months and everyone is seriously happy with the results.

I have a $800 street price Marantz 8001 player here (the guy that owns it wants me to do my magic on it) with a $2000 plus mod done to it by one of the "other guys" ....name withheld so bomb won't appear in mailbox he he.  It sounds nice....however our level 1 plus Oppo mod ($440) to a $150 Oppo 970 sounds just as good.  I knew my mods were terrific but this confirms it big time.  I have been modding CD players and DVD players, etc. longer than anyone and am constantly gathering new info and parts to try.  I don't do cookie cutter mods.....each machine takes me weeks to work up the mod on.  I do lots of things the other guys don't.....I spend mucho time damping things no one else touches and change and remove things no on else does.  Cannot give you exact details here....but can tell you more over the phone.  I work harder and longer than anyone and because my mods are so labor intensive I make less.  I don't mind as long as I make a decent living......you guys benefit.  Incredible sound.....at an incredible price.   Two guys thought the level two ($700 mod) modded Oppos were at least as good as using the battery powered non-oversampling Altmann wood mounted DAC.

I now have level one mod done on the Denon DVD2930CI.  This bigger, sexier machine has as as good a sound as the Oppo but with slightly better video, much better remote, ergonomics and feel.  I love it.  It has more room in it for mods so I am sure I can get it to sound even more transparent with level 2 mods(coming soon).

These Universal machines (play CD, HDCD, DVD-A, SACD, movies) are terrific for super high end two channel systems, home theater and as use as transports (just sending out a modified Oppo today for someone to use as the source to his Panny receiver).......speaking of Panny receivers....this week I will be working up some mods to the XR57.....should be done soon).

Check out my website: http://www.tweakaudio.com for more info or call me at 831-338-2896 9-5 Pacific Time.....if I am not here, I will call you right back.....I usually monitor the phone so start to leave a message.

Ric Schultz
Electronic Visionary Systems.

[dmckean]

.......speaking of Panny receivers....this week I will be working up some mods to the XR57.....should be done soon).

I can't find any mention of this on your website. Did you ever start offering these mods?

[randytsuch]

.......speaking of Panny receivers....this week I will be working up some mods to the XR57.....should be done soon).

I can't find any mention of this on your website. Did you ever start offering these mods?

look here
http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Oppo_Player_Mods.html

BTW, I have a EVS modded panasonic DVD player, and it sounds really good for the price, Ric's work is a bargain for what you get.

Randy

[dmckean]

There's nothing on that page about the Panasonic Receiver Randy.

[Ric Schultz]

No mods to Panny receivers.....Too much stuff in the thangs and not enough time to work up a mod....I sent the unit off to the owner unmodified....oh well.   I know someone who uses the even better 700 Panny to drive his $25,000 speakers.....using a $2000 mod to a $13,000 Esoteric as transport....the 700 is STOCK!!!!  He thinks it is amazing.  I turned on a customer to one a few weeks ago and he is now selling his Marsh amp.....he loves it stock.  These digital receivers are suppose to really need/like serious line conditioning.

By the way, I have been doing some more tweaks to a Oppo 980 here and the $440 mod is now keeping up with the now $2700 mod ($2000 mod from RAM and $700 more mods from me) to the Marantz 8001.....amazing these Oppos.

[OBF]

Ric,

If a person was going to use an Oppo and one of the Panny receivers, would they want to use an Oppo with your digital mod into the receivers SPDIF?  It wouldn't make sense to feed them an analog signal would it?

[nature boy]

Ric,

Do the Level one plus mods to a Oppo 970 disable the use of the unit for DVD-video viewing purposes?

My 970 is doing double duty with HDMI hook up to my LCD monitor and analog audio outputs to my bedroom 2-channel system.

NB 

[slbenz]

Ric,

Based on your experience modifying the Oppos, between the 970 and 980, which one, if any, give a better sound with the same level of mods?  Currently own a 970.  Glad to see you are giving the RAM folks a run.  Have you heard any of the APL Hi-Fi products?   

Slbenz

[JDUBS]

No mods to Panny receivers.....Too much stuff in the thangs and not enough time to work up a mod....I sent the unit off to the owner unmodified....oh well.   I know someone who uses the even better 700 Panny to drive his $25,000 speakers.....using a $2000 mod to a $13,000 Esoteric as transport....the 700 is STOCK!!!!  He thinks it is amazing.  I turned on a customer to one a few weeks ago and he is now selling his Marsh amp.....he loves it stock.  These digital receivers are suppose to really need/like serious line conditioning.

Ric, is the Pansonic (SA-XR700?) using its digital inputs from a transport or analog inputs in the cases you site?  Have you heard one yourself?

Very interesting stuff....I haven't heard anything about this model until now.

-Jim

[Ric Schultz]

OK,
Yes, you would want to hook up a Panny using its digital input.  It can accept up to 24/192.  No SACD though.
You can use the analog input but its analog circuitry is not very good and you will get better sound going digital to digital than you would from a DAC output into their ADC (generally speaking, of course).  The digital out mods to the Oppo are perfect for this.

After the mods the sound from a 970 and 980 are very similar....just spent many more hours lately fine tuning the 980.....both are great.

Have not personally heard any APL products.....all are now are very expensive.

All functions on the modified Oppos remain the same after modification.....however, for best sound, I usually disconnect the toslink but have a couple of wires inside that you can twist together to make it functional again.....of course, I can ship it without disconnecting it.   Also, if you are using the Oppo for 2 channel analog only (and/or/or not using digital out for multichannel) then disconnecting all the other multichannel output op amps makes the sound better (just did this on an Oppo shipped yesterday, better imaging, cleaner sound without all those extra op amps and ceramic bypass caps).