I am the very happy owner of a Exemplar Denon 2900. What an incredible player. For you other Exemplar owners:
Two questions.
1. Do you leave the unit in "Standby" mode or do a hard shutdown with the main power button? Anyone know what John Tucker recommends? My concern of course is heat and shortened tube life if left in standby.
2. Do you utilize the "pure direct" mode- shutting off video functions? Is it worth it to do so? (My Stereo rig is completely seperate from any video display...to use "Pure Direct" I'll have to drag a monitor in and temporarily connect the Exemplar 2900 to it to shut the video functions off.)
I emailed John Tucker with these questions,but I think he's working 28 hours a day building units- I have'nt heard back from him.
Unfortunately I am selling my Exemplar 2900. As soon as I am able, I will be buy another one. See my ad and let me know if your interested in buying it. Could be a great sounding holiday season for one of you. Thanks, mp
The new version of the Exemplar/Denon 3910 is here. I am told that immediately it is superior to the Exemplar/Denon 2900. I just got it running. Maybe tonight I will hear this.
I know that there are needed variations in the mods for the 3910, meaning that you cannot transfer them from the 2900 to the 3910. I think John Tucker was genuinely surprised that the 3910 outperformed the 2900. He, of course, had no choice but to change to the 3910 as the 2900s were no longer available.
I have yet to receive the Exemplar 3910 and it too will take a long time to break in. 711Smilin may want to better answer your question on the benefits of the modified 3910.
Is the 2900 mod transferable to the 3910? If not, is the cost involved in selling 2900 and buying 3910 plus paying john again, and the wait all worth the improvements?
Guys, the good news if you decide on the 3910, the static is not there when swtiching songs. As for the tubes, I have found that the PW are best for Jazz, Classical, and I use mullard/phillips/or telefunken for rock. I just like the sound better. But thats me, and I get a kick out of rolling tubes.
I have found nothing to compare with the Amperex 7062/E180CC pinch waists although they are expensive.
Budrew, if you hear the pop on first turnon with the amps open, I am surprised that you describe it as a pop. I have once done this a got a increasing frequency woop. All Denons I have heard, modified and unmodified, did make a soft pop at the start of the recording.
I actually have not heard the static pop when you press play that some have noticed. The snap/pop that I described is pretty loud and happens randomly. I'm not loooking at the machine when it happens so i can't comment on where specifically it happens within it. I had assumed it might be the casing "snapping" into shape when it warms up. It does not effect the sound at all which is outstanding.
'Ya know, as much as 711smilin tempts me with thoughts of the Exemplar 3910, I gotta say that after listening to my Exemplar 2900 tonight, I don't think I can let that baby go.
If the 3910 is better than that, I'd be unable to go to work.
I've owned a Sony SCD-1, Electrocompaniet, Ayre CX-7, Meridian, various Dacs and Transport combos- but nothing has touched this thing.
I notice one's for sale now on the 'gon. If anyone has cold feet, I'd say to you that the Exemplar unit may delight you as well if you give it a try.
Guys, this is an obsessive journey, it's only done when you are happy where you are. When you get tired of the search. When you get to the point that another obsession takes over. When you get divorced. When you run out of money. When you get satisfied. But, as long as the journey is fun, we audiophools keep going.
It never stops. Everytime I thought to myself "I'm done" I wasn't. It happened with my preamp, it happened with my amps, my cables, and now my speakers.
Just when you think you're out of the game they find a way to suck you back in...
Tvad, I also find the pace of this technology change to be exhausting. Long ago I bit the bullet and assumed that my computer would be outdated every two years at best and that I was unwilling to await the next evolution before I bought. I think this is life in the digital world. I don't imagine it will be long before digital sources do not rotate.
Lasercd, Yes, I think the 5910 will be the one to wait on. I think it will be the final link of video/audio nirvana. Why limit ourselves with the 3910? I think a balanced version will be what we are all waiting for....
