Hi Kiplandh,
I can't answer your question directly, but I was also caught up in the MF Tri-Vista/Phillips transport debacle back in 2004/5.
The generation of SACD transport used in the Tri-Vista was universally unreliable. They all go bad at some time. Yours has lasted much longer than most.
The situation was compounded by Phillips who refused to support that drive with replacements and parts. MF and a number of smaller high end manufacturers were left badly in the lurch.
MF didn't handle the situation particularly well, in that they insisted they would repair the drives in-house, while at the same time (in a letter I received from Antony Michaelson) stating that Phillips would not support the drive with parts.
I was left without music for the best part of a year while this played out. My Tri-Vista was "repaired" by the local distributor but remained faulty. I refused to accept it after a second repair, because I didn't want to be stuck with a $12,000 boat anchor were the drive to fail again (something I considered inevitable) once the warranty had expired.
The impasse was resolved by a direct exchange of the Tri-Vista for the then new kW 500 amplifier, which I still own and love. I don't want to be too hard on MF: the blame in this case rests firmly with Phillips while MF (and their distributor) came through for me in the end.
Unfortunately, you are in exactly the situation I was anxious to avoid. Your dealer is right in what they have told you. I would however try emailing MF directly to see what they say.
You could try to chase a replacement in the general market. I know that most spares of this particular unit were used up as replacements for the many early failures but there may be some out there.
The problem you will have is to verify that the unit is genuinely new and not a failed unit. The second problem is that even a genuine new unit may fail within a year.
The best option would be if someone is able to replace the unit with a later generation SACD drive from Phillips, Sony or TEAC. However I don't know if anyone is doing this.
I hope someone else can add something positive to the thread. You have my sympathy, for whatever that's worth.
I can't answer your question directly, but I was also caught up in the MF Tri-Vista/Phillips transport debacle back in 2004/5.
The generation of SACD transport used in the Tri-Vista was universally unreliable. They all go bad at some time. Yours has lasted much longer than most.
The situation was compounded by Phillips who refused to support that drive with replacements and parts. MF and a number of smaller high end manufacturers were left badly in the lurch.
MF didn't handle the situation particularly well, in that they insisted they would repair the drives in-house, while at the same time (in a letter I received from Antony Michaelson) stating that Phillips would not support the drive with parts.
I was left without music for the best part of a year while this played out. My Tri-Vista was "repaired" by the local distributor but remained faulty. I refused to accept it after a second repair, because I didn't want to be stuck with a $12,000 boat anchor were the drive to fail again (something I considered inevitable) once the warranty had expired.
The impasse was resolved by a direct exchange of the Tri-Vista for the then new kW 500 amplifier, which I still own and love. I don't want to be too hard on MF: the blame in this case rests firmly with Phillips while MF (and their distributor) came through for me in the end.
Unfortunately, you are in exactly the situation I was anxious to avoid. Your dealer is right in what they have told you. I would however try emailing MF directly to see what they say.
You could try to chase a replacement in the general market. I know that most spares of this particular unit were used up as replacements for the many early failures but there may be some out there.
The problem you will have is to verify that the unit is genuinely new and not a failed unit. The second problem is that even a genuine new unit may fail within a year.
The best option would be if someone is able to replace the unit with a later generation SACD drive from Phillips, Sony or TEAC. However I don't know if anyone is doing this.
I hope someone else can add something positive to the thread. You have my sympathy, for whatever that's worth.