Frequently Asked Questions

Everyone else has one of these pages, why shouldn't I?  Now to find out if anyone actually looks at it. . .

I'll add questions as they are asked, but I'll start with the most common:

Q.  Do the prices on your website include the player?

A.  No, the prices are for a modification only, you must provide a player to be modified.

Q.  Do you sell players pre-modified?

A.  For Canadian customers, I am more than willing to order a player for you.  I've done this several times because U.S. retailers will not accept a Canadian credit card and then ship to a different address within the U.S.  If I order a player for you, then payment is due up front for the player and mod.  This applies to current models only, and the player will generally be sourced from a supplier of my choosing unless you suggest another that would be mutually safe and acceptable.

Q.  What is the difference between a stereo mod and a multichannel mod?

A.  The multichannel modification on most players is simply the stereo base mod with additional opamps or coupling capacitors for the surround channels.  You may either order one or the other, but never both. 

Q.  Do you return the player in its original packaging?

A.  Yes, if that's what you ship it in.  I will return your player in your packaging as best I can.  If you wrap it in bubble wrap and then cover that in tape so I have to cut everything apart, then I might have to repack it in something else.  Please be considerate with your packing materials!  I think this questions comes up thanks to certain manufacturer's service centers that shred your packing and then return the player in something much less protective.  The best thing to ship a player in is the original box.

Q.  Why don't you modify the Sony CE595 or C2000ES?

A.  Both the CE595 and C2000ES are one-board-wonders in that all the circuitry has unfortunately been integrated onto one circuit board. This board is almost all surface mount, with the power supplies, digital stage, analog stage, and even the RCA outputs soldered to it. The coupling capacitors are surface mount, and very hard to access, though they can be replaced with suitably small electrolytics (BG-NX series). The opamp is not one of the more conventional chips found in audio players. With a direct swap, the gain goes to near nothing, and the gain resistors are in a SMT resistor pack that I can’t change. I don’t like the player one bit, and I was quite disappointed that was the direction Sony went for audio only. Their more traditional designs are all available as DVD/SACD players, although those are somewhat more expensive.

Q.  Should I have the stereo or multichannel front outputs modified on the Denon 2910 or 3910?

A.  With the Denon 3910, I can modify either the stereo or multichannel front output. When playing CD's, both outputs give the same signal. However, the stereo outputs mix-down the surround program into stereo when playing Multichannel SACD or DVD program material. If you have an exclusively two channel system, then I typically recommend modifying the stereo outputs. Otherwise, if you have any serious desire to play multichannel music, then modify the multichannel front output. Understand that when you play CD's, or SACD's in stereo mode, the multichannel front outputs play back stereo just as the stereo outputs would.

Q.  How would you rank the players you mod?

A.      From best, to not as good:

          DVD-3930CI

          DVP-NS9100ES

          SCD-C555ES

          DVD-3910

          CD-25/XCD-99

          DVD-2900

          MAVERICK

          DVD-2910

          DVP-NS999ES

          DVP-NC555ES

          SCD-C222ES

          SCD-CE775

          DVP-NS755V/NS775V

Q.  Is this supporting your college education?

A.  Living expenses, yes.  Tuition, no.  Room and Board, no.  However, you are making the local record shops very happy!  Really, I don't make all that much doing modifications, it is supplemental income.  Other students work fast food, I work on CD players.