Here's the thing: Without verified blind tests, it is more or less impossible to get a hold on these mods. Think about it: the placebo effect works. If it works in medicine, it certainly works in audio, with the expectations of eagar audiophiles multiplied by the money they have spent. I've been there and done it myself.
I keep reminding people of the Bay Area Audiophile Society blind test of power cords -- judging between generic IEC cords and $1,000 audiophile cords, the hit rate hovered around 50%. 50%, of course, is statistically meaningless. In short, get a cheap cord, remember that there are miles of power grid and house hold wire before your huge audiophile cord, and call it good. But that's me. There are so many things that can be improved in theory or by numbers. So often, though, these differences make no audible difference. An amp with a published THD of .05% is not worse than one with .008% (just to name two amps I've owned in the last year or so). And then, of course, comes the law of diminishing returns. Sure, lots of things make subtle differences, and sometimes nice subtle differences...but, are they worth it? That is where the die-hard hobbiest or perfectionist diverges from other audiophiles. I recently ditched a very excellent DAC because, really, I'm very happy with the SB3 as it is, I've had transporting experiences listening to music through it, and I'd rather spent the extra grand somewhere else (like tickets to see live music, for one). Peter Lyngdorf (of TacT audio) pulled aside a well-known American reviewer and brought his ear to within an inch of a tweeter. Sure enough, there was a tiny bit of hiss. This hiss, it happens, is what a $600 or so power supply upgrade to his unit would remove. If it is important to you, well, grand. Others might choose otherwise. As if you can't tell...I'm from the objectivist camp... -- highdudgeon ------------------------------------------------------------------------ highdudgeon's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=2195 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=22204 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
