neo starter

I've been mainly using emulators to get my fix of neo games but in the long term I find it to be a dissapointing experience. So I've decided to get a AES system hopefully within 6 months but I just don't know wich one and from whom should I get it? Should I get US or jap,used or new,moded or not? I read about Jeff Kurtz being a great moder. Are his mods beter than i.e. the ones from !Arcade! ?

I guess that sums it up.

Any recomendations would be greatly apreciated! Thanks! <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

Get a japanese (or a U.S. modded) system, used, since new ones are in the $1000 league lately...