Universal Players vs. Dedicated CD/SACD Players

Jafant:

The mods were done by an Oregon-based company called Jena Labs. You may have heard of their cables. My player was done a long time ago, and a lot has happened in the interim, so I've forgotten a lot of the details of the mod, unfortunately. But I remember she cleared the signal path of a bunch of crap and did a lot of damping, among other things. She left the Marantz HDAM output stage in place, because she really likes that particular design. Some other modders strip it out and replace it with something fancier. 

The result was really eye-opening. After many comparisons over the years, I think it can hang with some of the big boys. It's pretty good, IMHO.

Sorry I couldn't provide more technical info on the mods. The 'ol noggin' ain't what it used to be!

Jafant:

What player(s) are you running?

It depends if you are using them as transports.

Many Thanks! lynott-

I am in the market for a SACD spinner. I have heard several Esoteric players. I really liked what I heard in the Esoteric. Additionally, I have an interest in Marantz, especially any special edition or limited edition, by Ken Ishiwata (KI).

Hello Jafant
If you go with the Esoteric players you will want to get into one of the"X" versions. They are a step up from the older ones. K-O1x or like in the product line. The Absolute Sound just gave the K-O3x high marks.