I've been lurking on this thread since the original post. I've owned John Tucker's modified Denon 2900 for sometime now (I have one of the first Siltech units he made). This is the most musical piece of digital gear I have ever heard. I dumped my Audiomeca Enkiathus DAC and I've never looked back. My only disappointment with the unit is that annoying crackling noise that appears if you jump between tracks on the SACD layer but according to John that seems to be typical of most SACD units regardless of manufacturer. Other than that it was hard for me to imagine that there is much room for improvement.
Of course the phone call came from John with the results of his 3910 modification and he was extremely excited. Visions of my bank balance looking like a moon crater danced in my head but I figured onward and upward.
I was planning on having John make a balanced version of the 3910 and moving the 2900 into my secondary system. I discussed this at length with him. It seems as though the DAC in the 3910 is balanced so it is a matter of fitting the power supply in the chassis or possibly going to an external power supply. He seemed to think it is extremely likely it can be done so perhaps if enough people request it he might explore it as an option.
After giving it some consideration and research I think (for me) the move is to skip a generation and see what Mr. Tucker will be able to create with the imminent release of Denon's 5910 unit. I'm envisioning a 2 chassis balanced 5910. I believe John when he tells me the 3910 is an improvement over the 2900 but I also believe that when the time comes John's modified 5910 will be a monster.
711smilin, since the Denon 2900 is no longer available, it had to happen that John moved to modifying something else and the 3910 was a likely culprit, but than for taking the plunge.
I decided to bite the bullet and will be getting mine next week.
The Exemplar Mod is a complete multichannel mod, with a 2 channel tube stage. I cannot really comment on the 5 channel difference, cause I never used the 2900 with multi-channel. I can say the 3910 is GREAT with multi-channel, and the video blows the 2900 away. Johns mods, with his custom clock, power supply, new caps, ect really gets this player SMOKIN. I love the sound I am experiencing.
Vikingboy, keep on reading, I know it's easier to believe what you read in print, than what you hear at home. I no longer even think I can go to a audio store, and make an opinion on what I like. I have found that whenever I like the sound of something in a store, it never sound the same in my home. UMM I wonder why. And to think you can trust reviewers, WOW, they gotta get paid somewhere. I like to put my $$$ where my mouth is, yaknow. BTW in MHO to my ears I like the sound of the stock 3910 better than the 2900. I also like the sound of the Exemplar 3910 a lot better than I remember my Exemplar 2900 being. But, since I sold my 2900, before receiving my 3910, I cannot say how much better on redbook. I can say without a doubt that the SACD is GREATLY improved, as well as the video, and my beloved HDCD is WONDERFUL. My 3910 is still breaking in, and without a doubt I feel it betters the 2900, in every way. I love the new remote functions too, as well as it being back lit. I am waiting for john to break in my new Exception II pre-amp with siltech and remote(for my lazy ass)till I write a full review. Suffice it to say, I love the 3910. I am just not sure if I want to keep my black one, or have John mod me a silver one. AAHHHH decisions, decisions.
Gotta go now, listening to the new Elton SACD Capt. Fantastic, and as I leave, I will say it sounds FANTASTIC.
Interesting review of the 3910 in this months HFN&RR (uk based mag). They said the 2900 sounded better than the newer unit. Im not sure if this is attributed to the dac or analogue output stage...if its the dac then perhaps the Exemplar 2900 will become even more sought after. I didnt read the full review...just the conclusion.
I cannot give any real review yet, I will say I have spent over 5k on MUSIC in the last 60 days, AND I am actually happy with music. Heh, heh. My search seems to be simmering down awhile. Tvad, I have not received the Apl yet, it was shipped today. But, right now I am SMILING. Wink, wink. Right now I am just using my HT receiver, SS with my system and actually loving it. Now, for me, this is a big change. I am trying to calm down after all the equipment I have bought, tried, sold, returned ect. I will get to serious critical listening when a few more toys arrive. Until then, enjoy the music, and be happy.
I have the 3910, I just set it up, redbook is singing, I am smiling, wife is bitching I am playing too loud, and to get rid of the boxes. I am still smiling, more later.
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