FINALLY got my Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi!
Feb 29, 2004 at 3:15 AM Post #61 of 103
Music Fanatic:

I AM ENJOYING my Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi. However, I want to kick it up a notch; I want to see and hear what an expert (ModWright) can do to an already fine stock unit. The good thing about me is that once I commit myself to a specific, realistic, and measureable goal: it becomes a living reality for me. My mind is set: off goes my stock unit to ModWright! Speak no more against this course of action!
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Feb 29, 2004 at 3:17 AM Post #62 of 103
Quote:

Originally posted by Welly Wu
... And I'm committed to the source first philosophy: my money is where my mouth is and don't try to talk me out of it.


Talk you out of it, I'm cheering you on as loud as I can! GO WELLY! GO WELLY! GO WELLY!

I am pretty anxious to hear how the unit comes out after surgery to see just how pleased you are with it. I pray you have a windfall and come into some serious money and can do the upgrade even more quickly than even your birthday in April.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this unit and how it sounds to you so far. It only gets better from here, and Dan Wright seems to really know what he is doing.
 
Feb 29, 2004 at 3:30 AM Post #65 of 103
Welly,

It is currently #2. Number one is a Denon 2900 modded by some genius who's not known round these here parts. I almost bought an Allen Wright modified Sony SACD player, but when that fell thru the guy who was selling it wants to sell me a brand new 2900 from a super-modder. I don't have much in the way of details yet, but it has gone head-ti-head against some Meitner, Lindeman, and Luxman gear and taken them all out. It is a few hundred $$$ above my budget, but if it performs half as well as they say it will be worth every penny.

I can't afford the Denon 5900 with decent mods done to it. At $1500 for the unit alone, plus $1200 for the tube output mod and $450 for the LC Audio XO3 clock it is already more expensive than the super-modded 2900. About $300 more, and not worth it in my book.

More later.
 
Feb 29, 2004 at 3:41 AM Post #66 of 103
Doug:

DO be cognizant of the fact that the architecture for the Denon DVD 2900 has a striking resemblance to the Panasonic models. They basically pay to use one others' designs. Thus, it is right to get a stock unit heavily modified but there is another problem: the Denon DVD 2900 suffers from the CUE error. This is confirmed in Kris Deering's Secrets of Home HI-FI review. Also, the 2900 unit may receive far less attention by Denon in terms of "roll up" firmware releases as they have most of their customers screaming in their ears about fixing the DVD 5900's niggling mistakes. Plus, there is a very real possibility that HDMI may catch on with HDTV buyers in the short term future because of its' ability to incorporate both audio and video signals on one short length cable at FIENDISHLY high transfer rates (GB/sec)! HDMI 2.0 is around the corner (i.e., summer 2004). Lastly, the Denon DVD 2900 is going to be replaced by new secret offerings in the 3rd quarter of this year or early 2005. It was never meant to carry the torch for Denon for a long time.

IMHO, since I have had the Denon DVD 2900 and now have the Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi, I say trust TubeRoller's scathing remark about the DVD 2900: it does not play any particular format well. There isn't enough "guts" to warrant expensive aftermarket modifications. No way. I know because I bought one and sold it in less than 4 months. The music...did not inspire mesmerizing wonder or awe; it was insipid. On the other hand, I could be extremely satisfied with the Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi's stock performance...that is until I heard about a company located in Oregon named ModWright...
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Feb 29, 2004 at 3:51 AM Post #67 of 103
Welly,

Dan Wright claims that even with his mods in both units he recos the 2900 over it. He said it wasn't worth buying the 5900 over it for the extra $1k in cost when it didn't end up with a difference to justify it with the modded unit. Had he have said that the modded units were much different in sound I would likely go with one, but he didn't. They both use the same drive mechanism in the transport, according to Dan, and thus even higher reliability of parts isn't an issue. The extra power supply and other stuff in the newer Denon might make the stock unit perform much more admirably, but modded units are a different beast altogether.

The direct question I asked Dan was if he felt the 5900 was worth the $1000 of additional costs above the 2900, and his response was one word: No.

For me, I don't need video playback, and won't need a bunch of updates. I'm stuck in Ecuador for 21 out of 24 months, thus making it difficult to impossible to get upgrades done by anyone other than myself.
 
