[mr_bill]

Dan when you get a moment, will you comment on the performance of the Denon 5900 with your basic mods vs. the 2900 with signature tube mods, now that you've had time with both.
Thanks!

[modwright]

Well, it is interesting and I can honestly say that both are very good.  The stock 5900 is audibly better than the 2900 and the Sig. modified 5900 (no tubes) is better than the sig. modified 2900 (no tubes).

When the 2900 is modified with tubes however, we are able to eliminate ALL op-amps in the signal path (8 op-amps per channel!!!) and this makes a big difference.

To my ears, the tube-modified 2900 is more refined and more natural sounding than the Sig. modified 5900, but they are not WORLDS apart though either.  I do prefer the tubed 2900 however as I feel it gets the listener closer to the music and has a quality that is not matched by any of our other mods.  Okay, so the Absolute Truth modified Sony's ARE better, but they are also MUCH more money.

You really can't go wrong with either, but I do feel that the tube-modified 2900 will suit the music listener best.  Now tubes in the 5900???  We will soon see.  This ought to be REALLY good also.

Thanks,

Dan

[mca]

Dan,

Am I looking in the wrong place, or is the tube mod info not up yet for the 2900? Looking forward to getting either the signature mod or the tube mod done to my unit!

[nature boy]

MCA,

I had trouble finding the cost for the 2900 tube modification.  Finally found it in the new products section, Dan must be "burning the midnight solder".

Here is the information from the web-site, hope it is helpful:

Products/Mods that are IN THE WORKS...  
Feb 16, 2004 | 11:55 AM  

Carver Digital Amp Mods:

We are currently working on mods for the Carver ZR1600 digital amplifier and are excited about this units potential. Mods prices are expected to start in the $300-$500 range.

The ModWright Beta Linestage:

We are still producing the Beta Units and are approaching the end of our finite production Beta run. If you are interested in purchasing a Beta SWL 9.0 linestage with PS9.0 supply, please contact us right away.

Denon 2900 Tube Mods:

In addition to the Signature Mods that are currently available, I am putting the finishing touches on a tube mod for the Denon 2900 ($1200) and for the 5900 ($1400) to follow. The mod utilizes the Russian 6H30 Supertube and is meant for stereo playback (tubes) only. Please let us know if you are interested in getting on the wait list for this as it will be available VERY SOON.
Thanks,

Dan Wright
President, ModWright LLC  

NB

[modwright]

Sorry, but I haven't posted it yet.  I had been trying to play catchup and be sure that we had the details all nailed down first, but we definitely DO now and I have just not had a chance to do so yet.

Following are details and pricing:

Denon 2900 Universal Truth Mods = $1200.

1) Upgrade to stock power supplies, to include Black Gate capacitors and FRED rectifier upgrades.
2) Upgrades to stock 2CH analog stage to include upgraded digital and analog decoupling caps - Black Gates.
3) We REMOVE ALL OP-AMPS in 2CH analog stage and implement passive I-V conversion and ALL-TUBE analog stage.
4) Our own high-voltage tube power supply is installed inside the unit, featuring custom toroidal transformer, choke input and regulated supplies.
5) Our own Class A Tube stage is installed, using two Russian 6H30 tubes.

I will post more on our website, but this unit with the tubes sounds FANTASTIC!  I can say with confidence, that the tube-modified 2900 sounds better than the Sig. modified 5900.

Tube mods are also available for the 5900 = $1400 and utilize an outboard supply.  We are modifying the first several of these right now.

If you are interested in tube mods for the 2900 or 5900, please let me know as the list is growing.

Thanks,

Dan

[natemil]

After listening to Dan's Denon 2900 Universal Truth Mod the last few weeks, my summation is ... BEAUTIFUL WARMTH and DETAILED   !!!

I was able to A/B the mod unit against a stock unit, and was able to notice the following:  The stock unit as-is is GOOD; however, with Dan's Tube Mod, definitely a noticeable difference.

Thanks for the excellent work,

Doug

[BikeWNC]

My Modwright 2900 is in transit and should arrive this Friday.  I had Dan do the Universal Truth mod with the clock upgrade and slipstream bybees on the analog out.  I'll give it some time to burn in and report back here on how it sounds.

Andy

[modwright]

Thanks Doug and Andy, please do post your impressions after is has settled in, in your system.

Take care,

Dan

[mr_bill]

Could someone comment on the operation of the 5900 and 2900.
I read a thread that said that the bass is boosted by 5db in the direct source mode using CD's?  This is using it in analog out?
If that's the case this player doesn't seem very desirable.
Someone clear this up for me.
Thanks,
Bill

[BikeWNC]

I think that issue has something to do with the bass management system when using multichannel and 5.1.  Apparently, each software format handles bass differently and Denon boosts the bass so that all formats are equal?  Anyway it is not an issue for me using 2 channel analog outs.  I do not notice or think there is any bass augmentation in cd, sacd or dvd-a formats when using the analog out.

Andy

[mr_bill]

Thanks Andy,
You cleared up my concern.  I'm very seriously thinking about picking up either a 2900 and doing the signature tube mod or getting a 5900 and doing the basic signature mod (without tube) from Dan.
I like the idea of a high end one box player for all formats  and it sounds like the performance with Dan's Denon mods is outstanding!
My use would be prmarily 2 channel and into my Sonic Frontier Line 3 preamp.  I may incorporate a home theater receiver through the pass through some time and then the Denon can serve that as well with the digital out.
Bill

[BikeWNC]

Bill,

I recently read about the bass issue over on audio asylum.  Check over there in the Hi-Res section for that thread.  I'm sure Dan can give you some insight as to whether the 2900 or 5900 would best fit your needs.  He told me that for 2 channel audio, the 2900 was the best deal.  If video was also a concern the 5900 was a better platform.  As for with or without tubes, my 2900 has the tube mod and is very good in all three formats.  But I generally like the sound of tubes.  

Andy

[mjalazard]

I plan to use my Mod-Wright DVD 2900 as a primary 2 channel stereo source.  What are the best settings for this unit with the Universal truth mods?

[ScottMayo]

I recently got my modded -2900 - I went for the 2 channel basic signature mod (no tubes here.) Clear, open sound, good bass reproduction, no brightness or harshness. I didn't hear the -2900 before the mod, so this isn't precisely an endorsement, but I can at least say that the modded 2900 is an excellent audio performer. The "tap on glass" scene in _Finding Nemo_ finally sounds right.  

My old panasonic DVD player has been relegated to the guest room, and won't be missed.

[mjalazard]

I just recieved my fully modified Denon DVD 2900 from ModWright...Wow.  I thought I had a sevious CD playback system before (Nakamichi 1000mb transport; Audio alchemy DTI Pro 32; Genesis Digital lens; and the Perpetual technologies DAC)' but the CD alone on the DVD 2900 blew it all out of the water!  There is much more of a 3-D sense with a full, but detailed soundstage.  The bass is articulate but authoritative.  I hear more detail and information on the discs I've not heard before.  I know the bybee filters need time to break in, but so far I'm very happy...I'm ready to sell off my old CD equiptment!  I have Pink Floyd's DSOTM on SACD...a religious experience!
Dan, you've again outdid yourself!!!!!javascript:emoticon(':mrgreen:')javascript:emoticon(':mrgreen:')javascript:emoticon(':mrgreen:')