I'm curious how many folks have ever used gear modded by Black Lion Audio, and what the results were like. I see they have a mod for the Babyface that doesn't cost a whole lot and might make a nice improvement in the sound:
 
https://blacklionaudio.com/product/rme-babyface-mod/
 
I've also heard they are great to deal with, and definately know what they are doing...
 
Has anyone around here ever used their services?
 
 
 

FWIW, over the last 15 years, I've had 3 units modded by BLA - MOTU 24i (original); MOTU 896HD; & Behringer ADA8000.  My experiences have all been positive, without issue and with noticeable quality improvement (to my ears).  While it's been several years since the last mod, I wouldn't have a problem recommending them if you have the cash to spend.  Can't answer whether or not the improvement will add or help your music.  With what many of us do here and the quality of current low/mid-end interfaces, the improvement may be negligible.
 
I've long since sold the 24i and 896HD (which I regret but needed the money) but still use the 8000 for headphone distribution and occasional need for additional pres. 
 
All the best!

Thanks, appreciate the input.
 
Rob

I'm skeptical. I've heard many anecdotal positives, but not a single objective measurement to back them up. Not that I doubt fwrend and others, but I have to wonder how much of it is placebo. The mods consist primarily of capacitor replacement, which could conceivably have some benefit, but only if the OEM caps were substandard to begin with. At best, the procedure might improve hum or crosstalk, but it's unlikely to affect conversion quality.

I know nothing about Black Lion or their mods. 
But, as a former amp tech I never "heard" any difference between a stock (properly operating) Peavey Nashville 400 amp and one that had an "audiophile" component mod that was sold by a 3rd party person.  On some devices installing for example better tolerance components can even have a negative affect.  
 
The old Fender amps, that many "must have" had very cheap high tolerance caps and resistors.  Just installing new low tolerance components can cause a major (undesired) change in the amp's tone.
 
There is a lot of voodoo in audiophile "upgrades".  Many will argue the benefits, but I can't say I agree.
 

bitflipper
I'm skeptical. I've heard many anecdotal positives, but not a single objective measurement to back them up. Not that I doubt fwrend and others, but I have to wonder how much of it is placebo. The mods consist primarily of capacitor replacement, which could conceivably have some benefit, but only if the OEM caps were substandard to begin with. At best, the procedure might improve hum or crosstalk, but it's unlikely to affect conversion quality.

Particularly since the design of a circuit is far more important than individual component selection in terms of audio quality. Not saying components don't matter but how something is implemented matters more than what is used. Also just because a component is "better" on a spec sheet doesn't mean it'll give superior results in a circuit of a given topology.
 
Given that modern stuff is very often beyond the human ability to hear, and that doing things like replacing filter caps is literally the least likely to help things, I am extremely skeptical. I'd need to see the difference on an AP before I'd be willing to lend it any credence. If you can't demonstrate to me what your changes have done, I have trouble believing they make any real positive difference.

bitflipper
I'm skeptical. I've heard many anecdotal positives, but not a single objective measurement to back them up.

Actually, that's a good point. I've only ever seen forum commentary in various places (the vast majority of those comments being raves from satisfied users), and never any actual test results or any sort of A/B tests posted, etc. I started looking into their stuff after coming across a couple of Kijiji postings from folks selling Black Lion modded gear - in particular a local guy selling a modded Digi 002 which he says sounds amazing courtesy of their premium upgrade.
 
I'm not actually interested in an old 002, but it sparked my interest in Black Lion's stuff. I'd guess some of the stuff they do -- like replacing op amps, masterclocks, etc -- might be a legitimate upgrade? My knowledge of electronics is pretty cursory. I'm totally comfortable building a PC from parts, etc, but I know very little about circuitry or the guts of the electronics.

Amicus717

bitflipper
I'm skeptical. I've heard many anecdotal positives, but not a single objective measurement to back them up.

I'd guess some of the stuff they do -- like replacing op amps, masterclocks, etc -- might be a legitimate upgrade?

Why not buy top gear with excellent clocks and converters in the first place?

I'm having a hard time to believe that it's that simple to upgrade something that's been designed to pro quality standards (not talking consumer gear here). Markets are tight and competitive; companies like RME, MOTU, Lynx (and from there on up the price range) would be long out of business if a small shop could simply replace some parts and signficantly improve audio quality...

I'd prefer to see measurements and blind tests rather than customer feedback.

I have no experience with BLA directly, but a number of people whose ears I trust have reported improved sound as a result of their upgrades. The parts they use aren't cheap, and for an OEM to use them in the first place would raise the build cost of their products -- not everyone will bother shooting out various interfaces to see which one sounds the best, so it's features, specs, and PRICE that sell most units in this space. 
 
BLA have been in business for a long time. Given that their customers are primarily audio engineers whose job is to evaluate sound quality, I'd say that's a pretty good indication of the value of their services.
 
Cheers,
Eddie
 

Eddie TX
BLA have been in business for a long time. Given that their customers are primarily audio engineers whose job is to evaluate sound quality, I'd say that's a pretty good indication of the value of their services.

 
Have to be careful with that assessment. I've known more than a few audio engineers that drink audiophile koolaid. One guy swears his high dollar power cord makes his amp sound better. He thinks some how that not only does his extremely high quality amp not filter the power well, but that the problem is the last 3 feet of cable in the studio, not the thousands of feet in the wall or the thousands of miles of aluminium/steel going to the generator. Just because someone is an audio engineer doesn't mean they don't listen with their wallet at times, or exhibit wishful thinking.
 
If you want some good talk on this sort of thing Dr. Floyd Toole has a excellent talk about the necessity of blind testing in subjective listening and verifying the results with objective measurements.
 
So at the very least I'd need to see a blind test where someone demonstrates they can pick out their modded kit reliably before I'm interested. Then to really be convinced I need to see measurements to make sure that it actually made the sound better, not just different.
 
Have to be careful on that last one, as you can find expensive products that change the sound... for the worse. Like you can get flat speaker cables. They have individual thin wires laid parallel to each other in a dielectric. You can hear them all right... because they have a ton of capacitance and jack the signal right up. You get some serious HF rolloff. Problem is people will hear the difference, see the price tag, and decide they sound more "laid back" and less "fatiguing" which is probably true, but can be replicated with something costing 0.1% of the price if that's what you want.