Wouldn’t this mod void your house insurance?
I'm not sure that it would void a typical house insurance. If it did, then the same would apply to the many DIY enthusiats who build their own amp etc.
There would also need to be some proof that the mod was the actual cause of a fire - which in this case seems unlikely, as the mods are just increasing capacitance and resistance to an existing, relatively low powered, circuit.
More likely causes of fire would be when people overload a single socket with multiple adapters and then connect a room heater. Or run a class A tube amp with insufficient ventilation. Would the insurance be void due to the person's stupidity or ignorance? Again, not sure.
With every action there is a risk vs benefit equation. Every time I get out of bed in the morning I risk getting an injury at some point. But the benefits or getting out of bed each morning are huge and completely outweigh the risks.
IMO, the main risks of this mod are:
1. You do all the mods, and DAVE stops working properly. You undo the mods and DAVE still doesn't work properly.
2. The mods work, but later you want to sell your DAVE. Will the mods hurt or enhance its salability?
3. Your DAVE needs to return to Chord for any reason. You then have to put up with Chord chastising you.
4. As amatuer solderer, you do the mods yourself. It works fine, but looks like a dog's dinner.
5. You pay a soldering expert to do the mods neatly. You're not satisfied with the result. Who is to blame?
Against the above, the insurance risk is small IMO, but yes it is still there.
Of course, any warranty will be totally invalidated, but nobody should be trying this within the warranty period.