This thread certainly has taken an interesting turn. I can't help but see the similarities in the "Musings" reported by Archimago, and the Scathing Review of the Schiit Yggdrasil DAC by Amir that was reported here on AA:
https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=42961
I am also an owner of the Schiit Yggy Analog 2 DAC, and I'm a big fan of it as well.
I have several issues and questions regarding the validity of Archimago's findings. First of all, he admits that the unit he tested (or the system he tested it in) had an audible hum and a very high noise level. I don't know if that was the unit itself, the cables, power, or any other number of factors, but something is way off. Of course, that was then reflected in his horrible measurements. I've owned four ModWright Oppo units - the 83, 95, 105, and now 205, and they have all been DEAD quiet. I also don't buy the resolution measurements either, and that the MW Oppo is only resolving 12 bits. You can easily hear the difference between DSD SACDs and the redbook CD layer in terms of resolution in the MW Oppo units.
The Absolute Sound article referenced in the beginning of this thread details the fact that the stock Oppo measures better than the tube modified player, however if there would have been that large of a delta between measurements like Archimago found, I seriously doubt that the MW Oppo would have come out with a positive review, much less the subjective winner in the TAS review. Nor would it have been awarded with a TAS Editor's Choice award and a recommended component for multiple years in a row.
I do not discount the opinions and findings of those on this thread that prefer the sound of the stock Oppo in their system. I do believe those opinions to be in the minority, however, otherwise you would not hear so many glowing reviews of the modified units, including one by the late Arnie Nudell. I have performed direct comparisons of stock vs modified units, on multiple occasions in my system with myself and others involved in listening, and not a single person has preferred the sound of the stock unit. The stock Oppo is always much more flat, two dimensional, and less natural and realistic sounding.
With the ModWright Oppo 205, it has a completely different and much improved upon modification vs the earlier units, using different tubes (6922 vs 6SN7), and it sounds very different - more open and resolving with less of a "tube-like" sound. The MW 105 does sound a bit more dark and slightly rolled off in the high frequencies in comparison, which I believe to be it's only real weakness. I originally bought one of the last production Oppo 205s to keep around as an eventual UHD disc player and did not intend to have it modified. However once I compared it to the MW 105 I immediately sent it in for the tube mods, as I found the modified 105 to sound considerably better.