As I look back through the thread, it appears the controversy started as a result of a post made by you on 6/30/06, not on 6/14/06, in which you suggested that anyone who purchased a modified digital source was taking a risk of not being able to have their machine repaired.
07-09-06: Guidocorona
TVAD, the controversy seems to have started by a generic remark I posted on 06/14, which was not at all mentioning APL, nor it was especially written with APL in mind. While other modifiers took the high road, APL took exception to my statement.
You wrote:
06-30-06: GuidocoronaYour quotations around the word improved indicates your sarcastic usage of the word. Certainly, anyone can understand how a modifier might take umbrage at the remark.
... please be understanding of those original manufacturers when they look at you real funny like, the day you bring them that little beauty under warranty, just because it stopped working prior to the expiration of the warranty. And be even more understanding of their incredible sense of humor, when -- laughing their head off -- they point at that obscure little finprint on the warranty card which -- truth to tell -- did warn all and concerned about immediate, sudden and catastrophic loss of warranty coverage upon the machine even being smelled by unauthorized hands, let alone lovingly yet radically 'improved' by a solder-gun-happy modder-genius.
APL responded on 6/30/06 with a professional response in which Alex stated his policy of honoring the factory warranty period on any digital machines he uses in his NWO-1, NWO-2, or other APL HiFi products.
06-30-06: Aplhifi
Guidocorona, can't speak for anyone else, but when it comes to the digital players I re-design, I am honoring the original "factory" warranty they have, regardless of the failure.
I see no controversy started or continued by APL. Rather, IMO, the controversy was started by you and your sarcastic tone regarding modified digital players, and the suggestion that anyone who purchased a modified or re-engineered machine would be left high and dry should a need for service arise.

