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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 34 Registered: May-07 | Too good not to share: http://www.eden-audio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=222&postdays=0&postorder=asc&sta rt=0&sid=c52aca88199f24379cdb4267be99e7f0 |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 1017 Registered: Jun-07 | Amazing. I doubt this is the case in most comparisons between budget hi fi and high end hi fi. But cool post either way Bill. Goes to show some of these high end companies over charge in large amounts for their products. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 2633 Registered: Sep-04 | It does rather depend on the modifications to the original. There have been stories in the past where a basic Philips CD player would be used in a specialist brand without divulging the truth. However, there is one £3000 player which almost advertises the fact that it starts out in life as a Pioneer DV656 and that's the Townshend player. It comes in two boxes, one's a power supply and the other's the complete Pioneer (including case, sheathed in a nice outer case. Max Townshend makes no bones about it. The player sounds nothing like a £150 player and sounds a lot closer to a £3000 player. I'm not saying it's right to take an unmodified player and charge the earth for it, but lower volume items such as these always carry a premium of course and the know-how to improve the performance of the player is another thing altogether. I must admit that the Goldmund looks very unmodified apart from the power supply section and the box, but detail modifications to components such as the capacitors could have been made without you ever being able to see them in those photos. They may seem the same but quality caps such as Black gates and the like are expensive, although component cost is never a really indicator of the final price. As the man from Goldmund effectively said - Hear it first, then make a decision. Regards, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 1027 Registered: Jun-07 | Well said. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1732 Registered: Oct-04 | Everything you said makes complete sense Frank, but it still stands to hurt the industry if this sort of story gains some traction. I'd like to think that if I were to plunk down $6K for a CD player I'm getting more than a modified Pioneer. "Hear it first, then make a decision" Yes, of course, but I don't think it's ever entirely about that, there is a certain mystique that this story stands to spoil. It's not quite the same as GM swapping out some trim and calling a Chevy a Cadillac, but it's awful close. |
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Bronze Member Username: KillamabillaClear Lake, TX USA Post Number: 36 Registered: May-07 | All the same, I think it's wise to approach much of this hobby with a healthy dose of open-minded skepticism---bearing in mind the reality of snake-oil schemes plus the human weakness for the placebo effect (which the thread I started in the Speakers section about the blind wine tests illustrates powerfully). |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyBrooklyn, NY United States Post Number: 1733 Registered: Oct-04 | Just for comparison, and I have no idea what these things sound like, Stereo Dave's charges about $250 to modify a Pioneer DV48AV that he claims makes it sound more like a $4000 player. http://www.stereodaves.com/dvdmodification.php I suppose he would stand to make a lot more if money, given his modifications actually do what he claims, if he were to charge $3999.99 for the tweaked player & re-boxed it as his own. |
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Bronze Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 98 Registered: Oct-07 | Rebox/mods have been going on a LONG time. My original 14 bit Philips CD-101 was sold in the US as the Magnavox. No problem, it was up front and not a trick. However, the same player, and remember there was NO remote, no features and I think only 5 or 6 buttons, was heavily modd'd by Meridian, I think it was, and sold for a substantial markup. The powersupply was completly gone over doubling the height of the original and moving the waste heat somewhere where it wouldn't hurt. I have no idea of the cost of this, but I bought my player on 'closeout' at Pacific Stereo and paid about 250$, which when you are making 3.25$/hr. is quite a hit. Pictures available upon request, if you don't believe me. |
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Bronze Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 99 Registered: Oct-07 | Pic of original Meridian player....brought to you by Philips. Sorry, 9 buttons, not counting power. http://www.meridian-audio.com/images/400/MCDpro_400.jpg |
