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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
1,241 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.
perrew
299 posts
 
On 6moons you can find the following:

Esoteric comments
Mark Gurvey of Esoteric USA who kindly submitted the above images had this to say about the NWO 3.0-GO: "During the recent CES 2008, we heard this unit in a presentation by Alex. Yes, we were all very impressed. Reminds me of the AMG version step ups from Mercedes-Benz or the M series step ups from BMW. It is certainly a lot more than just supercharging the old Camaro. As you know, any product can be modified in the after market. If this is done, then our warranty no longer applies."

Alex Peychev comments
"We have signed a mutual non-disclosure agreement with Esoteric a few years ago. Although it is true that the original warranty is voided, both Esoteric Japan and USA have provided me with a level of support that is truly exemplary. I am authorized to purchase any part I might eventually need for supporting the NWO line. APL Hi-Fi offers a 3-year warranty for the NWO players. After the warranty period, repairs will be performed at the actual parts cost and modest labor charge. Very special thanks to Esoteric for their tremendous help throughout the years!"
chungted
9 posts
 
I now have two (2) APL modified NWO-3.0GO-SE with transport problems.
One: the disc tray will not extend out for disc loading although the display shows "open". The player operated properly before.
Two: the disc tray will not extend when Open/Close button is pressed. The display shows nothing (is blank). Operation of the transport was erratic before. It stopped itself sometimes during playback.
Could Alex kindly help?
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