Feb 29, 2004 at 3:55 AM Post #68 of 103
Doug:

Okay, cool. But check out this mysterious genius of a modder out and his credentials plus the strategy and parts he used. One man's work may be hailed art while for another man it is trash. Be cautious. I pray you will find the right source component to switch over. And, start saving for that Weebl.
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Feb 29, 2004 at 6:23 AM Post #69 of 103
Welly,

John Tucker of eXemplar Audio is the guy I refer to. He displayed a modded Denon 2900 at the VSAC this year. It went alright, but since then he has made several dramatic breakthroughs in his mods that have taken it several quantum leaps ahead sound quality wise. A guy who bought one of John's units is simply tickled pink with how good it sounds. He has stated he likes this unit over the Lindeman, Esoteric, and Meitner gear he has auditioned in his home. He wants to spend some time with the Esoteric UX-1 to directly compare to his Denon in his own system, but at $13K+ I doubt I could ever afford to take that leap. Ever.

Oh, I'm already half-way to saving up for the Weebl. It's an inevitable, like a moth to a flame, that I'll get one. I like the Omega II so much I will not own another set of headphones. Well, at least until the Omega III is released and receives enough raves to warrant their purchase. I am bringing everything else I own back to the states with me to sell and finance a Weebl and other purchases we need to make. That included the KGSS, which has had several offers to be purchased already. I will also have to lug the incredible heavy Electrocompaniet back with me and pray that the customs officials don't try to say I'm importing this stuff into the states with me. But, on the bright side at least they're not corrupt nor searching for a bribe like here.
 
Feb 29, 2004 at 6:32 AM Post #71 of 103
Doug:

That is indeed heart warming news! I certainly will pray that good audio fortunes will be bestowed upon you when and if God thinks it is appropriate. Of course, safe passage to and fro the States is obligatory as well. So, it seems like you are making a HUGE change in your audio equipment inventory. Consolidating equipment and money by focusing on fewer things but of higher caliber...nice. Such is my philosophy toward audio equipment and other things as well, books, music, magazines, firearms (one should not have more than he can safely keep and maintain), etc. I think the end result will be pleasant and I certainly hope it is so for you.

Still, I would urge you to consider the Pioneer Elite DV-59AVi. Best of luck!
 
Feb 29, 2004 at 6:39 AM Post #72 of 103
Quote:

Originally posted by davidmiya
You guys are making me itchy. I'm starting to wonder if my transport modded DV-47Ai + DAC2 will match up to decked out Denon 2900. Head-fi is bad like drugs...


David,

Depends upon how deep your pockets are and how much you're willing to drain them. It also has to do with how extensive are the mods implemented. If one guy replaces more stuff, and/or simplifies the signal path more, you'll likely get the best results from that person. I heard that one unique mod that John Tucker does is replace some internal wiring, like transport wiring and such, and the affect was dramatic. I guess the ribbon wire might be what was being referred to. I also saw that Alex over at APLHiFi.com does something unique in that he replaces some power transformers with a specially wound R Core transformer. Tweaks like this that don't just add BlackGate caps could contribute to the sound being taken up a whole notch. Another great mod is the tube output. It replaces a bunch of op amps in most CDPs, thus reducing a HUGE opportunity for the sound to be smeared. The Marantz SA8260 was known for this. The HDAM had something like four op amps per channel. Sheesh, that's insane!
 
Mar 9, 2004 at 4:11 AM Post #73 of 103
Major update:

GOOD NEWS! I've received word that I will be getting some significant extra income than I initially projected in my budget. Therefore, I have finally decided to go for broke (figuratively speaking) and opted for these specific ModWright Mods:

Standalone Multi-Channel Mods with AD8065/8066 op-amps
Level II Transport Mods
Power Supply Upgrade Mod
LC Audio X03 with Clock Supply Mod

Package Deal: $1100 USD plus shipping

The only catch is that I will have to wait a few more weeks before that extra income arrives. My thinking is to get the most modification work done in one transaction and shipment than to do it piece meal which would cost me more in the long run in terms of shipping costs alone. So, it's off to bed I go and work tomorrow!
 
Mar 9, 2004 at 4:16 AM Post #74 of 103
Quote:

Originally posted by ServinginEcuador
I am pretty anxious to hear how the unit comes out after surgery to see just how pleased you are with it. I pray you have a windfall and come into some serious money and can do the upgrade even more quickly than even your birthday in April.


Guess this prayer was answered Welly. Congrats on the great news and I hope the ModWright team can get the unit done and back to you quickly.
 
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