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Repair Exemplar 3910 or ???

My John Tucker modified 3910 U-player is showing unmistakeable symptoms of incipient laser death (the dreaded 0h 00m 00s, cannot load disk errors). John says he can replace the laser for $200. It's a secondary source for me as I have all my cds ripped as FLAC files on an MV2 server and play back via Modwright Transporter. I have about 20 SACDs and a handful of DVD-As. Looking for opinions on the cost-effectiveness of having the repair done vs. getting an Oppo U-players or maybe a used Sony 5400.

Rest of system is Doshi Alaap pre/Doshi Lectrom JH-50 or VAC Ren 30/30/Merlin VSM-mme or Ref 3A Suprema. TIA.
128x128swampwalker
hifiharv
351 posts
 
Consider yourself lucky that you have a player for which the laser actually is still available. Those Exemplar players are very special and certainly worth the cost of repair at only $200.
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Oh, I dunno, the Oppo BDP-93 is a very good player with far more format capability than the Denon. I might fix the Denon and then sell it and pay for the 93. Or 95 if ya really want to get all audiophile-like...

-RW-
jfz
570 posts
 
I'm in the same boat. I bought an Oppo 95, thinking it might at least equal the Exemplar 3910. It didn't. Much inferior. I ended up keeping the Oppo just to use in another video system, though. It was far to superior to the Oppo 83 I had. If I replace my 3910, it will be with a modified Exemplar or ModWright 95. For now, I'm just living with laser problem, since only a relatively small number of discs are not playable.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker OP
5,138 posts
 
OK, thx gentlemen. I've read all the great comments about the Oppo and Son 5400 players so I was curious to get some feedback. Maybe i'll get the 3910 repaired and keep the 2910 I use in my mini HT as a laser donor and get an Oppo there to try out blue-ray.
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