First off, let me preface this with this - I have never run a ua-5 (modded or otherwise)... but I have had experience with Doug Oade, and I used to run an Oade mod SBM-1...
For all we know the M-Audio DUO may sound better but not offer as many "mod oppourtunities" to Oade...so he pumps up the UA-5 instead...
I'm pretty sure (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) that the M-Audio DUO runs on AC power. which pretty much eliminates it for our purposes, because it can't be easily powered by batteries. So regardless of the fact that it might be better than the ua-5, the ac power requirement means that a lot of people here won't even consider it.
But - I cant help but wonder if this device's reputation has been manufacured by Oade. The guy offers 4 mods to the thing...he is doing a nice business. Is it possible that Oade picked this device simply because of the oppourtunity to mod? Maybe the parts used in the UA5 are more common and have more alternative parts available.
yes, but Oade was modding units long before the ua5 came out. I used to run an Oade mod SBM-1. He's also been making pre-amps for a long time, and I think he understands the circuitry that goes into our equipment very well. I think he offers so many mods for the ua5 because there is demand for it, not the other way around. Many people think that the modded units sound a lot better, and they trust Doug to work on their gear.
I cant find a THD spec.
regardless of the specs of the unit, or even if the specs are published, a lot of people like the way their recordings sound when they use a UA-5. I agree with you to an extent about not wanting to "hear" my equipment. I use a V3, because I feel that the recording is much closer to what my mics "hear" (compared to the mod SBM-1 that I was running previously). Now, I'm just waiting for an easy way to record at 24-bit, because I feel that that will be an even better representation of what my mics "hear." (and I love the way Neumann mics sound).
So that's what I think about it. I don't think Doug is creating a market for this unit, I think he sees the demand for a good preamp/AD combo unit that costs less than the V3 or MiniMe.