My Esoteric DV-50S died. Where do I go next?


I just received word from the importer in the country where I reside that my Esoteric DV-50S will no longer work, and the company no longer has replacement parts for it. I bought this player in January 2006 new, and it has given me a lot of joy over the 18 years that I was using it. I replaced it for CD and SACD with the Esoteric K-01 more than a decade ago, but I still liked and needed the DV-50S for DVD and DVD-Audio, where it really shined. However, given how well it's built externally, I feel rather appalled that the company no longer has parts for it. A premium product like this with a format like DVD should still be able to work. (I've also had several issues with the drawer mechanism on my K-01, and I don't think that components this expensive should be having such issues. After all, my older Musical Fidelity 3D CD player still works after 24 years while only needing a laser replaced once and without having a premium transport like the VRDS.) While my DVD-A collection isn't enormous, it is substantial--running from old rock and blues all the way to more recent classical, like Xenakis, Subotnik, and Morton Feldman. I would really like to be able to keep playing these discs. Do you have any ideas about what I might do? What are your thoughts about companies like Esoteric not having parts to keep these machines running a lot longer for older players that work with discontinued formats?

washline

The problem with all these classic audiophile disc spinners is that the higher up the chain you went, the more likely they were to use proprietary or custom modified parts. Since CD players and disc players in general have fallen out of fashion, it can already tough to find a lot of the mainstream parts anyway. Now factor in the added wrinkle of some proprietary or custom design from 10-20+ years ago, and I can see why it just isn't feasible to fix.

Definitely frustrating, don't get me wrong. But a company like Esoteric can't foresee the future that disc-based playback will become all but obsolete for most people. 

washline

Have you sent your player to Digital Doctor?  Keep me posted.

 

Happy Listening!

Yes, jafant. The Digital Doctor picked it up a few days ago and thinks he can fix it. It's going to cost a bit though to repair, but it's not beyond reason. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

mahler123, the Magnetar is pretty pricey where I am, and if I can get it repaired this way, I'll save significantly over getting a new machine. Plus, I just happen to like this one a lot.