Which cd player: New /w Mod or just plain new?

I am very curious about the mods myself. If it is that good why don't manufacturers like Denon or Sony jump on it and make mass production out of it - they would be making killing money considering the popularity here on audiogon.

Large corporations manufacture to a price point. When you look at huge corporations like Sony and Denon with vast networks of distribuotrs, dealers, and retailers to support, not to mention huge overhead and having to sell volume to create adequate margins, sometimes things just get lost in th shuffle. These corporations have pools of talented engineers who probably have loads of ideas as to how to make their products better, but the bean counters and marketing schmucks squash them.

The mod shops take advantage of the opportunities the large corporations pass on and it's certainly not hurting Denon's or Sony's bottom line, so they have at it. Which makes it great for us in the end.

My opinion regarding the mods is that the mods done by a professional modder can make a difference. Drawback is that if you want to sell the component, you will not be able to get nearly as much back as you spent. Solution is to buy used modded component or buy a new component that does not need mods and is very good on its own. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be the case with selling modded components. Example I bought a modified Music Hall CD25 player, used it for a while, determined it's not my cup of tea and sold it. Lost a nice chunk of change in the process. The player itself was not expensive, but I barely got 40% of its value back.

Audphile1 -

You are correct on the resale value of modded components. They depreciate much faster. That is why it is important to really research mod shops and work with one whose modded players sonic signature suits your tatses. Also, only work with those who offer trial periods or money back guarantees. That solves the issue of having to resell something you don't like and taking a huge loss.

So, just to be clear Clio09; We are saying that if a small high-end manufacturer was to duplicate a mainstream unit, it's cost would be much higher. Therefore, instead of having this relatively inefficient company build an entire unit, let the larger corporation build it to a point, taking advantage of economies of scale, and then have shorty bring it up to spec. Conclusion: On the aggregate, a modified cd player is a better value. Do we all concur?