Is there real improvement from the new mods (I'm particularly looking at the upper and lower hoppers)? I'd like to hear about it from someone who has P1 & P2 experience.

I've had a Pharos 1 for several years, in constant service and I'm very happy with it's performance. I switch between brew & espresso during the day, so I've added a metal tray and the McMaster roller bearings and nylon tipped adjustment nut for convenience
Pharos mod - Tray. With this mod, I load once and dump 2X for 56g for french press (bottom hopper ~40g capacity).

I've got a simple routine with the machine that I'm happy with but your comments on whether the new hoppers are worth retrofitting would be appreciated.