[scp2]

I am looking for a universal player for cd and sacd playback. Used in the same price range is a 3910 stock or a modded(level 1 w/superclock and powersupply)2900 from Underwood hifi. Or just jump to a PC transport?

Just starting to read about the merits of modded players on here.

It will be used with a basic Yam AVR and Def Tech speakers.

[JLM]

Modding is quite popular around here.  Personally I've not had good experiences.  One was a battery powered amp.  The battery required shipping back to the modder for periodic replacement and sure enough it was damaged during shipping.  Come to find out, the build quality of the mods were "suspect", so the heavy battery was bound to come loose and tear up the insides.  The other was a CD player that I bought used.  Within a few months it would produce nothing but terrible distortions.  The modder would only suggest fixes that I would have to do, with the parts costing $180.

Underwood Wally is definitely one of the better known/respected modders.  Would it come with a warrantee?  Another issue is just how much (percentage of the stock price) should one spend to mod.  That's an individual judgement call, but there's no point in modding something that is poorly built to start with.


Buying used is another question.  CD/SACD/universal players are the audio component most likely to brake.  I had a player from the 80's fail when the plastic parts in the drive section wore enough to no longer allow for the laser to track.

[mgalusha]

I actually own both of these, a stock 3910 and an Underwood (parts connexion) modded 2900. I have never put the 3910 in the music system, I suppose it would be an interesting comparison. I if can shake loose a little time I'll try and have a go at this and let you know what I think, FWIW.

[scp2]

 Thanks for the replys.

JLM..yeh I am worried about a used cd player. It is the only piece of equipment I have ever had that didn't outlast it's design cycle...but have only had basic players. I was thinking/hoping the Denon was of better build quality than I have had.

Actually the more I look at this board..the more I think I should move my music discless to a server and a transport...I know a lot more money...but it would pretty much last forever along with all the other advantages. I have Pioneer BDP now to get me by.

[TheChairGuy]

I've found nearly every new generation of players from makers are as good as or better than the modded previous ones.

All the most recent ones are quite good.

If you want an added dose of organic richness...just add the priciest Dakiom Feedback Stabilizers you can or want to afford. Their ads are on Audiogon and they come off as rabid nuts, but their products work with DVD/CD players without tube outputs.

My Cambridge DVD-99 (cost $299.00) and a couple of the top-of-the-line Dakioms ($218 pair) sound stellar to me.

None of the digital technologies have to resolution of vinyl...but, they all sound quite decent now (and better still using the Dakiom's)

John

[JLM]

I must of just come from Edmunds.com (got my brake confused with my break).   

Going the PC route requires a degree of computer savyness.  I tried and went back to a player.  The Squeeze Box was modded and had quirks, but I also had network issues.  Every couple of weeks something would cause it to crash and it take me days to fumble into a fix.  I also didn't like having to rip in order to listen or that my system wasn't as portable.

For $300 you can easily pick up a pair of 1 TB drives that will hold 2,500 CDs in FLAC (loselessly compressed) plus full backups.  Just add a DAC that has USB connection or add a converter.  Of course a Squeeze Box adds functionality and can be modded down the road for better sound.

Another option to ease into ripped music is a $379 Wadia 170 iTransport that works with your iPod.

[scp2]

Yeh...I know, anytime you introduce a computor into your life to take over a function, you must become very intimate with it. Thinking it will just take over and make your world better just doesn't happen.  The other thing is, ripping all the cd's and organizing them...seems to be a task in itself. There was a poster on here a while back that offered a service for that. I sent an email to him and never heard back....sure would have made it easier.

[DTB300]

There are great points posted on AC about improvements for a player with mods done to it.  How much you are willing to spend is up to each person.  You can do the "common parts replacement/upgrades" as others have done or you can go with companies that add new clocks and design brand new analog output (this best route to go).  Companies employing new output stages are where the greatest performance gains are, but they are for 2CH only and analog outs. 

For the cost of the upgrades (clock and output stage) and the performance you get from the player is outstanding.  Most who have modded players describe the sonic qualities equaling stock players costing many times (2-3x) more.

There are a couple of great companies who follow the new output stage upgrade path, one is an Audio Circle supporter here who can do this for you - Modwright.  Great products, outstanding customer service.

You will be surprised at the improvements you will get in sound for the money involved.

[rajacat]

IMO PC audio is the way to go. It's a lot easier than it use to be. It might not be as easy at first but it's worth the effort.  Once you have become accustomed to the convenience of having your collection at your fingertips, assemble playlists and program extensive listening sessions you will never miss the CDP. The only time you touch a CD is when you burn it to your hard drive. Burning a CD only takes a few minutes and the SqueezeCenter software makes organization very easy. A Squeezebox would be a good way to get your feet wet then you could either have it modded and use it alone or with an external DAC. Alternatively you could buy one of Empirical Audio's offerings and an external DAC but it might have a steeper learning curve. There are also some other options.

-Roy