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  1. #1
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    Is This Reasonable?

    My Esoteric K-03 which I purchased 2nd hand about 3 years ago developed a problem with the loading tray. I sent it to the Esoteric repair facility and received a quote of $646.00. Yes, it's out of warranty. I really don't have a choice but to go ahead with the repair. Is this a reasonable charge? Opinions please.
    Tom
    Ultimate Audio
    SoundLab Dealer



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    Various Shunyata Alpha & Sigma PC's throughout.
    Stillpoints under everything.

    City System:
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    Esoteric K-03 SACD Player
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  2. #2
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    being 12k new and depending on the parts list and labor involved, six bills to repair a mechanical problem isnt out of whack when you consider its a factory repair center.

  3. #3

    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    Sound very reasonable all things considered. My friend spent close to 5 years chasing down a laser assembly for his Krell MD10 CD Transport that he loves and has owned since the 90's and paid nearly the same. That was just the laser assembly. I don't blame him, it is a beautiful transport.

  4. #4

    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    My brother has that same unit and his tray stopped working as well. He contacted Esoteric and they thought it was worn old belts but only quoted him $90 for the repair. You are the 4th person I have heard having tray issues with this unit. He did not want to risk damage to the unit in shipping so he order belts and fixed it himself. Obviously his unit was out of warranty.

    Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

  5. #5
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    Quote Originally Posted by TheGemState View Post
    My brother has that same unit and his tray stopped working as well. He contacted Esoteric and they thought it was worn old belts but only quoted him $90 for the repair. You are the 4th person I have heard having tray issues with this unit. He did not want to risk damage to the unit in shipping so he order belts and fixed it himself. Obviously his unit was out of warranty.

    Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk
    Thanks for the response. That's more like what I expected. Perhaps I should have tried to just get the replacement belt and done it myself. BTW, shipping from SF to the SoCal repair shop was $80, so it will be $160 by the time I get it back, making the total cost $820.
    Tom
    Ultimate Audio
    SoundLab Dealer



    Country System:
    SoundLab Ultimate-1PX Electrostatic Speakers
    Pass Labs XP-32 pre, Pass Labs XA60.8 Amps
    Pass Lab XP-27 phono stage
    SME 20/2 table with SME V arm, Stillpoints LPI
    Minus-K BM-8 passive vibration control under tt
    Dynavector XV-1s, Koeitsu Rosewood Signature cartridges, Klaudio RCM
    Roon Nucleus+ powered by Keces P-8 LPS
    Lumin X-1 Network Music Player
    3 dedicated AC lines
    Shunyata Omega PC to Everest for all source devices
    Typhon for each amp powered by 2 dedicated circuits
    Various Shunyata Alpha & Sigma PC's throughout.
    Stillpoints under everything.

    City System:
    Ayre KX-R Twenty Preamp
    Pass Labs X-260.8 Monoblocks
    Esoteric K-03 SACD Player
    Roon Nucleus+powered by UpTone Audio JS-2 LPS
    Lumin X-1 Network Music Player
    Sound Lab Ultimate-545PX Speakers
    Shunyata Hydra 8, Typhon QR
    Various Shunyata Alpha & Sigma PC's throughout
    Stillpoints under everything. Multiple room acoustic panels.

  6. #6
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    $820 is real money. But having the factory get in your unit, look around and perform the repairs is much better than some local tech digging around in a $12K machine. Maybe it is a belt. Maybe you can fix it. I do way to much DIY. I would pop the top and take a 20,000 foot look. Is it accessible without disturbing to many other components. Just be cautious. If you think it looks simple, go for it. Its out of warranty. Just be careful with the gears.
    First Sound Mark3SI preamp. Audion Black Shadow 845 SET Monoblocks. Mojo Audio Deja Vu Server. Mojo Audio Mystic 3 DAC. Linear Solution Ethernet Switch. Gigafoil with LPS. STST Motus II TT with Vertere SG1 arm, Hana ML Cartridge, Allnic H1201 phono pre. Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Horn speakers with Mundord Supreme oil caps. Power via 10 awg Oyaide cable from panel to custom distribution strip feeding front end. Oyaide dedicated10 AWG branch circuits from panel to each amp. Inakustik speaker and interconnect cables, Genesis Interconnect.
    Kingrexelectric.com Lyncole certified grounding specialist.

  7. #7
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    if you are sure its the belt, I would just get the belt and save the coin, assuming you have some knowledge about opening the chassis and replacing it yourself.

  8. #8
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    Quote Originally Posted by MtnHam View Post
    My Esoteric K-03 which I purchased 2nd hand about 3 years ago developed a problem with the loading tray. I sent it to the Esoteric repair facility and received a quote of $646.00. Yes, it's out of warranty. I really don't have a choice but to go ahead with the repair. Is this a reasonable charge? Opinions please.
    Have you taken the top or bottom panel off and tried to establish the cause of the problem? I thought my Mark Levinson 390S may need a costly repair when I had problems with the tray, but opening it up and pressing the eject button revealed that the rails that the tray travelled on were dirty. A careful clean of these and other parts plus a drop or two of light oil fixed the problem completely. Good luck. Peter
    Sources - NAD M50.2 (streamer, CD player, CD ripper, hard drive music store)
    Amplification - NAD M33 all-in-one, NAD M12 preamp (in reserve), Atma-Sphere Class D monos
    Speakers - Avantgarde Duo XD, Avantgarde Duo (2006) - both aesthetically modified

  9. #9
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    That seems high to me. This is a mechanical problem, not electronic. I suppose the entire mechanism might be sealed requiring special tools or abilities to access? Most are straight forward in design. Did you open the unit and look at it? I am also a DIY person and have made may modifications and repairs over many years.
    Main System: Analog - Linn LP12, Origin Live DC motor and Controller, SME V arm, Benz Ruby H 2 cartridge, Wright Sound preamp. Digital - Intel NUC I-7, 16 gig ram, Jriver media center 24, Wyrd4 Sound 2V2 SE Dac, Fathom Hard Drives.
    H-Cat Version 9 preamp, ARC Reference 75 amp, Custom line source speakers - 10 SB Acoustics midwoofers, 10 Fountek ribbon tweeters. JL Audio Fathom f112 Subs
    Wire - T G Audio, Shunyata, Synergistic Research , Audioquest, Lewis silver foil, Duelund, Transparent.

  10. #10
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    That’s over 4 hours at $150/hr.
    Seems excessive to me.
    If it’s a component replacement cost issue I’d ask why they designed the trays to fail under normal use.
    Tom

    Audio:
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  11. #11
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    It's Esoteric. They have a high end, expensive image to maintain. If the repair price is too high then I suspect the retail price is too high.
    Bud

    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
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  12. #12
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    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    Quote Originally Posted by BlueFox View Post
    If the repair price is too high then I suspect the retail price is too high.
    which came first - retail price or repair price ?

  13. #13

    Re: Is This Reasonable?

    I had a cd player a few years ago that stopping reading discs reliably. I called the mfr and they wanted $720 to replace the drive. They also told me the player would have to be reprogrammed through the usb port for the new drive. I took the player apart and found a new matching drive on Ebay for under $100. I popped the new drive in and it worked perfectly. I don't worry about breaking stuff that is already broken, otherwise I wouldn't be taking it apart.

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Is This Reasonable?

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