MORE Esoteric problems


Hi all, I posted an issue with Esoteric CD players a couple of years ago. I bought a UX-3SE from an eBay seller. It skipped all CD's. I called Esoteric. ALL SACD players with the "U" model numbers need to go to Japan because that's where the alignment jig is. $2500.00 at that time JUST for the shipping back and forth. I returned the player to the seller naturally. An Asian gentleman working at TAP electronics told me at that time that the models with the "X" can all be repaired in California. Great I said. I bought an Esoteric X-01. A great player! Now it doesn't read SACD's. I sent it to TAP last week. A follow up call from TAP gave me the dreaded news that NOW the X-01 needs to go to Japan for the jig alignment procedure. WHAT! They did reduce the transportation cost to $1600.00. And this is for shipping only. I think that the audio community needs to send Esoteric a message and boycott ALL Esoteric products. BTW, it's not just their CD players that are required to make the trip to Japan if repairs are needed. I understand that certain models of preamp and integrated amps fall under this requirement as well. How can a company such as Esoteric not do better for the consumer?
128x128jnovak

Showing 2 responses by vegasears

Sad to hear of your issue.  Ship the device to California and let Teac flip the bill to japan.
It's sad how things change.  I've got two Esoteric pieces. The DV-50 multi format digital disc player.  It was purchased as a Demo.  I had to  send in for warranty repair of the red book section a few months at the buy.  I paid shipping to California from Nevada.  The tech explained it was a very early product unit and he added a little solder to the board.  Later when it was out of warranty the SACD section got distorted. Again I paid shipping and hoped it would not be overly costly of a repair.   A week after it arrived at the repair facility, I called to see if the had a chance of look at it. The nice lady said it shipped out two days earlier.  I asked the cost of the repair.  She replied, no charge!  The machine was 11 month out of warranty!   That happen around 2005+/-.   The DV-50 has been trouble free since.  I also have a Esoteric D-07 DAC.   Also a demo unit, it's been without issue.  Note: Not long after DV-50, Esoteric started to make there own Disc Transports instead of the off the shelf one they'd been using.