That sounds enticing and I appreciate your thoughtful suggestion, however at this time, the only way I could raise that much money would be to SELL the 5400ES (as well as a few other things). I don't know if I possess the nerves it must take to spend that much on a mod. In better days perhaps, but I'm semi-retired now and cash flow isn't what it used to be. I may call Bill at Music Technology (where they install the VSE mods) and speak with him about it. He won't remember me by name, but we have a mutual friend, so maybe he'll spend a few minutes on the phone with me. If he can assure me that the mod will get me to where I want to go, then maybe I'll hang onto the Sony and figure out how to raise the money.
Meanwhile, the Arcam on loan (which is the lower priced unit, not the CD37 I would purchase) is beginning to sound pretty darn good. Being an audiophile in a small market is getting really frustrating because there just aren't any opportunities to audition much of anything! My friend is always happy to order things like the 5400 and the Arcam and he gives me a good enough price that I can listen for a few months and get out without losing my shirt if I don't like the equipment, but I'm limited to what he can get me.
If we had better public transportation I would just sell my car and get something REALLY nice. My car wouldn't get me a DCS rig but it could get me a Wadia. :-)
