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esoteric x-01, ux-1 etc reliable?

I am considering buying a used Esoteric CD/SACD player, and I have heard a lot of praises heaped on top the VRDS-NEO transport. But what worries me is that I read somewhere that Teac Esoteric has discontinued the laser assembly used for the VRDS-NEO transport. Is there any owner or users willing to share their experience regarding the reliability as well as the lifespan rating of the laser head. Also, it gets even more complicated for modded units as the manufacturer warranty is likely void. I am hoping owners of the best modders like RAM, APL etc can shed some light on this.
opusone
zephyr24069's avatar
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zephyr24069
1,243 posts
 
I cannot comment on what happens with mod'ed units' laser assemblies but can tell you that Esoteric has told me any mods would void the warranty so I stay away from them. I've owned a DV-50s, UX-1 LE and P-03U (1.5 years, 1.5 years and 2.5 years and still going respectively) and have no problems with any of these units ability read any kind of discs that they support reliably.
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jfrech's avatar
jfrech
1,816 posts
 
You also might want to do a search in the forums. Several of us (including me) have sent in our Esoteric's for a issue (not under warranty) and Esoteric fixed for free, put it in brand new boxes (umm tripped boxed) fedex'd back on their nickel.

In my case I had moved and a little spring on the transport had jiggled loose during the move.

Incredible service in my opinion.
zephyr24069's avatar
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zephyr24069
1,243 posts
 
Agree 100% with Jfrech! I had various non-transport issues on my DV-50s, UX-1LE and P-03U (1 each) and Esoteric's technical support and customer service is world-class.
opusone OP
9 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback. It does seem like Esoteric provides good technical support and service on unmodded units. Based on your advice, it is probably good to stay away from modded units because of the void warranty issue. Not sure how the modders handle their warranty, and how they can get their hands on spare parts.
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