[BANGPOD]

Head-Fi'ers --

I finally decided on a source to spearhead my future electrostat system...
http://www.modwright.com/products/in...?product_id=10

Apparently, Modwright is having a rock-bottom sale on these modified units!
This is including the cryo'ed umbilical/clock upgrade, both recently added.
Even before these two new additions, this player was still one of the best!
Now I can own one for triple digits less, and it is on a brand new player!

After reading Positive Feedback's godly review of the Modwright 999ES...
I had to buy one of these, even if it was only 10% of what this review said!

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Iss...right999ES.htm

Tom Hankins, I hope that the Modwright 999ES is as good as you say it is!
Because if it is not, I might just have to spin some SACD's to convince me!

Wow! This player sounds like it can hang with any player out there...

BANGPOD

 

[recstar24]

ummmm....hell yeah

 

[Wmcmanus]

Nice choice, that's a really lovely sounding player as modified. A friend of mine has one in his 2 channel system and it's quite smooth and effortless. It's really about as 'digital free' as digital gets.

 

[recstar24]

wmcmanus,

how far off is the 9000es from the 999es modified? Is the positive feedback review pure hyperbole, or is it rightly justified in your humble opinion?

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by recstar24 wmcmanus, how far off is the 9000es from the 999es modified? Is the positive feedback review pure hyperbole, or is it rightly justified in your humble opinion?

I've not read the article linked above, but I've got an unmodified 9000es and although I've never compared it to the modded 999es, I'd imagine they are light years apart!

Kind of cool story about the hot rod 999es that I heard. It's in a wealthy older guy's house on the beach here in Cayman. His son was a student of mine and made the mistake of asking me what kind of equipment they should be using. So I got a quick tour of this $10 million house with three really cool features: an elvator, a wet bar (as in, guests can sit in the pool and order a drink from the in-pool bar when parties are being held) and a dedicated home threater room. They were putting the finishing touches on the construction of the HT and had zero gear in there. This was maybe 6 months ago. Of course my brain was racing full speed ahead in terms of all of the gear they could use, but he couldn't pinpoint his dad's budget so I just pointed him to Audiogon and said "have at it". Then the one and only local high end audio dealer got wind of the job, and sold them a terrible mix and match: a bunch of Klipsch surround speakers and a pair Martin Logan Prodigys for the fronts. They don't integrate at all, and I mean zero! Making matters worse is the fact that they went with a NAD receiver of some sort for amplification, and thus the Martin Logans were terribly underpowered.

In March, I lent them some Bel Canto gear (eVo200.4 amp and SEP1 preamp) along with some Virtual Dynamics interconnects and power cords for a couple of weeks so they could hear what the Prodigys were capable of. This was about the time the modded 999es arrived (the one thing that they did take my advice about). In bridged mono, the Prodigys really opened up well, and we were able to work out the placement and toe in issues, so all was well and wife approved (or so we thought). Then when it was time to redeem my gear and reconnect the NAD receiver, everything went flat again. It was kind of sickening to hear Steely Dan's "Gaucho" sounding so bad. To make matters worse, the Prodigys had been shoved back several feet so it seems like they really don't care what it sounds like so long as it looks right. At that point, I gave up and haven't been back since. For HT purposes, it's passable audio quality, I suppose. But they've got a room to die for which is woefully underutilized. They've got fancy original artwork all over the place, and statues, and marble this and that, etc., but then they installed an el-cheapo CRT instead of getting a top of the line DLP, and are treating the Martin Logans like they're Bose 901's. Oh well.

My 9000es has long since been relegated to a seldom-used HT system, and that is with a fully modded "Modwright" Perpetual Technologies P1-A / P3-A combo. So it has been a long time since I've listened to the 9000es with its own DAC for 2 channel audio. I can't imagine that it would even come close to what I heard with the modded 999es when (for a short time anyway) it was given a chance to show its stuff in a 2 channel setup.

 

[purk]

I own a MODwright Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai and I'm sure that you won't be disappointed w/ your 999ES. Dan told me that my 47Ai is only 70% of what the Modded SCD-1 and 999ES and my modded 47Ai is right up there with my SACDmod SCD-555ES in redbook.

 

[markl]

Forget the Bybee filters, save some money. When I had a Modwright mod-ed 333Es, IMO the Bybees' effect was minimal or zilch.

 

[EdipisReks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markl Forget the Bybee filters, save some money. When I had a Modwright mod-ed 333Es, IMO the Bybees' effect was minimal or zilch.

are those the "quantum" devices? in that case, putting kool-aid packs on top of the player would probably have a similar effect.

 

[fr4c]

congrats on the new purchase. i got mine about a year ago, and i'm very satisfied with it.

have fun sourcing 5687's tubes

 

[Sleestack]

Do they sell pre-modified units?

I'm already waiting on an Underwood/Parts Conn. Ultimate Mod 3910. I'm interested in buying something form another shop, but don't want to go through the hassle of buying a unit and sending it in.

 

[Sleestack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus My 9000es has long since been relegated to a seldom-used HT system, and that is with a fully modded "Modwright" Perpetual Technologies P1-A / P3-A combo.

Is this mod any good. I have the P1A and P3A. I use them to run WAV files from my Roku. I also have a MF X-DAC v3 and have been somewhat unimpressed with the P3A. I believe the underlying DAC in the P3A is 6 years old and that a new product is going to be released in the near future.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleestack Is this mod any good. I have the P1A and P3A.

I think the full-on mod is pretty good, or at least it made a big difference with the 9000es. But to be honest, once it was in place and I did my initial A/B testing with the PT stuff relative to the 9000es without them, I've pretty much just gone on with business. They're in a secondary HT system that doesn't get much use.

I've actually got another unmodded P1-A / P3-A combo along with the upgraded power supply, but these have been sitting in my closet for a couple of years untouched. They're still in their original boxes, NOS!!! I was going to put together a bedroom system but it never came together. I suppose I ought to sell them and cut my losses...

 

[tom hankins]

I guess you got one with the new clock upgrade and silver cord to the power supply? You are going to be very happy.